Visa Run To Cambodja

[Dirk_brijs]

decided to do a visa run to Cambodje instead of going to Sg first again.

Will have to go to Manila most likely beginning of next month anyway.

Anyone know if there are any difficulties now due to the conflict both countries are having?

If not has anyone a god address I like to do one with not that many people n the bus. The one I used to do always 9 or so in the bus and is a bit cramped in my opinion.

Also like one to be back early as my parents will be here dont want to have them wait for me whole day till I am back from it.

Any advise please

Thanks

[Tonycheston]

Did the visa run last week to Cambodia. there are no signs of any conflict on the border, everything was relaxed and very friendly. Some military were driving around on a float and singing, collecting money for the army but absolutely no signs of any trouble.

I went on a tour with 15 people so can't help you there about a small group.

[joskydive]

1st class visa run - soi 6. Queen Vic Pub I think it is but you will see the visa run sign outside anyway. 2500baht. breakfast from 6am. - leave 7am. arrive back early afternoon. free lunch at the pub. Usually, maximum 6 people in the minibus. No problems at the border. Everyone very friendly.

Edited November 7, 2008 by joskydive

[tropo]

Shhhhhhhhhh!

I'll let you guys into a little secret.

Most visa run companies don't run their own minivan service these days.

I found this out a few months ago when talking to a few other runners in the same van. I had paid 1800 at Cambodia Inter while others had paid 2100 elsewhere for a visa run in the same van.

The various visa run offices around town merely book seats in the same vans at their own prices. These independant minivans can even arrange the visa run directly as they usually have their own contact numbers displayed in the vans.

This has actually improved the quality of driving compared to the old days as they are usually not kamikaze pilots because they are driving their own vans.

The typical service is exactly the same for all vans. They pick up at 7am, stop about 8:30am for a quick snack and toilet break...get to the border at 10:30am....leave at 11:30am.... stop at the same road side restaurant at about 1:00pm and arrive back in Pattaya at around 3 - 3:30 pm.

The cost for the meal and drink on the way back is included.

I pay 1800 for this quick and efficient service at Cambodia Inter.

Just another point for Filipinos or other ASEAN country nationals. Cambodia Inter will only charge you 600 baht for the run. You will have to pay an additional 250 baht "stamp fee" when you get there.

[loma]

Can some one tell me to which boarderplace they do the visarun from Pattaya please

[Pattaya46]

here

[tropo]

here

Nice map!

The border is the river you can see on the map separating the Thai town of Ban Laem from the Cambodian town of Daung.

[wrestler7902002]

Can some one tell me to which boarderplace they do the visarun from Pattaya please

I have been on a number of visa runs to Cambodia from Pattaya. I normally take the casino bus from Sukhumvit Road at 6 am in front of Tesco/Lotus, pay 300 baht for round trip. Arrive at Aranyapretet by 10 am. Cross the border into beautiful POIPET, pay my 1,000 baht for Cambodian visa and then venture by foot into Poipet and do some sightseeing. Beware that on my last visa run one week ago, Poipet had so much mud on the dirt road that nearly everything was at a standstill; even Cambodia Immigration officials were lending a hand in pushing the two-wheeled carts in order to keep the traffic flowing (yes, I know, slow as molasses). Do some gamblin' if you like at the casinos.

Then I head back to Ronkluea Market, get a bite to eat, shop around, etc. By 5:30 evening, bus heads back to Pattaya.

Yes, I know the visa run vans are so much quicker, but I'd miss out on experiencing the graciousness and hospitality of Cambodian Immigration and Cambodian people.

Edited November 7, 2008 by wrestler7902002

[gk10002000]

Can some one tell me to which boarderplace they do the visarun from Pattaya please

I have been on a number of visa runs to Cambodia from Pattaya. I normally take the casino bus from Sukhumvit Road at 6 am in front of Tesco/Lotus, pay 300 baht for round trip. Arrive at Aranyapretet by 10 am. Cross the border into beautiful POIPET, pay my 1,000 baht for Cambodian visa and then venture by foot into Poipet and do some sightseeing. Beware that on my last visa run one week ago, Poipet had so much mud on the dirt road that nearly everything was at a standstill; even Cambodia Immigration officials were lending a hand in pushing the two-wheeled carts in order to keep the traffic flowing (yes, I know, slow as molasses). Do some gamblin' if you like at the casinos.

