Travelling To The Cambodian Border From Thailand
Last Updated: November 26 2020
In order to try and save some money on flights we arrived to Cambodia from Thailand on a bus. We don’t usually write about transportation, but when we do it’s because we want to share the amazing experience we have had. On this occasion we can’t help but tell you about the easiest transition journey between countries we have encountered. Keep reading if you want to know about the easiest, quickest and probably cheapest way of getting to Cambodia from Thailand. Travelling to the Cambodian border was such a breeze; for this journey in particular we travelled from Bangkok to Siem Reap.
The Bus Journey:
We booked the bus online with the website 12GoAsia, as it was the cheapest option. Our meeting point was outside of Macdonalds on Khao San Road in Bangkok; however there are two Macdonalds on this road so make sure you are at the right one. When we printed off our bus ticket, there was a picture in the corner of what Macdonalds to meet at. This made it so much easier for us, so make sure you check the ticket.
The ticket says to get to the pick up point at least half an hour before which we definitely recommend. The bus can get busy, so if you are travelling with someone else and want to sit together it’s best to get there early. AÂ Â Travelmart officer will check your ticket and tell you the direction to walk for the bus. The bus was parked up about 2 minutes away.
The bus departed Bangkok at 9am going directly to Siem Reap with no changes. The lunch stop was around 11am where there was a small restaurant. Here you could get nice cheap curries for around 40 baht, and there were toilets too. The bus has WIFI and USB charging points, as well as free water and a snack.
In total the bus took around four and a half hours to get to the Cambodian border, where you then have to go through immigration. We will talk about this in detail below. From the Cambodian border it then took around three and a half hours to get to Siem Reap.
The bus drop off point is in the centre of Siem Reap, and is right by all the night markets. As the drop off point is so central there is a very good chance your hotel or hostel won’t be a long walk. However the bus company also arrange free tuk tuks upon arrival for everyone off the bus which is a nice touch. Our hotel was only a 3 minute walk away, so we didn’t need the service but the option is there if needed.
Immigration and Getting Our Visa:
There are numerous options when it comes to getting a Cambodia tourist visa. This includes an e-visa, applying at the border yourself or going through one of the bus companies.
Many people decide to do it online in the form of an e-visa, which takes up to 3 working days to process. If you are going to do this option, make sure you have applied for your visa in enough time.
The first thing you have to do is go through Thai immigration and get stamped out of the country. You then must apply for the Cambodian visa at the border, by filling out a document. We did not do this option so we are not sure how easy it is.
The last option is going through the bus company that is taking you across the border. For an extra charge they will offer to sort out your Cambodia Visa for you. The company we went to Cambodia with were called Travel Mart Bangkok and we know they have this service but we are not sure which other companies offer this service
When reading the reviews online a lot of people advised to just go through the border yourself and save the extra money. However we read so many reviews about the Cambodian land borders advising you to be careful with your money. Quite often it seemed people were over charged or refused payment in a certain currency in order for the immigration officers to get a better exchange rate and it just seemed to be a lot of hassle.
We decided to pay extra through our bus company, as did most of the other passengers on our bus. The price we paid was $40 instead of the original price of $30 each. We can honestly say we have never had a more pleasant experience arriving into another country. All we had to do was give one of the travelmart attendee’s our passport and visa photo; where they then filled out a form for our visa and they sorted it for us very quickly. All we had to do was get stamped out of Thailand, and then follow the attendee to the bus. Our passports were then returned to us with the remaining visa photos, and the visa stapled into our passport. It was so easy and we would definitely recommend if you don’t mind spending a little extra for a no hassle journey.
The best thing about this journey is that the company in no way force you to use their services. They explain clearly the difference in price and what you get for your money. They also make sure you know that there is an option to do it yourself, and the staff members were lovely. Travelling to the Cambodian border with this company, was
What Is The Price?
We all know how expensive transport between countries can be when travelling so this journey was a welcome relief. Taking the bus to Siem Reap from Bangkok cost £35 each. This included our bags which had no extra charge.
When compared to flying, the cost is insanely cheap. When looking at flights from Bangkok to Siem Reap the flights were £62 each without hold luggage. This meant we saved at least £89 with the extra charges of luggage. When looking at the price difference it is a no brainer, and you get to see the amazing countryside along the way.
Thank you so much for reading this post. If you are travelling through Asia we hope this has given you an alternative when travelling to the Cambodia border.
Thanks,
Jack & Abbie.
P.S We have recently just got travelibro, why not register and join us! Here we will be posting more of our travel journey and itineraries.
Go to https://travelibro.app.link/acouplescalling-others
I’m one half of Acouplescalling. I'm passionate about all things travel and photography and I love sharing my experiences with others. I've seen a lot of the world already and I want to help as many people as I can do the same thing!
