Pattaya to Bătdâmbâng, Cambodia

[NotWhatItWasnt]

Hi Guys,

I am going to be travelling to Dhamma Laṭṭhikā, Battambang, Bătdâmbâng, Cambodia at the beginning of November and would like some information on the the best way to get there, bearing in mind that I am on a budget.

I will be starting my journey from Pattaya.

I'd really like to do the journey by train, is this possible ?

Thanks for looking at my post.

John

PS Also, will I need to get a visa before hand, or can I get one at the border?

[Sheryl]

Train not possible all the way there but you can if you want get a very slow 3rd class train from Bkk to Aranyaprathet. The scheduel is infrequent and it leaves from Makkasan not Hua Lampang. You can also board it in Chachengsao which might be more convenient coming from Pattaya.

Or, can get a bus or van to Aran. Either way, you need to cross the border at Aranyaprather and then get a share taxi on the Cambodian side. (Make sure they know you are going to Battamnbang town and not all the way to Phnom Penh, nor to Siem reap).

The Center however is some distance outside the city. Usually they arrange buses to bring the meditators from the city center, check with them for the details so you can meet it. Allow extra time in case of delays at the brder or trouble finding the meeting spot. If possible, go the day before and overnight in B'bang city, that way you'll have ample time..

Other option if you don't mind the cost is to have a private taxi take you all the way there, either from the border or a share taxi to the city and wswitch to another taxi i nthe market area there. You'll need exact directions for this and also best have a phone number the driver cam call if lost.

[phuketrichard]

Travel from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet by train, leaving Bangkok's main Hualamphong station at 05:55 every day and arriving Aranyaprathet 11:35. in the morning 59 baht , tuk tuk to border ( 6 kms) cross the border and than make ur way to the bus station or shared taxi 2-2 1/1 hours to Batt. ( have driven it a couple of times, good roads all the way).

http://www.seat61.com/Cambodia.htm#Siem%20Reap

Or local bus /taxi Pattaya up 331 to 304 to-Krabin Buri and over to Aran, Pattaya to border is 4 hours or so

Another alternative is head over to Chantaburi an than north on 317 to Pong Nam Rong and cross over at Pailin and on to Batt (plenty of shared taxis at this border to Batt only1 1/2 hours) totally driving time 5-6 hours.

Visas at both borders and $20...

[Sheryl]

Just saw you also asked about visa. You can get one at the border (bring a photo) but if you have time you can also get it online. If you apply today will; probably get it by Tuesday.

http://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh/

Don't forget to contact them re transport from B'bang city to the Center as it is in a rural area and not so easy to find, and they have a chartered bus from the city which is what most people take.

Have a great course.

[NotWhatItWasnt]

Just saw you also asked about visa. You can get one at the border (bring a photo) but if you have time you can also get it online. If you apply today will; probably get it by Tuesday.

http://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh/

Don't forget to contact them re transport from B'bang city to the Center as it is in a rural area and not so easy to find, and they have a chartered bus from the city which is what most people take.

Have a great course.

Thanks Sheryl,

I've just come across this post regarding a bus from Pattaya to the border http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/583100-bus-to-aranyaprathet/ I'm going to go for the MK tour bus that leaves from Big C on Sukhumvit Road then get the train into Bangkok on the return leg of the journey.

I've emailed the centre to ask for directions from the border.

John

[NotWhatItWasnt]

Travel from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet by train, leaving Bangkok's main Hualamphong station at 05:55 every day and arriving Aranyaprathet 11:35. in the morning 59 baht , tuk tuk to border ( 6 kms) cross the border and than make ur way to the bus station or shared taxi 2-2 1/1 hours to Batt. ( have driven it a couple of times, good roads all the way).

http://www.seat61.com/Cambodia.htm#Siem%20Reap

Or local bus /taxi Pattaya up 331 to 304 to-Krabin Buri and over to Aran, Pattaya to border is 4 hours or so

Another alternative is head over to Chantaburi an than north on 317 to Pong Nam Rong and cross over at Pailin and on to Batt (plenty of shared taxis at this border to Batt only1 1/2 hours) totally driving time 5-6 hours.

Visas at both borders and $20...

And also thanks to you phuketrichard

[Sheryl]

Thanks Sheryl,

I've just come across this post regarding a bus from Pattaya to the border http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/583100-bus-to-aranyaprathet/ I'm going to go for the MK tour bus that leaves from Big C on Sukhumvit Road then get the train into Bangkok on the return leg of the journey.

I've emailed the centre to ask for directions from the border.