Then I head back to Ronkluea Market, get a bite to eat, shop around, etc. By 5:30 evening, bus heads back to Pattaya.

Yes, I know the visa run vans are so much quicker, but I'd miss out on experiencing the graciousness and hospitality of Cambodian Immigration and Cambodian people.

Ah. An interesting post. So, bus plus visa fee is 1,300. Visa run mini van packages are typically 2,200 or so. Do you do any Visa processing in advance or do you just hop on the casino bus, bring some passport sized photos and off you go?

[Dirk_brijs]

there are no more visa runs who dont stop for the lunch but keep driving? back home soon?

[tropo]

Can some one tell me to which boarderplace they do the visarun from Pattaya please

I have been on a number of visa runs to Cambodia from Pattaya. I normally take the casino bus from Sukhumvit Road at 6 am in front of Tesco/Lotus, pay 300 baht for round trip. Arrive at Aranyapretet by 10 am. Cross the border into beautiful POIPET, pay my 1,000 baht for Cambodian visa and then venture by foot into Poipet and do some sightseeing. Beware that on my last visa run one week ago, Poipet had so much mud on the dirt road that nearly everything was at a standstill; even Cambodia Immigration officials were lending a hand in pushing the two-wheeled carts in order to keep the traffic flowing (yes, I know, slow as molasses). Do some gamblin' if you like at the casinos.

Then I head back to Ronkluea Market, get a bite to eat, shop around, etc. By 5:30 evening, bus heads back to Pattaya.

Yes, I know the visa run vans are so much quicker, but I'd miss out on experiencing the graciousness and hospitality of Cambodian Immigration and Cambodian people.

Don't they want to see proof of onward travel for a 30 day visa exempt entry at Poipet?

[wrestler7902002]

Ah. An interesting post. So, bus plus visa fee is 300 + 1000 = 1,300. Visa run mini van packages are typically 2,200 or so. Do you do any Visa processing in advance or do you just hop on the casino bus, bring some passport sized photos and off you go? Do you have to make a reservation on the casino bus?

I need to make a visa run November 19. Might stay out of Thailand for two days in order to synch up my plane ticket with my next 30 day on arrival Thai visa. I arrived October 21 and m plane departs December 21 so I can't quite reach my dates with a one day visa run.

Can I come back on a different casino bus two days later? Is it worth staying in Poipet? Any reasonable accomodations there?

Sorry for all the questions, but I am trying to find the best way to get a "three" day visa run to make my 30 day Thai Visa on arrivals "reach" to my departure date.

Thanks.

Sawatdee Krap, my new friend.

Glad to see that someone actually read by post.

I'm on a one year non-immigrant type 0 visa but I must leave Thailand every 3 months. I always go to Poipet, closest and easiest way to get visa back to Thailand.

I wait on Sukhumvit Rd. in front of Tesco/Lotus. There are seats there so you can sit down and take a load off your feet. There's a small

RESCUE Ambulance (EMS) shack with a satellite dish on top of the roof. The bus stop is right there in front of the RESCUE small hut on the Sukhumvit sidewalk. That's where you hop onto the casino bus. If I want to leave at 6 am, I arrive at 5:30 am and wait there. The bus normally waits right there for 15 minutes and leaves precisely at 6 am.

There are several casino buses that go to Poipet.

There's one that leaves exactly at 6 am, another at 8 am.

I think the 6 am is better, fewer people. The passengers are mostly Thai (they pay 100 baht for round trip). As a farang, I get charged 300 baht, but that's OK. The seats are normally half full, but it's a double decker bus so can hold many people. Most passengers are Thai folk going to do a bit of gambling in Poipet. If they ask (and they never do), just tell them you're going gamblin'.

Being that the Tesco/Lotus stop is the first stop to pick up passengers to go gambling, the bus is virtually empty and you have your choice of seats. I normally sit on the upper leve. If you see a white sign on the seat, then that seat has already been booked in advance. But they are loads of empty seats.

You can reserve a seat in advance but I'm sorry I do not know the number.

The buses do pick up passengers to go to Poipet, maybe pick up passenger at about 8 stops, but each stop is less than 30 seconds. You'll arrive at Ronklua Market (Thai side) where you can do major shopping for clothing, nik-naks, etc. Trip time is about 4 hours. there's a toilet on the bus...thank God!

