Hi, I am arriving in Bangkok at 7pm and am hoping to get to Siem Deap as soon as possible. Does anyone know if it would be possible to make the journey by bus that night or head there the following morning? Please could people tell me the easiest bus service to use so that I don't have to negotiate too many issues at the border. Sorry for asking basic questions but this is my first time travelling alone.
Thanks
Probally a bit late for bus certainly from airport. First bus in the morning 03.30 and regular service after that to Aranyaphatet but there is direct bus I believe just google or search this forum but avoid the KSR scams at all costs
depending when the through bus might be the best option (or fly) as at moment border is Chaos with returning cambodians and getting onward transport could be difficult
no, bus's leave in the morn.
if ur doing this in the next week suggest you fly as the border at Poi Pet is crazy now
Thanks for the information. I'll be doing the journey around the 10th July. Hopefully things will have calmed down by then. It sounds like I'll be better off staying in Bangkok over night and picking up bus the next day
You might want to get your Cambodia visa online - do a search on this site for details... if the border's still messed up, it's one less thing to worry about. If you get to the bus station at Morchit, (6-7am) and the Siem Reap bus is full you can do Aranyaprathet direct and just get a tuk-tuk to the Border and a bus / taxi from there to SR. You need to plan to leave early morning and cross early afternoon. Lots of scams on the Thai side parting unwary travellers from their money - pay nothing until you are entering Cambodia... and if you have a visa already, pay nothing to anyone, at any stage.
I would consider a cheap Air Asia flight direct and get VOA at REP airport. No border hassles, scam and scalpers - and the Aran/Poipet border is legendary for that... So be warned...
Evisa not required if you fly in.
There are now 2 daily direct international bus services from Bangkok to Siem Reap. For some strange reason, I recently saw one of these buses parked at a bus station in Phnom Penh and on the same day, another Siem Reap-Bangkok-Phnom Penh international bus was parked at Koh Kong, both well away from the routes they should be serving. Anyway, I digress.
It's easy to travel on the international bus from Bangkok. It would be best to show up at Mo Chit bus station run by the "Transport Company", where the bus departs and buy your ticket the night before or if you can't manage that, very early the next day around 6 or 7 in the morning at the latest as I believe the buses depart around 8 and 8.30am or 9am. Thai and Cambodian buses run on an alternate day basis - one day it's a RHD Thai bus, the next it's a LHD Cambodian bus run by Nattakan Bus company. Don't believe anyone who claims there are any other cross-border services, or even no cross border services. These two companies, that operate in tandem are the only ones offering a cross border service.
Once at the border everyone gets off, sorts out their visa (note that it isn't difficult to pay the proper $20 for a tourist visa or $25 for a business visa at this border despite what some people claim - just insist, be firm and friendly and it will take less than 5 mins - I speak from personal experience having obtained a visa there twice, one tourist and one business and both times I didn't pay extra except the second time an extra $2 (bargained down from $3) for not having a photograph, but that was my fault) and then you reboard the same bus after Cambodian immigration. The bus company will give you a sticker to identify you for reboarding purposes once you have crossed the border. I believe they will tell you what time the bus will depart from the roundabout on the Cambodian side, probably around 1 hour later, which should be enough time to get through. Still, due to occasional crowds it could take longer and consequently, there may be some pressure exerted by the bus company to speed things up and one way they claim they can do this is by offering to do your Cambodian visa for you for a "fee". Don't let them, since they will charge more and it won't be any quicker than doing it yourself.
I have heard that even though it's a government bus, touts may try to steer you towards some kind of accommodation in Siem Reap that provides them a commission (this doesn't happen in the opposite direction though), so insist you have your own accommodation and don't let the drivers take you anywhere you don't want to go.
If you go down the DYI route (meaning you catch one form of transportation to the Thai border, walk across and then change to a different form of transportation on the Cambodian side) then you'll be under absolutely no time pressure at all, especially since it's possible to get to Siem Reap in no more than 2 hours from the border and now that the border closes at 10pm, you should find yourself with plenty of transport options once across the border.
The best way of reaching the border from Bangkok is via a minivan that leaves from near the Victory Monument BTS station for 230 Baht. These vans take a mere 3 or so hours (although often around 4 hours in the other direction due to traffic) to reach the border, by immediately getting on the expressway locating right in front of the van station. Departures are approximately hourly starting as early as 4am. You want to go to "Talad Rong Kluea" or ตลาดโรงเกลือ in Thai, which means "Salt Factory Market" in Thai, and refers to the market right at the border crossing. Buses and trains stop in Aranyaprathet, rather than the border. Heading only to Aranyaprathet, some 6km away from the border is inconvenient and invites further costs and rip-offs as you'll have to negotiate for a tuk-tuk, motorcycle taxi etc. to the border whereas the van takes you all the way there.
Once you get off the van, you walk across the border, do all the formalties yourself including obtaining a visa on arrival. Note that as soon as you leave Thai immigration and enter Cambodian territory move to the RIGHT and avoid the scam on the LEFT with the fake health forms. The visa-on-arrival counter is located about halfway between the Thai and Cambodian immigration posts. Obtain your visa there, then keep walking on the right past a couple of casinos to Cambodian immigration.
Once you are past there, buses and taxis head for Siem Reap. I'd actually recommend a taxi, which if you are sharing it with a few other travelers is no more expensive than the bus. If you need a bus, make sure you go with an official bus company and book tickets at the bus station by getting there yourself, rather than paying a tout who will inevitably take a commission for himself.
Never catch the Khao San Road scam bus - apart from being more uncomfortable and costing more than the official government bus due to all the added extra "costs", you will find it difficult to avoid the visa and accommodation scams and you won't even be on the same bus all the way. Only first time backpackers make that mistake - don't be one of them!
Your original post indicated you wanted to get there as soon as possible - as #6 says AA will get you there by lunchtime. SR is a lot cheaper to fly to these days. I wouldn't necessarily be put off by the border hassles - it's all part of the rough and tumble of land travel in Asia - and for sure more 'interesting' than flying... but it'll take you a day. The trick is to be prepared and read up on the potential pitfalls, both here and in talesofasia.com. Fly or drive, you still need a visa which you have to pay for.