@ Mc Gregor 21
I went on August 8th with my wife ( European) to Ban Pakkard border check from Sattahip. The purpose was to get out of thailand to cancel our O A visa we wanted to change for a O one for obvious reasons. We took the same road and experienced the same heavy rains and heavy traffic conditions and surely the same very dangerous road section about 40 km before reaching the border. As you said, I confirm this border point is nicely organized and very quiet. Easy parking and plenty of stores. I think we met the same lady at the Thai counter where she proposed us a full service for 2700 thb including the Cambodian visa cost.Contrarily to you who had to work and walk,, and luckily for us, she took our passports, filled the TM 6 form herself( we just had to sign) and we stayed relaxing on a chair time for them to manage everything on the Cambodian side where we never put a single foot. After 15/ 20 mn, she was back with our passports containing the Cambodian visa, came with us back to the Thai immigration counter where we got our visa exempt stamp. Done deal smoothly, effortlessly and with nice smile.
Two days after we went to our local immigration office to apply for the O visa. We had completed with great care the whole files requested in 2 exemplars. All was done there in less than an hour. They kept our passports and said it would take 2 to 3 weeks to get the visa for 3 months, to be extended to a 1 year one. 12 days later we got a SMS message on our phone to go and pick up our passports. We got our 3 month new visa and will process the extension soon, no earlier than 30 days before expiration date.
So it was worth the long trip and hope everybody doing the same will get the same efficient process at a very fair service price.