Overland From Siem Reap To Chiang Mai

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup, TV CM Friends,

While we expect the mods may move this to the "general" Travel forum, we'll go ahead and dare post here in the hopes we just might hear quickly from someone in CM who's done this in the last year or two. Or who knows, with certainty, this is not a wise thing to do.

Two women friends (in their fifties) from the US are making their first visit to Thailand (but they are both experienced world travellers); they didn't plan the trip early enough to get a reasonable air-fare from BKK to Siem Reap, so they'll go train/bus, or bus, or whatever, from Bangkok to the border at Aranyaphrathet, and then on by whatever to Siem Reap. Their goal is to visit Angkor Wat.

They are the type of travellers who, like us, never want to be part of some "organized tour."

Any ideas ?

thanks, ~o:37;

[gotlost]

I'm sending a PM with info for you.

[Loaded]

I did the reverse trip a few years ago but probably much that I learned would be relevant to your friends.

Overnight train to BKK but jumped out at Mor Chit (or Don Muang?). Took a motorcycle taxi to Mor Chit bus station and then a bus to Aranya Pratet. Bought a Cambodian visa on the border and crossed. Took a shared taxi to Siem Reap.

[SantiSuk]

A route that I'll bet nobody else would think of (and is in fact geographically the most direct).

Bus from Chiang Mai to SiSaket. I am pretty sure the direct buses to Ubon go thru SiSaket and if NakonChai Air (a bus company) do it choose them.

Taxi from SiSaket to Choam SaNgam / Anlong Veng border - about 1,000 baht. Or songthaew to Khukhan or Phusing and taxi from there if you want to save 700 baht. A taxi will be easier since not much English is spoken in Khukhan or Phusing

A 10 minute walk through the most rustic border you will see - but no scams and very quick (8am to 7pm). $20 and a photo for the Cambodian visa (tell them it cost you $20 last time, when asked)

Taxi from border to Siem Reap $50 - or motorcycle ($2) to close by town, Anlong Veng and overnight in guest house then early morning shared taxi or bus to Siem Reap if you want to save $25. An advantage of this route over the Aranyha Prathet / Poipet border to Siem Reap route is that it is a fast 90 minute journey by taxi on a quiet good road and you can stop off to visit Banteay Srey en route if you take the taxi. Banteay Srey is an outlying but very pretty 'must see' temple of Angkor that would otherwise consume 90 minutes of valuable traveling time from and to Siem Reap.

Last travelled it (SiSaket to Siem Reap) - 2 months ago.

Post script. Have just realised they may be going nowhere near CM?! In which case ignore all this! Still - may be of use to other Northerners planning on seeing Angkor Wat and baulking at the Bangkok Air monopoly prices (hint - fly AIr Asia to Phnom Penh and bus back to Siem Reap if you have the time - PP is well worth a day or two anyway). Angkor Wat is well worth the visit and is cheap once you get there; I go regularly with guests who visit me in Issaan.

Edited December 8, 2010 by SantiSuk

[jaideeguy]

A route that I'll bet nobody else would think of (and is in fact geographically the most direct).

Bus from Chiang Mai to SiSaket. I am pretty sure the direct buses to Ubon go thru SiSaket and if NakonChai Air (a bus company) do it choose them.

Taxi from SiSaket to Choam SaNgam / Anlong Veng border - about 1,000 baht. Or songthaew to Khukhan or Phusing and taxi from there if you want to save 700 baht. A taxi will be easier since not much English is spoken in Khukhan or Phusing

A 10 minute walk through the most rustic border you will see - but no scams and very quick (8am to 7pm). $20 and a photo for the Cambodian visa (tell them it cost you $20 last time, when asked)

Taxi from border to Siem Reap $50 - or motorcycle ($2) to close by town, Anlong Veng and overnight in guest house then early morning shared taxi or bus to Siem Reap if you want to save $25. An advantage of this route over the Aranyha Prathet / Poipet border to Siem Reap route is that it is a fast 90 minute journey by taxi on a quiet good road and you can stop off to visit Banteay Srey en route if you take the taxi. Banteay Srey is an outlying but very pretty 'must see' temple of Angkor that would otherwise consume 90 minutes of valuable traveling time from and to Siem Reap.

Last travelled it (SiSaket to Siem Reap) - 2 months ago.

Post script. Have just realised they may be going nowhere near CM?! In which case ignore all this! Still - may be of use to other Northerners planning on seeing Angkor Wat and baulking at the Bangkok Air monopoly prices (hint - fly AIr Asia to Phnom Penh and bus back to Siem Reap if you have the time - PP is well worth a day or two anyway). Angkor Wat is well worth the visit and is cheap once you get there; I go regularly with guests who visit me in Issaan.