Normally during half way thru the bus trip, the bus attendant takes the Thai passports and they fill out the Thai return trip Entry into Thailand TM card for you. They fill it out for you on the bus and hand it right back within 30 minutes. But as farang, they never asked for my passport. The bus is never checked in Aranaprytet border guards so the bus just continues thru any checkpoint along the way to the Rongklua Market.

I always see many kids hanging out at border to help you by holding umbrella to shade you from the sun. Up to you to give 1 baht to them. Since you'll be staying a few days, not necessary for hiring 2-wheeled carts to take your luggage with you as you go thru immigration. Just bring a backpack on your shoulders.

When you arrive at the Market, you'll walk maybe 500 meters and go thru Thai immigrations (usually takes less than 10 minutes to exit immigration). Walk through the door, straight through into Cambodia).

2 steps process to get Cambodian visa:

1. Walk maybe 100 meter, then veer off to right hand side into Cambodian Immigration (basically small building). You'll fill out the basic form. The man outside can fill it out for you. You just sign the visa application, hand him one passport picture, and 1,000 baht). I normally have him fill everything out and hand him 20 baht for coffee money. Take a seat and wait about 5 or 10 minutes. He'll hand you your passport along with full-page Cambodian visa good for 30 days.

2. After getting your full page Cambo visa, continue walking past Casinos and maybe 200 meter down on right hand side, you'll see another Immigration building where you wait in line and show them your passport and Cambo visa and they run your passport thru the computer and put an Entry Stamp in ink into your passport. Depending on how many people in line, maybe 10 to 15 minutes.

After that, continue walking straight in city of Poipet, maybe 200 meters where you'll see a lot of backpackers hopping onto Taxis to take them to Battambang or Phenom Penh.

I have always gone back that evening with the same bus. The casino bus parks in the bus parking lot and stays there until it is time to go back to Pattaya. The casino bus normally leaves there at 5:30 pm if you took the earlier 6 am bus.......or it leaves to go back to Pattaya at 6 pm if you took the 8 am bus. Takes again 4 hours to go back, but its in comfort.

I imagine you can stay at casino hotels. There's about 4 or 5 casinos within 50 meters from Cambodia Immigration. You can also further venture into Poipet, but let me warn you in advance that there is basically NO trees, looks a bit 3rd world style buildings, and there's lots of mud everywhere due to heavy rains. I personally wouldn't sleep overnight in Poipet unless I stayed at the casino hotels.

After getting my Cambo visa, I sometimes take a taxi from Poipet into BATTAMBANG, about 2 1/2 hour drive and can rent hotel room cheap. It costs about 200 baht per person in back seat (400 baht if you sit in front seat with driver) if you go by taxi to Battambang. They normally sqeeze 4 or 5 people in the car. Taxis (Toyota Camry cars) are about 20 meter passed where you get you visa entry stamp. The road surface out of Poipet is muddy and rocky for about 20 minutes, and then the road is good all the way to Battambang.

Battambang is Cambodia's 2nd largest city, but it's nice to visit, many French provincial buildings, hotels, restaurants, more relaxed place to visit. The Cambodian people speak a lot more English than Thai people and they are super-friendly and like to learn English from farang (Barang in Khmer).

There's another option....you can go to Thai immigration and extend your 30 day Thai visa for up to 7 days...up to Immmigration. so that you can make your trip to Poipet, get your 30 day visa, and then right before it expires, go to Immigration and extend it for a few days until your plane leaves. But I think the Thai immigration charges 1,900 baht for that service and might not be worth it.

I hope you understand all that I have written to you.

In my experience, I find Cambodian people speak English better than Thai counterpartsar and are even more friendly than Thai people. They were NO problems at border concerning the Preah Vhear Temple.

I hope this information will help you. Please contact me if you have any further questions.

May your trip to Cambodia be pleasant and fruitful.

Wrestler7902002

[BSJ]

Hi Wrestler7902002, thanks for going to the trouble of writing that story. I had hoped to spend some time exploring Cambodia even though I will be semi-permanent in Pattaya.

As for the casino bus, can you pay 150baht one way and then after several days in Cambodia pay 150 baht for a return ticket when you want to come back?

