Nearest Border Crossing To Pattaya

[intumult]

Posted here because I am going to have to make a border crossing this month and at the same time thought I might visit friends in pattaya and rayong.

What is the name of the nearest border crossing to Pattaya and how far is it? I will be driving and would like to look it up on the map (multimap).

Normally I would go to the Cambodia crossing near Aranyaprathet ( maybe the same border crossing).

If it is going to be too much of a round trip I can always go to Pattaya and Rayong to stay another day

TIA

[raro]

I reckon it is Had Lek, Trat province. About 350 km from Pattaya.

[Kerryd]

I thought the nearest was Ban Laem, where (most) of the visa-run companies go. The trips I took (with a company and on my own) went from Pattaya to Rayong, then towards Chanta Buri. North to a little past Pong Nam Ron, then east at Pakam to the border.

Go due north from Chanta Buri until you see Khao Soi Dao (waterfall), then look right and you'll see the highway sign "3405", and Ban Laem is right below that.

There are obviously other border crossings in the area. Can't remember how far it is, but with the visa run company and private car, it was maybe 2 1/2 hours from Pattaya (taking off a 1/2 hour pit stop along the way).

Nice trip too, as you head up into some low mountains, then some rural countryside.

(if the map is hard to see/read, there is a link under the scale to the site I think I got this from).

[FATNAPPY]

I thought the nearest was Ban Laem, where (most) of the visa-run companies go. The trips I took (with a company and on my own) went from Pattaya to Rayong, then towards Chanta Buri. North to a little past Pong Nam Ron, then east at Pakam to the border.

Go due north from Chanta Buri until you see Khao Soi Dao (waterfall), then look right and you'll see the highway sign "3405", and Ban Laem is right below that.

There are obviously other border crossings in the area. Can't remember how far it is, but with the visa run company and private car, it was maybe 2 1/2 hours from Pattaya (taking off a 1/2 hour pit stop along the way).

Nice trip too, as you head up into some low mountains, then some rural countryside.

(if the map is hard to see/read, there is a link under the scale to the site I think I got this from).

Dead right ....this crossing is 250k from Jomtien....

[sweetchariot]

KerryD is spot on, I drove it myself on Tuesday, then went down to Koh Chang for a few days. DO NOT turn off at Pong Nam Ron (as I did), they are making a new road and it is a nightmare, go on to the next turning as recommended.

A word of warning - when I have driven myself before, I filled out the Cambodian visa application and Thai arrival card myself. It's 1,000 for the visa, and 100 for the exit stamp. This time the Thai immigration officer called over a young lad as I was exiting, and gave him my passport. He then proceeded to fill out the forms for me, which I thought was nice of them to help me.

He then told me I had to pay 1,600 baht. When I enquired why he said it was 1,200 for the visa, 200 for exit stamp, and 200 for him. I told him this was BS as I know exactly what the fees are after doing the same trip many times, but he insisted this was right. I eventually got him down to 1,400 , not wanting to make too much of a fuss as the immigration officer is obviously getting a cut from this scam.

I think the best bet is to follow him to his little table, and before he starts filling out forms politely tell him you will do it yourself. My mistake was letting him already do the paperwork as I thought that the friendly Immigration staff were genuinely trying to help.

[Humphrey Bear]

KerryD is spot on, I drove it myself on Tuesday, then went down to Koh Chang for a few days. DO NOT turn off at Pong Nam Ron (as I did), they are making a new road and it is a nightmare, go on to the next turning as recommended.

A word of warning - when I have driven myself before, I filled out the Cambodian visa application and Thai arrival card myself. It's 1,000 for the visa, and 100 for the exit stamp. This time the Thai immigration officer called over a young lad as I was exiting, and gave him my passport. He then proceeded to fill out the forms for me, which I thought was nice of them to help me.

He then told me I had to pay 1,600 baht. When I enquired why he said it was 1,200 for the visa, 200 for exit stamp, and 200 for him. I told him this was BS as I know exactly what the fees are after doing the same trip many times, but he insisted this was right. I eventually got him down to 1,400 , not wanting to make too much of a fuss as the immigration officer is obviously getting a cut from this scam.

I think the best bet is to follow him to his little table, and before he starts filling out forms politely tell him you will do it yourself. My mistake was letting him already do the paperwork as I thought that the friendly Immigration staff were genuinely trying to help.

An extra 500 baht to guarantee no problems? Well worth it. Perhaps you looked as if you needed the help.

[intumult]

Thanks very much for the information. Helps me plan my trip.

Appreciated.

[farangtingtong]

Thanks very much for the information. Helps me plan my trip.

Appreciated.

What will happen if Cambodia will close their borders because of the Temple dispute with Thailand.

Ever thought of that?