I had recently heard of that route and glad that you confirmed it so precisely. Having inlaws in Surin and I don't like to stay there, I may give it a try next trip down from CM. The $50 to SR by taxi??.....is that per person??

Thnaks

Hopefully an observent mod will move this post to the 'southeast asia travel forum' where it belongs.

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Santisuk,

Thanks for this very interesting reply ! Have alerted my friends to your response, and never heard of the route you described, either. To our ears, "most direct," sounds sweet.

Can we assume this would work "in reverse" from Siem Reap back to Chiang Mai with no problems ?

Also curious how long a bus ride it is from Si Saket to Chiang Mai. Here in Chiang Mai we're only familiar with the Oosuksatour and Chakrapong bus lines for VIP travel.

Does NakhornChai, which has such a good rep, from BKK<>CM, also travel to CM ? Will try and research that here on TV and via Google.

best, ~o:37;

[jaideeguy]

"NakhornChai" from the arcade bus station services all of Issan with many departure times a day from CM. Best to book a few days early, especially during holiday times.

Just sent the father in law home to Surin @ 890thb/13 hrs......Si Saket would add an hour and maybe be under 1,000thb.

[orang37]

"NakhornChai" from the arcade bus station services all of Issan with many departure times a day from CM. Best to book a few days early, especially during holiday times.

Just sent the father in law home to Surin @ 890thb/13 hrs......Si Saket would add an hour and maybe be under 1,000thb.

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Jaideeguy,

Thanks for the information on NakhornChai ! We assume they operate the same type Chinese-made double-decker VIP buses that Chakrapong and Oosuksatour operate, but we'll double-check on that in persons at Arcade.

While we, of course, respect your opinion this thread belongs in the main travel forum, may we humbly point out that this thread does discuss travel issues specifically related to Chiang Mai.

But, should the Mods move it, we will continue to offer incense and flowers to them, as well as to you

best, ~o:37;

[afarang]

A route that I'll bet nobody else would think of (and is in fact geographically the most direct).

Bus from Chiang Mai to SiSaket. I am pretty sure the direct buses to Ubon go thru SiSaket and if NakonChai Air (a bus company) do it choose them.

Taxi from SiSaket to Choam SaNgam / Anlong Veng border - about 1,000 baht. Or songthaew to Khukhan or Phusing and taxi from there if you want to save 700 baht. A taxi will be easier since not much English is spoken in Khukhan or Phusing

A 10 minute walk through the most rustic border you will see - but no scams and very quick (8am to 7pm). $20 and a photo for the Cambodian visa (tell them it cost you $20 last time, when asked)

Taxi from border to Siem Reap $50 - or motorcycle ($2) to close by town, Anlong Veng and overnight in guest house then early morning shared taxi or bus to Siem Reap if you want to save $25. An advantage of this route over the Aranyha Prathet / Poipet border to Siem Reap route is that it is a fast 90 minute journey by taxi on a quiet good road and you can stop off to visit Banteay Srey en route if you take the taxi. Banteay Srey is an outlying but very pretty 'must see' temple of Angkor that would otherwise consume 90 minutes of valuable traveling time from and to Siem Reap.

Last travelled it (SiSaket to Siem Reap) - 2 months ago.

Post script. Have just realised they may be going nowhere near CM?! In which case ignore all this! Still - may be of use to other Northerners planning on seeing Angkor Wat and baulking at the Bangkok Air monopoly prices (hint - fly AIr Asia to Phnom Penh and bus back to Siem Reap if you have the time - PP is well worth a day or two anyway). Angkor Wat is well worth the visit and is cheap once you get there; I go regularly with guests who visit me in Issaan.

Yes,indeed ,Nakornchai Air( They are a good busline) stops at Si Sa Ket. 6 services a day, some V>I>P>, 1st class and 2nd class. I would recommend V.I.P., as is more comfortable. It is an interesting to travel to S.R

[SantiSuk]

To answer a few questions posed above.

So now we know that Nakonchai Air (the best long distance coach company in Thailand) does the route we are in business!Thanks for the input from CM.

The route does work in reverse, but the taxi from Siem reap to the border near Anlong Veng might cost a bit more. Here is my take on the taxi cost between the border and SR in a bit more detail.

The first time I tried this route was in January this year. As i hit the Thai immigration hut, I was met by a tout who asked where I was going in Cambodia and did I want a taxi. I was with my sister and time was of the essence so I said yes. When we got to the other side of the border a reasonably presentable Camry pulled up and said the price was $100 for the two of us $50 each). I was in no particular negotiating mood and my sister has money (as do I) so we accepted it. Coming back I tried a couple of travel agents in SR for a door to door service and both wanted $100 for the taxi ($50 each). Again we accepted it.