John

Great, and best wishes on your course. I'm doing the Satipattana course in Thailand next month myself.

[foot long]

I've just come across this post regarding a bus from Pattaya to the border http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/583100-bus-to-aranyaprathet/ I'm going to go for the MK tour bus that leaves from Big C on Sukhumvit Road then get the train into Bangkok on the return leg of the journey.

I've emailed the centre to ask for directions from the border.

John

chachoen sao is the bus/train junction you need to explore. google map it.

there are trains from pattaya to chachoen sao also. and from chachoen sao to the border (arranyaprateth). but the trains to aranyapratheth are only 2 a day so the train connection is unlikely to be convenient. chachoen sao bus station is quite near the train station so you can swap modes of transport there.. language may be an issue as chachoensao is not a tourist point .

aranyaprathet train DOES go to hua lampong but going to anywhere in bkk is a waste of time if you are aiming at pattaya.

direct mini buses pattaya to aranyaprateth and return are not infrequent.

edit: one train pattaya to chachoensao arrives in afternoon so no same day connection to aran.

http://www.railway.co.th/Ticket/TrainStopStation_Time_All.asp?IdTrain=284&Leg=en

you can play here: http://www.railway.co.th/checktime/checktime.asp?lenguage=Eng to see what you consider to be convenient.

chachoensao bus station is quite busy so getting to/from pattaya via bus or mini bus shouldnt be an issue. chachoensao to the arranyaprateth border by bus is also well served.

[foot long]

via chantaburi as above, the connections are indiscreet so not recommended if you are lugging a lot of luggage.

[hanno]

Do be aware of all the scams going on at the Thai-Poipet border and do not go to the "tourist center".

[NotWhatItWasnt]

Do be aware of all the scams going on at the Thai-Poipet border and do not go to the "tourist center".

Thanks Hanno,

Well aware of scams.

Regards,

John

[NotWhatItWasnt]

I've just come across this post regarding a bus from Pattaya to the border http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/583100-bus-to-aranyaprathet/ I'm going to go for the MK tour bus that leaves from Big C on Sukhumvit Road then get the train into Bangkok on the return leg of the journey.

I've emailed the centre to ask for directions from the border.

John

chachoen sao is the bus/train junction you need to explore. google map it.

there are trains from pattaya to chachoen sao also. and from chachoen sao to the border (arranyaprateth). but the trains to aranyapratheth are only 2 a day so the train connection is unlikely to be convenient. chachoen sao bus station is quite near the train station so you can swap modes of transport there.. language may be an issue as chachoensao is not a tourist point .

aranyaprathet train DOES go to hua lampong but going to anywhere in bkk is a waste of time if you are aiming at pattaya.

direct mini buses pattaya to aranyaprateth and return are not infrequent.

edit: one train pattaya to chachoensao arrives in afternoon so no same day connection to aran.

http://www.railway.co.th/Ticket/TrainStopStation_Time_All.asp?IdTrain=284&Leg=en

you can play here: http://www.railway.co.th/checktime/checktime.asp?lenguage=Eng to see what you consider to be convenient.

chachoensao bus station is quite busy so getting to/from pattaya via bus or mini bus shouldnt be an issue. chachoensao to the arranyaprateth border by bus is also well served.

Thanks footlong,

As I said above, I'm going for the MK Tour bus (Thanks for the number pattaya_girl) and take the train back to bangkok, staying there for a couple of days - Can anyone reccomend a hotel on the outskirts, somewhere near to Mo Chit would be nice - and then heading back to Pattaya.

[Thai foon]

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Pradipat+Bangkok+Thailand&hl=en&ll=13.791655,100.539064&spn=0.033342,0.050297&sll=13.791155,100.541918&sspn=0.008336,0.012574&oq=pradip+Bangkok+Thailand&hnear=Pradipat,+Krungthep+Mahanakorn,+Thailand&t=m&z=14 has a few hotels which is not to far from mo chit. havent stayed in any of them just gone through a few times. everything depend on how much you want to pay.

[NotWhatItWasnt]

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Pradipat+Bangkok+Thailand&hl=en&ll=13.791655,100.539064&spn=0.033342,0.050297&sll=13.791155,100.541918&sspn=0.008336,0.012574&oq=pradip+Bangkok+Thailand&hnear=Pradipat,+Krungthep+Mahanakorn,+Thailand&t=m&z=14 has a few hotels which is not to far from mo chit. havent stayed in any of them just gone through a few times. everything depend on how much you want to pay.