[Kerryd]

I wonder. Do you actually have to cross into Cambodia at all ?

When I think about it, it doesn't appear that you have to.

If I have a brand spanking new passport, hop a plane from the Great Ice Cube to Thailand, when I go to Immigration it won't have any stamps or visas in it. Immigration will deflower my virgin passport with the Arrival stamp and I'm on my way for 30 days of "cultural" activities.

So what's the difference if I go to Ban Laem, get stamped out of Thailand, walk to the stream between LoS and Cambo, then turn around and walk back to the Thai Immigration office and submit my passport for a new stamp, without actually going in to Cambodia ?

On what ancient scroll is it written that I have to get a entry/departure stamp from another country ?

Technically, I could go to the airport, get stamped out, fly to another city (HK for example), stay in transit (if I had another ticket already bought), check in for another flight and zip back to LoS in a couple of hours.

Immigration would give me another 30 day stamp (assuming I haven't exceeded the 90/180 limit), despite not having any new arrival/departure stamps from another country. (Even if I flew back to Canada, left the airport, had lunch, turned around and flew back to LoS, I wouldn't have any new stamps).

I think the "Letter of the Law" states you have to leave Thailand for a day, which you obviously don't do when you spend 15 minutes in Cambodia and are back in Thailand getting a new stamp.

So what would happen if you got your departure stamp, walked 20 feet away, had a smoke/took a leak/filled in your TM47/whatever, then turned around and lined up for an Arrival stamp ?

I mean, it's no sweat of the *ss of the Thai Immigration officials. They aren't losing any money if you don't buy a Cambo visa. The Cambodian side might get irked at the loss of revenue, but what could they do, as you didn't technically enter their country.

Just stuck your foot over the line, changed your mind and turned away (one could say that would mean you didn't technically leave Thailand either, but then you could argue that that area between the two countries belongs to neither, so in effect you did leave Thailand and have the stamp to prove it, but didn't enter Cambodia, so no need to buy a visa).

Hmmmmm, I think one of you fine folks should give that a try, just for fun. Could save a lot of people a lot of time, effort and money.

[sweetchariot]

An extra 500 baht to guarantee no problems? Well worth it. Perhaps you looked as if you needed the help.

Not sure what 'problems' you think you might encounter. It's very simple - takes about a minute to fill out the paperwork - not really worth 500 baht IMHO.

[sweetchariot]

So what would happen if you got your departure stamp, walked 20 feet away, had a smoke/took a leak/filled in your TM47/whatever, then turned around and lined up for an Arrival stamp ?

Hmmmmm, I think one of you fine folks should give that a try, just for fun. Could save a lot of people a lot of time, effort and money.

I've thought about this before, and have looked at what the Thai Immi officer checks. He always looks for a Cambo visa/ exit stamp. Don't know about the letter of the law, but probably not worth p1ssing off the immi officer I reckon.

My only conclusion is that Thailand somehow receive a cut of the excessive visa fee (isn't it supposed to be $20?).

[Kerryd]

So what would happen if you got your departure stamp, walked 20 feet away, had a smoke/took a leak/filled in your TM47/whatever, then turned around and lined up for an Arrival stamp ?

Hmmmmm, I think one of you fine folks should give that a try, just for fun. Could save a lot of people a lot of time, effort and money.

I've thought about this before, and have looked at what the Thai Immi officer checks. He always looks for a Cambo visa/ exit stamp. Don't know about the letter of the law, but probably not worth p1ssing off the immi officer I reckon.

My only conclusion is that Thailand somehow receive a cut of the excessive visa fee (isn't it supposed to be $20?).

Just had that discussion in a thread in the visa forum. I think that a couple of years ago, when the dollar was worth quite a bit more, the fee was $20 US or 1,000 baht.

Now that the $ has lost a fair bit of value, they want the 1,000 baht (but haven't changed their signs from what I recall, still showed $20 the last time I was at Ban Laem).

To try the trick of not going in to Cambodia, you'd probably need a passport that wasn't filled with visas/stamps already. Then you could play "dumb tourist" and see if they would stamp you back in. If you've got a load of visas/stamps already, then they might decide that you should know better (and start beating you with rubber hoses for trying to pull a fast one on them).

I vote that raro should be the first to try "Ban Laem Boogie" to see if it can be done !

[sibeymai]

I'll try it when I go to Arunyaprathet/Poi Pet next month. I'm on a non-O multi entry. What's the worst that can happen ? Send me into Cambodia for 1 or 2 hours ? Will report back on my mission.

[deejah]

i tired it at Arunyaprathet/Poi Pet

it didnt work

that was a year or two ago

[al warner]

I'll try it when I go to Arunyaprathet/Poi Pet next month. I'm on a non-O multi entry. What's the worst that can happen ? Send me into Cambodia for 1 or 2 hours ? Will report back on my mission.