[deejah]

i asked someone about tesco lotus and they said there are two on suk road

can you tell us the nearest soi please

can anyone else confirm the info about the casino buses

i did a few trips from bkk but never from pat

if its true that the bus is half empty then that is comfort

but a full casino bus is not comfortable

thanks in advance

[gk10002000]

I just made the day visa run to cambodia from Pattaya. I used Key Visa office on Soi LK/Metro. 2,100. They picked me up at my hotel . They called me the night before to confirm. They called me in the morning about 20 minutes before the van came. Besides the gasoline smell from I think a badly sealed container in the luggage area the van was fine. Had 7 people. I sat in the jump seat near the sliding door so would not have made a difference to me if 2 more people were in it.

Left Pattaya with all on board by about 0710. Pit stop about 9 am. Got to border town and all was a breeze. Got in a 2 minute line. Signed the cambodia paperwork in about 5 places. Walked into the little casino had an OK buffet. 30 minutes later the visas were ready and we got back in the van headed for Pattaya. Pit stop about half way back. Got back to Pattaya by 3 PM.

[funfun]

Ah. An interesting post. So, bus plus visa fee is 300 + 1000 = 1,300. Visa run mini van packages are typically 2,200 or so. Do you do any Visa processing in advance or do you just hop on the casino bus, bring some passport sized photos and off you go? Do you have to make a reservation on the casino bus?

I need to make a visa run November 19. Might stay out of Thailand for two days in order to synch up my plane ticket with my next 30 day on arrival Thai visa. I arrived October 21 and m plane departs December 21 so I can't quite reach my dates with a one day visa run.

Can I come back on a different casino bus two days later? Is it worth staying in Poipet? Any reasonable accomodations there?

Sorry for all the questions, but I am trying to find the best way to get a "three" day visa run to make my 30 day Thai Visa on arrivals "reach" to my departure date.

Thanks.

Sawatdee Krap, my new friend.

Glad to see that someone actually read by post.

I'm on a one year non-immigrant type 0 visa but I must leave Thailand every 3 months. I always go to Poipet, closest and easiest way to get visa back to Thailand.

I wait on Sukhumvit Rd. in front of Tesco/Lotus. There are seats there so you can sit down and take a load off your feet. There's a small

RESCUE Ambulance (EMS) shack with a satellite dish on top of the roof. The bus stop is right there in front of the RESCUE small hut on the Sukhumvit sidewalk. That's where you hop onto the casino bus. If I want to leave at 6 am, I arrive at 5:30 am and wait there. The bus normally waits right there for 15 minutes and leaves precisely at 6 am.

There are several casino buses that go to Poipet.

There's one that leaves exactly at 6 am, another at 8 am.

I think the 6 am is better, fewer people. The passengers are mostly Thai (they pay 100 baht for round trip). As a farang, I get charged 300 baht, but that's OK. The seats are normally half full, but it's a double decker bus so can hold many people. Most passengers are Thai folk going to do a bit of gambling in Poipet. If they ask (and they never do), just tell them you're going gamblin'.

Being that the Tesco/Lotus stop is the first stop to pick up passengers to go gambling, the bus is virtually empty and you have your choice of seats. I normally sit on the upper leve. If you see a white sign on the seat, then that seat has already been booked in advance. But they are loads of empty seats.

You can reserve a seat in advance but I'm sorry I do not know the number.

The buses do pick up passengers to go to Poipet, maybe pick up passenger at about 8 stops, but each stop is less than 30 seconds. You'll arrive at Ronklua Market (Thai side) where you can do major shopping for clothing, nik-naks, etc. Trip time is about 4 hours. there's a toilet on the bus...thank God!

Normally during half way thru the bus trip, the bus attendant takes the Thai passports and they fill out the Thai return trip Entry into Thailand TM card for you. They fill it out for you on the bus and hand it right back within 30 minutes. But as farang, they never asked for my passport. The bus is never checked in Aranaprytet border guards so the bus just continues thru any checkpoint along the way to the Rongklua Market.

I always see many kids hanging out at border to help you by holding umbrella to shade you from the sun. Up to you to give 1 baht to them. Since you'll be staying a few days, not necessary for hiring 2-wheeled carts to take your luggage with you as you go thru immigration. Just bring a backpack on your shoulders.

When you arrive at the Market, you'll walk maybe 500 meters and go thru Thai immigrations (usually takes less than 10 minutes to exit immigration). Walk through the door, straight through into Cambodia).

