Siem Reap To Pattaya Bus Strategy....

[4evermaat]

I was wondering what is the best strategy to take from siem reap, cambodia to pattaya. My current understanding is that overland, there is no direct bus. I must use at least two legs, breaking up at poipet.

I do not plan to fly.

Any specific minibus or bus companies are appreciated and appx cost.

Ps: should i exchange khmer in siem reap, or is there places on either side of border to do this?

"The second best time to plant a tree is today" sent from TV android app (Galaxy Cooper).

[jombom]

Change your Khmer money in Siam Reap into USD. Never change money at a border anywhere.

Car with driver from Siam Reap to Poipet is about 25 USD if you shop around ---- your hotel can quote you a rate. Journey now on blacktop about 2 hours or less.

There are some minibus services from Aranyaprathet on the Thai side that go to Pattaya. You will have to ask, cos I don't know. Journey about 3.5 hours

[marinediscoking]

There is a mini bus that picks up on the thai side and goes directly to pattaya Tai and sukumvit. It picks up in the market area just after crossing and costs 240 baht, the times are attached in the photo, and the photo of the mini bus office on pattaya tai with phone number for booking. The departure times are the same for Pattaya to Aranyaprathet and Aranyaprathet to pattaya.

If you are in Siam reap you should inquire in tour shops as they may have a bus ticket to pattaya from there. Such as they do from Sinanoukville to pattaya.

I think it would be fine changing money in one of the casino's in Poi pet.

[4evermaat]

i did end up using a tour company to do it for about $15 USD (460 baht). A big coach bus from the hotel in SR to PoiPet, then after walking over and waiting almost 2 hours to go through thai immigration, packed a minibus to this restaurant nearby that doubled as a hub to go to either bangkok, pattaya, and other destinations. Had to wait another hour or more for the pattaya minivan. The whole trip took 12 hours to get into Pattaya (06:00 until 18:15 or so). Poipet bus was late, but it did take 3 hours and we got there at around 09:30. Poipet immigration was a breeze; it is thai immigration that takes the longest. After you get your thai immigration stamp, but before you put your large bags in the scanner you are directed to wait for all the red stickers that bought a similar package you did to gather together. Then you all leave together. It wouldn't have been so bad into pattaya, but we made a lot of unnecessary stops in between to pickup and drop off people, plus the gas/toilet stop at the PTT.

And no, the driver dropped us off not on 2nd road as I insisted; apparently to avoid the traffic. It was somewhere way off so that we had to walk. It wasn't until I walked past the Tops Market building that I realized where I was. The tuk-tuks (baht buses) seemed disinterested in wanting to take any passengers. Not sure if they were off duty or what. The same thing happened last night one baht bus was going up a street I wanted to jump on, but he wanted 150 baht. I'm still not up to par on exactly how the pattaya baht bus thing works.

I understand that you can pay a little extra and go through the group tour line (aranyaprathet immigration); not sure how that works. And thai nationals have their own line. Their wait time was no more than 5 minutes.

I don't know if it would have been quicker to just take the poipet only bus ($6 USD) and then seek your own minivan bus to pattaya. I wouldn't have known where to go; the only thing with the proper label was Kasikorn bank and 7-11. I'll see if I can find the name of the company I used.

edit: judging by marinediscoking, maybe it would have been much quicker to take two separate legs and have a greater choice in when to leave aranyaprathet.

Edited November 28, 2012 by 4evermaat