And so the exodus of quality expats begins. This time it's personal

[rocky123]

Anyone know the place to catch a van/bus to the border. Going on to Phnom Pen via Koh Kong...cheers..

[Woody1]

You won't get a public bus direct there from Pattaya, but you can get the Trat bus (blue and white with, "Trat" wrote on the side) out of Pattaya (Sukhumvit, opposite Pattaya Klang), obviously to Trat. Apolagies I can't remember the price. From there you can hire a songthaew to the border, make sure you time things correctly as the border crossing closes around 5ish.

[ARGUSEYE]

I found the best way is just to go to Sukhumvit and board a minibus to Rayong or Chantaburi, whatever comes first. You can wait AGES for the Trat bus. Very very few.

In Rayong or Chantaburi there is connection to Trat frequently. In Trad you must take another minibus to Had Lek (border)

[Guderian]

A long time ago in a galaxy far away I had a Khmer girlfriend in KK and was going there regularly. I used to book a minibus via a travel agent in Jomtien which went direct to the border at Had Lek. The demand wasn't there so they eventually changed the schedule to dropping you off at Trat bus station where you had to take another minibus to Had Lek. They'd pick you up at your home which beats trying to catch a bus on Sukhumvit. No point me mentioning prices as it was a long time ago. She broke up with me and married a local Khmer lad, and I've not been back since. Once you're through the border crossing there are taxis or motodups that will take you the last 11 km or so to KK, but be sure to negotiate the price. The border crossing at Cham Yeam on the Cambodian side is notoriously corrupt and will overcharge you for a visa sticker, so to avoid hassle there and wasting a page of your passport get an e-visa online before you travel.

[Forkinhades]

^ yep that is what I did a few years back.

[lekatai]

I've done this journey many times,and the easiest way I have found is to get a minibus from Pattaya from a company called "35 Group" Their office is now on 3rd Road,just round the corner from Pattaya Tai,on the way to Pattaya Klang.(Office has moved from Pattaya Tai up by the Sukhumvit Road)Minibuses leave at 07.00,09.00,11.00 and 13.00.They will pick you up from your hotel,this costs 350THB and take you to a town called Santung (spelling?) which is about 16km north of Trat The minibuses then go to Laem Ngop for Koh Chang,although I believe the 13.00 bus actually goes to Trat.From Santung you take a songthaew to Trat bus station(200THB if you take the songthaew by yourself,or 20B per person if you wait for it to fill up.Then a minibus to the border,120THB.The border doesn't close at 17.00,it did many years ago,until recently it closed at 20.00,now,apparently a recent announcement by Immigration says it closes at 22.00.A taxi from the border to Koh Kong town is 10USD-including the bridge toll,a moto about 5USD. It's about 8km.Good point about an e-visa,if you apply for a visa on arrival here,the Immigration guys ask for 1200THB,and might eventually settle for 1000THB-way over the correct price.Get an e-visa and that really annoys them!!

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

I've done this journey many times,and the easiest way I have found is to get a minibus from Pattaya from a company called "35 Group" Their office is now on 3rd Road,just round the corner from Pattaya Tai,on the way to Pattaya Klang.(Office has moved from Pattaya Tai up by the Sukhumvit Road)Minibuses leave at 07.00,09.00,11.00 and 13.00.They will pick you up from your hotel,this costs 350THB and take you to a town called Santung (spelling?) which is about 16km north of Trat The minibuses then go to Laem Ngop for Koh Chang,although I believe the 13.00 bus actually goes to Trat.From Santung you take a songthaew to Trat bus station(200THB if you take the songthaew by yourself,or 20B per person if you wait for it to fill up.Then a minibus to the border,120THB.The border doesn't close at 17.00,it did many years ago,until recently it closed at 20.00,now,apparently a recent announcement by Immigration says it closes at 22.00.A taxi from the border to Koh Kong town is 10USD-including the bridge toll,a moto about 5USD. It's about 8km.Good point about an e-visa,if you apply for a visa on arrival here,the Immigration guys ask for 1200THB,and might eventually settle for 1000THB-way over the correct price.Get an e-visa and that really annoys them!!

Good stuff. Another way is to take a bus from Bangkok's Ekamai station, company is Cherdchai. It goes to Trat bus station, in about 5 hours. At platform 13, you can get a minibus to Had Laek, the border of Cambodia. The minibus gets to cross the barrier and take you right to the Thai immigration shack for checkout.

Once in Cambodia, remember, no one is your friend, even the hotel desk clerks. They're all in on the scams. Walk out of your Koh Kong hotel, and go to the main street. There are bus ticket desks right on the main street. Pick your destination and departure, and pay less.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Kaoboi Bebobp

[rocky123]

No bus from a "buss Station" to Tratt ?