Visa Run To Hat Lek - Koh Kong

[falkenbach]

Pls recommed visa run service to Hat Lek, as I want to use e-visa to save space at my passport.

Pls note that some visa run services using other cross point nearby and I need Hat Lek only, as other cross point dont accept e-visa.

[jamesjdaly]

I don't think there are any. You'll have to do it yourself by public transport!

[Guderian]

Pls recommed visa run service to Hat Lek, as I want to use e-visa to save space at my passport.

Pls note that some visa run services using other cross point nearby and I need Hat Lek only, as other cross point dont accept e-visa.

You don't say where you want your visa run to start from? I only know about visa runs from Pattaya.

Koh Chang Travel used to do a Hat Lek visa run from Pattaya twice a week, but stopped it a few years ago due to lack of demand (the trip is over 4 hours one-way). They have a daily service to Laem Ngop near Trat for the ferry to Koh Chang. If you are travelling to Hat Lek they will drop you at the Trat bus station, and from there you catch a "scheduled" minibus to Hat Lek. That takes about an hour, but depending on how many stops the driver has to make it may be longer. I think the Koh Chang Travel minibus leaves Pattaya around 8:00 AM, so you're not going to get to Hat Lek until 1:00 PM at the earliest. Allow say an hour for entering Cambodia and returning to Thailand, plus grabbing a quick bowl of rice in the restaurant in Hat Lek, and you will be very unlikely to make it back to Trat bus station in time for the last non-stop service to Pattaya at 3:00 PM. So you would have to take a bus from Trat to Chantaburi and connect with the bus to Rayong, and then with the bus to Pattaya (I heard that changing bus in Klaeng is an option, but never tried it). If you're happy using the local Thai bus services, then it shouldn't be a problem, just a very long day.

If you prefer a more relaxed approach, take a motorbike taxi from Cham Yeam on the Cambodian side and stay the night in the charming little river-side town of Koh Kong, one of my favourite spots in Cambodia. Then the next day you can make the return trip at a more leisurely pace and catch the 12:00 bus from Trat to Pattaya. Last time I was there, a non-stop minibus service was running from Koh Kong back to Pattaya, but I didn't get the details. The owner of the DugOut bar (formerly the Moto Bar) in the main street of Koh Kong should be able to point you in the right direction. (It's also a handy place to stay the night.)

Any Pattaya travel agent will know the details of the Koh Chang Travel buses - I think a one-way ticket cost me 800 Baht the last time I did the trip. They may also be able to give you more information about the minibus service back to Pattaya from Koh Kong town.

Caveat: this information is mostly 9 months old, so I can't promise that it still holds.

[astral]

If you don't fancy that long day, then cross the bridge once you enter Cambodia and stay a night or two in Koh Klong.

There are several reasonable hotels. No need to change money as Thai baht is readily accepted at all establishments

[falkenbach]

thanks for all the suggestions, as the matter of fact on my way back from SNK several months ago I have seen some VR buses at Koh Kong around 2PM, so I guess there should be more as usually this buses arrive to border couple of hours earlier. sorry forget to mention - I interested in VR from Pattaya. probably just will take the bus and stay couple of nights at Koh Kong. minibus doesnt make much sense, I feel like minibus services targeted to tourists and therefore overpriced. at Soi Bukhao I've seen offerings for going to Cambodia by minibus - 2800bht to Phnom Penh (one way), same price as AirAsia, and you need 2 days (1 night at Koh Kong) which is unreasonable, as with new bridges 8-10 hrs in total should be enough to go from PTT to PP by land LOL ;-) minibus from Hat Lek to Pattaya was 700bht, I didnt tried it, as for this money one night at Trat and first class bus to Pattaya next day seemed to be better value for same money ;-)