I've renewed my visa there twice and I have not entered Cambodia once.

[intumult]

I'll try it when I go to Arunyaprathet/Poi Pet next month. I'm on a non-O multi entry. What's the worst that can happen ? Send me into Cambodia for 1 or 2 hours ? Will report back on my mission.

I am on the same. I can go there or Ban Laem as I am travelling from up-country.

I'll 'phone a friend' when at the immigration and get them to talk to immigration and ask b4 I try not going into cambodia itself for my visa crossing.

I am back on Tuesday and let you know if they laugh at me or not.

I despise paying 1,500 baht a time to the Cambodians as they have asked me for the last 3 times over.

[Pattaya46]

Just had that discussion in a thread in the visa forum. I think that a couple of years ago, when the dollar was worth quite a bit more, the fee was $20 US or 1,000 baht.

Now that the $ has lost a fair bit of value, they want the 1,000 baht (but haven't changed their signs from what I recall, still showed $20 the last time I was at Ban Laem).

Hi,

You can get the visa for 25 US$ (~ 830 baht) using the e-Visa

http://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh/e-visa/vsindex.aspx

http://www.mfaic.gov.kh/e-visa/about.aspx

And you save a page of your passport at each visa-run

[visarunner]

Just had that discussion in a thread in the visa forum. I think that a couple of years ago, when the dollar was worth quite a bit more, the fee was $20 US or 1,000 baht.

Now that the $ has lost a fair bit of value, they want the 1,000 baht (but haven't changed their signs from what I recall, still showed $20 the last time I was at Ban Laem).

Hi,

You can get the visa for 25 US$ (~ 830 baht) using the e-Visa

http://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh/e-visa/vsindex.aspx

http://www.mfaic.gov.kh/e-visa/about.aspx

And you save a page of your passport at each visa-run

You can NOT us a E-Visa in Ban Laem/Daung.

Name of Port (View Map) Border Entry Exit

Phnom Penh International Airport - Yes Yes

Siem Reap International Airport - Yes Yes

Cham Yeam (Koh Kong) Thailand Yes Yes

Chorm (Oddar Meanchey) Thailand No Yes

Daung (Kamrieng-Battambang) Thailand No Yes

Poi Pet (Banteay Meanchey) Thailand Yes Yes

[raro]

I wonder. Do you actually have to cross into Cambodia at all ?

When I think about it, it doesn't appear that you have to.

Hmmmmm, I think one of you fine folks should give that a try, just for fun. Could save a lot of people a lot of time, effort and money.

Tried that a couple of years ago at the Nong Khai border. Immigration officer looks in my passport and asks me where I come from? I said from Thailand. He said, well....before letting you in again you have to have been somewhere.....

so we can file this attempt under "nice try"....you cannot just fall from the sky at a Thai border crossing.....

[Pattaya46]

You can NOT us a E-Visa in Ban Laem/Daung.

Daung (Kamrieng-Battambang) Thailand No Yes

Yes, but you CAN use a eVisa at Koh Kong

and Koh Kong is not really farer, and easy to go by bus from Pattaya

Cham Yeam (Koh Kong) Thailand Yes Yes

[intumult]

As Raro says, you have to come from somewhere.

I did try.

I went through Thai immigration at Poi Pet and looped back through the gate without getting any stamps from Cambodian immigration.

Thai immigration spent ages looking for my Cambodian exit visas. Not best pleased when they saw I did not have any. They sent me back LOL.

No real surprise but sometimes you have to try

When I cam back they checked every stamp in my passport and made sure they took a long time over it. Once they were satisfied they accepted my explanation that it was a genuine mistake, me being tired and all after a long drive. No harm done at the end of the day and I enjoyed the rest of my weekend.

+ edit

1,100 baht for Cambodian visa + 500 Baht for my 'VIP' exit stamp. No change there, then.

I did notice a new (new to me) visa service. Turning 1st right on entry to the market you are stopped and diverted to a car park where they then show you official badges to say they are visa officials, as such, and they then insist on filling out your visa application.

Cost for service 100 baht.

Yet you still have to go to Cambodia to get the entry/exit stamps and pay 500 baht. So just another 100 baht for the service.

[deejah]

i will admit i haven't been there is a while

however i used to be an expert about that (poi pet) border crossing process

if you play your cards right you can get a visa for 20 bucks

no other fees at all

however it is not always the most pleasant experience

so what i would do is check with those waiting for their visa at camb. and ask what they paid

if they say 20 i pay 20

other wise 1000 will keep it going smoothly

however what people might want to do is wait until there are a number of people that refuse to pay 1000 and each pay just 20

safety in numbers

i had many a bad time getting my camb. visa at that border