What Is The Best Cambodian Border Crossing When Driving From Bangkok?

[KED]

A friend needs 15 more days in Thailand before he goes back home and has already extended his tourist visa for 30 days. He has a car and wants to drive to Cambodia, park his car, cross the border and return without staying in Cambodia for any length of time.

I did some searching but most of the Cambodia and border searches discussed taking a car into Cambodia and continuing on.

I have a couple of questions.

1). If driving from Bangkok what is the best border to cross? Aranyaprathet / Poipet or Ban Laem / Duan Lem or another? I read that Poipet tends to be more corrupt is Ban Laem a better bet because of this?

2). I read about getting an e-visa for Cambodia versus paying at the border - what do you advise?

3). My friend will park his car for the exit Thailand / enter Cambodia / exit Cambodia / enter Thailand process - where is the best place to park the car in Thailand?

4). When doing a search for "Cambodia Border Crossing" - the response was that "border" was an unsearchable word - what's up with that?

As usual, many thanks to everyone for the information.

[welo]

(2) re: eVisa vs Visa On Arrival (Aranya Prathet Border)

eVisa

25 USD (20$ for the visa plus 5$ fee) charged by credit card

No 1-page sticker in the passport (saves pages)

Usually issued within a couple of (business) hrs, also on weekends (officially its 'within 3 business' days though)

no (printed) passport pic required

Saves 5-20 minutes at the border

No worries with touts that charge overpriced visa fees

Some people are worried about credit card fraud - billing is done via 2 companies in *Singapore*

Visa On Arrival

20 USD (~620Baht) official fee (usually asked for 1000 THB or 20 USD plus 100-200B extra)

Bring USD (or change at Kasikorn Bank opposite 7/11 next to the border entrance)

Refuse to pay extra fee - they used to be a lot more demanding than nowadays

Usually issued within 5 minutes (whether you pay extra fee or not)

One passport pic required (can be any pic in approx. the correct size)

Make sure you find the correct visa office (AFTER Thai immigration, next to the big stone arch)

visa sticker requires one full page

(3)

Transport/Parking

Minivan from Victory Monument (next to Century The Movie Plaza) 230B 4hrs

Bus from Mo Chit to Aranya P. 4-6hrs 220B (?) plus 50B Tuktuk to border

Casino Bus from Lumpini Park 3.4-4hrs 200B straight to border

Car 2.5-4hrs Parking 100B per day (right at the entrance to the border/market area, cannot miss)

Taxi (roughly 3000B to the border, 2000B back, estimated)

If you go to Aranya Prathet, you might want to check out my other posts on that topic for (even) more details (use search by username)

[champken]

[quote name=welo'

Visa On Arrival

20 USD (~620Baht) official fee (usually asked for 1000 THB or 20 USD plus 100-200B extra)

Bring USD (or change at Kasikorn Bank opposite 7/11 next to the border entrance)

Refuse to pay extra fee - they used to be a lot more demanding than nowadays

Usually issued within 5 minutes (whether you pay extra fee or not)

Interesting !! whenever i have gone to a Cambodian border without the aid of a visa run company, i have had a constant battle with those scamming _ _ _ts over the correct visa price and all the other add ons you can think of,

[visarunner]

if you get a E-Visa you can use it in PoiPet only.

Ban Laem does not accept E-Visa.

PoiPet is closer to BKK than any other border.

[welo]

Interesting !! whenever i have gone to a Cambodian border without the aid of a visa run company, i have had a constant battle with those scamming _ _ _ts over the correct visa price and all the other add ons you can think of,

Like I said: they seem a lot more relaxed now. And if you give them 20 USD plus 100 Baht they don't even blink once.

[welo]

if you get a E-Visa you can use it in PoiPet only.

Ban Laem does not accept E-Visa.

Good point!

Out of all the Thai/Cambodian land border crossings, only Poipet (Aranya Phrathet) and Koh Kong accept the eVisa.

There is a detailed list on http://www.mfaic.gov.kh/evisa/

[Time Traveller]

I'm curious why everyone complains about the Poipet but they still go there for visa run? Aranyapreth is the worst border crossing I've ever seen, terrible bad traffic especially on weekends, no where to park, long waiting and too many beggars. I would have thought that if you are driving Ban Pakard or Ban Laem are much easier crossings. No crowds, no waiting, virtually no beggars, park close to the immigration and easy walk across the border.

Edited December 3, 2011 by Time Traveller