Best way to do a visa run from Siem Reap.

[ThomasAJ]

So I came from Thailand to Siem Reap for a few days and I really like it and been here for almost 2 months and it's time to go.

I could fly to BKK stay a few days and come back but there might be a better way? As in cheaper ????

 

I've a done a bit of a search around and all I see is questions about visa runs TO Siem Reap.

 

Anyway any help is appreciated.

[phuketrichard]

head up to Osmach about 3-4 hours by road,  exit Cambodia, visa exempt entry to thailand,  stay the night in Surin town and next day return to Cambodia with new visa

On ur way back to SR make sure you stop at Banteay Chhmer, a really nice temple and most likely u'll be the only one there.

[ThomasAJ]

Thank you sir. What's the road like? I'm a bit of a "road worrier" as opposed to a "road warier". ????

 

(Hey that's not bad at all even if I do say so myself! ha ha ha ????)

[Peter Denis]

Another option is to go to the friendly border-crossing at Choam / SaNgam.

The first quarter part of the road (coming from Siem Reap) is not so good (busy and not well maintained), but the last three quarters are a very well maintained highway with practically no traffic.

There is not much to see at Choam /SaNgam, except maybe the remains of PolPot in Anlong Veng (approx 5 km from the border-crossing), but not my cup of tea.

Should be possible to do the trip same day (approx 3 hours drive to border - 1 hour border admin - 3 hours back).

If you start early you should be able to visit the wonderful Bantai Shrei temple on your way back, as it is on the road.

I normally do the trip in the direction to SiemReap, making use of a taxi provided by the Hotel I will be staying and for which they charge 80 US$, so for sure you should be able to do the round trip for that price.

Nice detail: the taxi they sent was a luxury Lexus > our party felt like VIPs ????

[ThomasAJ]

Thank you Peter Denis

 

So I take it that the Choam / Sangam immigration into Thailand is more friendly than the Poipet / Aranya... crossing? I have read many bad reports regarding the latter crossing.

 

Also, are you saying that one doesn't have to stay overnight to get back into Cambodia? What what I've read I thought 1 night minimum stay was pretty much standard all over South East Asia? (In the context of returning to the country one has just left.)

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, ThomasAJ said:

Thank you Peter Denis

 

So I take it that the Choam / Sangam immigration into Thailand is more friendly than the Poipet / Aranya... crossing? I have read many bad reports regarding the latter crossing.

 

Also, are you saying that one doesn't have to stay overnight to get back into Cambodia? What what I've read I thought 1 night minimum stay was pretty much standard all over South East Asia? (In the context of returning to the country one has just left.)

Yes, it is a very friendly crossing both at thai and cambodian sides.

I often did cross from the thai side, just getting a cambodian Visa, do 1/2 hour shopping in the shops at the cambodian site (nice woodwork), and then returned into Thailand with a fresh permission to stay.

But never did it the other way around.

 

Note: If you are a smoker, they sell all major brands there.  You only pay 120 THB for a 'slof' (10 packages - 200 cigarettes).  I don't smoke, but my son said they were real good...