2 steps process to get Cambodian visa:

1. Walk maybe 100 meter, then veer off to right hand side into Cambodian Immigration (basically small building). You'll fill out the basic form. The man outside can fill it out for you. You just sign the visa application, hand him one passport picture, and 1,000 baht). I normally have him fill everything out and hand him 20 baht for coffee money. Take a seat and wait about 5 or 10 minutes. He'll hand you your passport along with full-page Cambodian visa good for 30 days.

2. After getting your full page Cambo visa, continue walking past Casinos and maybe 200 meter down on right hand side, you'll see another Immigration building where you wait in line and show them your passport and Cambo visa and they run your passport thru the computer and put an Entry Stamp in ink into your passport. Depending on how many people in line, maybe 10 to 15 minutes.

After that, continue walking straight in city of Poipet, maybe 200 meters where you'll see a lot of backpackers hopping onto Taxis to take them to Battambang or Phenom Penh.

I have always gone back that evening with the same bus. The casino bus parks in the bus parking lot and stays there until it is time to go back to Pattaya. The casino bus normally leaves there at 5:30 pm if you took the earlier 6 am bus.......or it leaves to go back to Pattaya at 6 pm if you took the 8 am bus. Takes again 4 hours to go back, but its in comfort.

I imagine you can stay at casino hotels. There's about 4 or 5 casinos within 50 meters from Cambodia Immigration. You can also further venture into Poipet, but let me warn you in advance that there is basically NO trees, looks a bit 3rd world style buildings, and there's lots of mud everywhere due to heavy rains. I personally wouldn't sleep overnight in Poipet unless I stayed at the casino hotels.

After getting my Cambo visa, I sometimes take a taxi from Poipet into BATTAMBANG, about 2 1/2 hour drive and can rent hotel room cheap. It costs about 200 baht per person in back seat (400 baht if you sit in front seat with driver) if you go by taxi to Battambang. They normally sqeeze 4 or 5 people in the car. Taxis (Toyota Camry cars) are about 20 meter passed where you get you visa entry stamp. The road surface out of Poipet is muddy and rocky for about 20 minutes, and then the road is good all the way to Battambang.

Battambang is Cambodia's 2nd largest city, but it's nice to visit, many French provincial buildings, hotels, restaurants, more relaxed place to visit. The Cambodian people speak a lot more English than Thai people and they are super-friendly and like to learn English from farang (Barang in Khmer).

There's another option....you can go to Thai immigration and extend your 30 day Thai visa for up to 7 days...up to Immmigration. so that you can make your trip to Poipet, get your 30 day visa, and then right before it expires, go to Immigration and extend it for a few days until your plane leaves. But I think the Thai immigration charges 1,900 baht for that service and might not be worth it.

I hope you understand all that I have written to you.

In my experience, I find Cambodian people speak English better than Thai counterpartsar and are even more friendly than Thai people. They were NO problems at border concerning the Preah Vhear Temple.

I hope this information will help you. Please contact me if you have any further questions.

May your trip to Cambodia be pleasant and fruitful.

Wrestler7902002

What a well written post mr wrestler, that should go onto the list for visas in Poipet, if we have a thread on that, might have a change of sceenery there one time as ban leam is a bit boring, wont take the bus but i think i might try that batam bang for a night or so, makes a change from koh chang!!

"i asked someone about tesco lotus and they said there are two on suk road" deejah

as far as im aware, 2 tescos in pattaya, one north road (not suk) then the other is actully on suk rd, which is between from memory south pattaya road, and i think its called theapasist road, that one that comes from joketiem!!

this is ace, ha ha ha ha !!!

" Besides the gasoline smell from I think a badly sealed container in the luggage area the van was fine"

wont be going with them then!!!!!!!!!!

i still am of the opinion of the sportsman inn on soi 13, does the best if ya just wanna get there and back, dont want to drive etc.

think its 2400 maybe 2500, get there at 6 get ya breakfast approx 6.30 i think off ya go, not running round everyones hotels waiting for them to brush there teeth etc, so ya out of patts by 7am if ya not there 6.30 ya dont go, if ya pissed ya dont go, up to you.

and it always seems to be back in town earlyier than rest!

last time i went ya got a free pint on return, but it was over a year ago, but best ive used!

chris