Hi Tahi Foon,

Just read your reply, thanks for the advice

Reagrds

John

[Baxer]

Be aware that the boarder crossing can be a pain in the ass, when i crossed the border at aran last March it took me over 3 hours, most of the time outside in 40° C, so plan your trip so you cross the border early.

[NotWhatItWasnt]

Be aware that the boarder crossing can be a pain in the ass, when i crossed the border at aran last March it took me over 3 hours, most of the time outside in 40° C, so plan your trip so you cross the border early.

Thanks Baxer, lets hope it dos not take that long for me

[NotWhatItWasnt]

Hi Guys,

Updating this post with my experience.

I got the MK Tours bus - 300B From the Esso garage on the Sukhamvit road - To the border crossing.

There are also Mini Vans to the border at 250B from here

Though for the extra 50B the MK tour bus is way more comfortable.

The staff at MK Tours do not speak much english so probably a good idea to ask someone who speaks Thai to call them on your behalf.

Thanks to pattaya-girl for the MK tours information.

[pattaya_girl]

Glad i could be of help

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[zzrob]

Why not post the phone number to M K Tours?

Impossible to find otherwise....

[TheSiemReaper]

I've never spent more than an hour crossing the border at Poipet. Get there early morning or late evening and avoid the huge numbers of coach parties crossing. I normally leave SR at 5 a.m. and am in a hotel in Bangkok by 11.00 a.m at the latest. The best result I ever had was leaving my hotel in Bangkok at 6 a.m. and stepping over my front door way in Siem Reap at 11 a.m. exactly. The one time I did arrive in the mid-afternoon; I paid a nice Thai tour guide $10 for VIP service and promptly skipped the 3-4 hour queue in the boiling heat...

[Sheryl]

I've never spent more than an hour crossing the border at Poipet. Get there early morning or late evening and avoid the huge numbers of coach parties crossing. I normally leave SR at 5 a.m. and am in a hotel in Bangkok by 11.00 a.m at the latest. The best result I ever had was leaving my hotel in Bangkok at 6 a.m. and stepping over my front door way in Siem Reap at 11 a.m. exactly. The one time I did arrive in the mid-afternoon; I paid a nice Thai tour guide $10 for VIP service and promptly skipped the 3-4 hour queue in the boiling heat...

I have. More than 5 hours, in fact.

But I must admit I was never there first thing in the morning nor late in the evening.

[mike2011]

The Siem Reaper is spot on with his information and it is the way to go.

I usually take a bus getting me into Poipet around 6-7 PM and I just walk through without a single or maybe one farang in front of me.

The last bus to BKK leaves Aran bus station around 6 PM. After that comes a Chantaburi service arriving from Buriram at 7 pm but the bus does not enter the station and you need to wait at the traffic lights at the crossing to get on it.

In other words, after 6 PM one is pretty much stuck in Aran which is not necessarily a bad thing. Hotels are cheap and food is good. The place is much better than Poipet and in the early morning waits the relaxed 3 class train to BKK. It is slow but not so slow once you take into consideration that it brings you right into the heart of the city while buses take you to Morchit which is far away. So the 48 baht on the train ticket are well spent. You can also speed things up a little but switching to the airport link once the train line reaches it and be on the BTS or MRT within a short while. This might be advisable as the incoming train often gets stuck within BKK as it has to let outgoing trains pass first (almost an hour to get into the main station).

Coming the other way, the afternoon train will get you to Aran by around 7 PM and trike or moto will drop you off at the border. Again, just walk through and nobody there in front of you. You will be able to make it to the 8 PM (which is more like 9 PM) bus to PP and there is still some transportation to SR. Discussing the price for SR transportation is a must though. So after a dinner it is on the bus to PP and around 5 AM you will be in PP. Perfect timing for the dim sum and Chinese donut places - you will be the only white face with a long nose in the chatty crowd.

By the way, a friend of mine took a bus from SR to Poipet in August. He left around 8 AM and paid 7 USD to the border. Unfortunately, he ended up waiting for some time. I understand that the guest houses push this bus and the bus line provides free pickups from the guest houses. Any info if there are earlier buses? This would be nice as it would allow people to catch the Aran-BKK train which is much cheaper and safer than the buses to Morchit or Ekkamai.

Perhaps a note on the Battambang route as I did it when I was a little younger and even more handsum than I am now. Take a Chantaburi bus from Pattaya at the intersection of Klang and Sukumvit (50 meters from the intersection to the south is a small side street. At the corner is a wooden shakc with some motos. There is a small sign Trat. YES, unbelieable but true this is the stop). If the first bus is a Rayong service only, take it and connect in Rayong.