I went to PP via SR again in November. This time I was deterrnined to negotiate as I thought $100 was steep (it's about 120 kilometers from border to SR). I researched the alternatives so that I would have good negotiating room. It was clear from the replies of Cambodian expats that the cheap alternative involved leaving Anlong Veng early in the morning (about the same time the border opens up); so I would have had to stay overnight in Anlong Veng and catch an early bus or shared taxi either of which was expected to be no more than a handful of dollars, or turn up about 9am in Anlong Veng and hope there would still be a shared taxi to go.

In the event, on the second trip no-one showed an interest in me until I got to the Cambodian side. I was then approached by several Cambodians with taxi offers. I asked the first guy how much in Thai - just a simple 'tow-rye?'(I was traveling alone this time by the way). He said 1,500 baht ($50). I was flabbergasted and forgot to negotiate! His body language said he was pleased with $50. I returned from SR to BKK by air.

So to my mind one ought to be able to get a taxi for $50 either way but you might have to be more dogged in SR (another traveller had told me it was $50 this time last year and you might have to add another $10 say for an additional passenger. you should certainly not accept $100 as quickly as I did now you have some intelligence.

Coming back from SR you can go to the Sokimex gas station by the Stone Bridge in SR and get a shared taxi to Anlong Veng (which will probably take you the extra 5 kilometers to the Choam SaNgam border for a dollar or two more - if not there will be 'motodups' (Cambodian name for motorcycle taxi) at the Anlong Veng transport station.

If you choose to stop in or transit through Anlong Veng it looks like a moderately interesting small town. You can't miss the obvious guest house in the middle - which I gather is modern (it looks brand new) and good value $10 ish a room and has English speaking staff with good info I was told (maybe that was Lonely Planet). The transport station is very easy to find - a big sign in English points to it from the main (only main) road. I am still not 100% sure if there is a bus form Anlong Veng to SR and reverse. If there is, it probably goes quite early. I did not see one on the route the three times I have traveled that route. Cambodian expats assure me there are shared taxis (which means you can rent the whole thing if you want - or rent two seats if it looks too crowded or if it is waiting too long to fill up). Shared taxis from AV go down the same road towards SR to continue on to Phnom Penh BTW. That's a long trip and much better to do the 7 hours from SR to PP by one of the very many buses.

A final tip if you are going to SR by taxi is that the local Cambodian drivers from Anlong Veng (they are also the ones at the border) speak little English and a tiny bit of Thai. But they seem used to getting by somehow (they might call their boss by phone who does speak some broken English). Don't be shy and you will be fine. But these guys know nothing about where things are in Siem Reap. You'll get by though if you transfer to a tuk tuk when you get into the centre of SR. SR is full of English speakers. And don't get alarmed when you get in and they head for AV rather than bypassing it; they only want to fill up with petrol now they have some money in sight.

Coming back from the Thai side of the border at Choam SaNgam to SiSaket, ask the Thai border guards for help if noone has already approached you. You might be lucky that there happens to be a public Songthaew from the border to Khu Khan, Phusing or Kantaralak in which case you can catch that and take another public songthaew from KK or PS (there's an hourly bus from Kantaralak) to SiSaket or take a taxi for the by now shorter distance. If none of these cheaper alternatives are working for you then its a taxi from the border to Si Saket. The one time I did it I was with my sister and we accepted the taxi offer of 1,000 baht, but others with time have done it much cheaper by hopping songthaews.

Happy travelling. PM me for my phone number if you decide to do it this way. If you do get stuck or worried between border and SiSaket I might be able to dig you out!

Edited December 9, 2010 by SantiSuk

[orang37]

To answer a few questions posed above. ... snip ...

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Santisuk,

Thanks for the very detailed post ! That's certainly one that deserves to be on the wider travel forum on TV, we think.

The one concern we have is on the element of "danger" in being overland in Cambodia in a private taxi. Our gut level feeling is that doing this route is probably not wise for two women who speak no Thai. And even US $50 for a taxi seems incredibly high-priced.

What do you think ?

thanks, ~o:37;

[SantiSuk]

I don't think Cambodia's dangerous. Less likely to suffer harm than on a tourist bus through the Poipet border, with all the scams that reportedly surround that route, in my view.

I might think twice if I was a single white 25 year old female, but not two ballsy American women in their fifties - no puny little Cambodian man is going to try taking them on . And BTW there appears to be no bad feelings toward the US (just as in Vietnam) when history would suggest that some nastiness might be justified. Washington supported Lon Nol and carpet-bombed whole tracts of peasant land. Two decades of genocide has numbed everyone's brains there.

$50 seems fair for 120 kilometres in the context of a captive market that is not high demand. This route is not Bangkok Airport to Pattaya, where drivers usually get loads of business and a return fare. Like I intimated I may be just paying over the odds and should be trying to knock them down more. If I was a backpacker type I 'm sure I would try harder to save money.

Check out www.canbypublications.com for details of the BKK to SR via Poipet route.