In Chanthaburi you can switch to the Buriram bus OR, maybe better, get to the Casino Vans. This is the easy option. The Casino Vans take you to the border right away. The Buriram bus will drop you off at an intersection where you need to wait for a songtaew (no long wait though). The last 2 km to the border need to be negotiated with the driver as he usually does not go. I found this more complicated version a bit cheaper than the Vans.

At the border motorbikes offer rides to Pailin. In those days they were happy with 100 Thb while asking for more of course. In Pailin Camries offer shared rides to Battambang. On the road, which was horrible you pass by some nice Khmer temples and for a small fee they wait 10 minutes to have a look. Worthwhile.

The Camries do not get into the city center but drop you off at their place a it south of it along the highway. So you need a moto to get into town.

By the way, the Capitol buses also do not go into Battambang anymore. They have a new station (empty lot) outside. On arrival dozens of motos jump on you with special offers. Ignore them, the offer will be down from 1-2 USD and it is for free within a minute. They anyhow charge the guesthouse for delivering you and you pay indirectly. No need for that nonsense. Just take the "SERVICE" to the Capitol office in the city. This bus is for free and air con and you dont eat dust. From there almost anything is within a short walking distance. You need to ask which empty bus is the service and watch the Cambodians as they take it anyhow.

[phuketrichard]

I've never spent more than an hour crossing the border at Poipet. Get there early morning or late evening and avoid the huge numbers of coach parties crossing. I normally leave SR at 5 a.m. and am in a hotel in Bangkok by 11.00 a.m at the latest. The best result I ever had was leaving my hotel in Bangkok at 6 a.m. and stepping over my front door way in Siem Reap at 11 a.m. exactly. The one time I did arrive in the mid-afternoon; I paid a nice Thai tour guide $10 for VIP service and promptly skipped the 3-4 hour queue in the boiling heat...

how did u do that> 5 hours???

It takes me 4 hours to drive to the border, average time there is 30-60 minutes and than 2 1/2 -3 hours to sr

so total time at least 7 hours

[TheSiemReaper]

I've never spent more than an hour crossing the border at Poipet. Get there early morning or late evening and avoid the huge numbers of coach parties crossing. I normally leave SR at 5 a.m. and am in a hotel in Bangkok by 11.00 a.m at the latest. The best result I ever had was leaving my hotel in Bangkok at 6 a.m. and stepping over my front door way in Siem Reap at 11 a.m. exactly. The one time I did arrive in the mid-afternoon; I paid a nice Thai tour guide $10 for VIP service and promptly skipped the 3-4 hour queue in the boiling heat...

how did u do that> 5 hours???

It takes me 4 hours to drive to the border, average time there is 30-60 minutes and than 2 1/2 -3 hours to sr

so total time at least 7 hours

You drive like an old lady then I'm afraid. I hired a private car and the guy blew through from Silom to the door step of the border in exactly 2h 45 minutes. It took 30 minutes to cross and then my regular driver got me home in 1h 45 minutes (which is pretty much what it always takes).

[phuketrichard]

better u than me,

from my apt on soi 4 to border is about 230 kms

so he was indeed flying

150 kms from border to sr

Yea i guess i drive slower than ur drivers but thats fine with me :-)

its the journey not the destination

[TheSiemReaper]

better u than me,

from my apt on soi 4 to border is about 230 kms

so he was indeed flying

150 kms from border to sr

Yea i guess i drive slower than ur drivers but thats fine with me :-)

its the journey not the destination

No, not on that route. It's all about getting to the destination and minimizing the journey. It may be the crappiest journey in Asia (Poipet really is awful).

The speed limit where I come from is 70 mph on the motorway that's roughly 120 kph - back home I would expect that first journey to take less than 2 hours (everyone breaks the limit) and the second one to take fractionally over an hour. That's not even thrashing the car.

[phuketrichard]

i dont really drive more than 120 anywhere in Thailand and getting out of Bangkok arghhhhhhhhhh.

and alot slower in Cambodia,Laos,

Only in Malaysia do i seem to push it faster

to many unforeseen things on the road an entering the road

TO each his own

[mike2011]

Since you are all that fast and with own transport, you could perhaps spare a minute and drop by the small temple on the hill just south of Aran (prasat Khao Noi). Nice view, three pagodas. Road up to the top. Or drive some 20 km north to visit the restored much larger sanctuary Prasat Sadok Kok Thom. This might also be a nice detour doable by public transport and moto for those spending a night in Aran.