Report Drive to/from Sihanoukville, Dec 2014

[johnnort]

Here is an up to date account of a return drive to Sihanoukville with details of the comings and goings at Had Lek/Koh Kong border crossing.

Arrive at Had Lek border and park before the control barrier. Walk to the building on the right hand side and at window number 1 or 2 hand over the passport of the vehicle owner, who was present in my case, and the blue car registration book. If the vehicle owner is not present and travelling with the vehicle then seek advice from elsewhere as to what docs are required. The officer will give you two identical and completed forms after filling in a ledger that the vehicle owner will have to sign.

Cross the road and present both these forms at the Customs window. They will keep one copy but in return give you another different but completed export form together with a small card to be given to the soldier before driving the vehicle out of Thailand.

Go to the passport control window which is 20 meters back from the customs window and obtain your exit stamp. Remember to obtain your re-entry stamp at your local Immigration office before you travel.

Return to your vehicle and drive through the barrier which will be opened for you by showing your customs papers. 30 meters on give the small card to the soldier and progress 50 meters to the Cambodian border control barrier.

Park at side of road before barrier. Walk through to the Entry window in the building block up a few steps and on the left hand side. IGNORE THE QUARANTINE DESK. This is a scam and you do not require to pay for any sort of certificate stating your temperature or what have you is good. They will charge you for this. Present your passport with E-visa (37USD online from Embassy) photocopy and they will return it with an entry/exit card for you to fill-in. On completion hand back the passport and card and they will stamp you into Cambodia. NB. The next window along allows you to purchase a visa there at the border which I heard people say was 1500Baht. Thais can get stamped in without a visa but for 15 days (I believe) only. It is supposed to be free but claim 200Baht for a first entry which is lowered to 100Baht on subsequent entries. I fought a little about it being free but ended up handing over 100Baht although it was my wife’s first entry. They accepted this and stamped my wife in.

Cross the road to the middle hut and hand over the remaining form of the two that was given to you by the first window on the Thai side. NOT THE LAST CUSTOMS FORM. They keep this and enter the details into a log. They then ask for 100Baht for every day the vehicle will be in Cambodia. I was aware of this scam but had decided to pay anyway. As luck would have it I paid 1000Baht for a twelve day stay. On receipt of the cash they give you a plastic number plate to put on the inside of the windscreen. NB. I have been told they inform you that you are only able to drive in the Koh Kong Province. This does not take you as far as Sihanoukville. No-one told us this information at the border but seeing that this is the only crossing that allows vehicles and issues plastic number plates (other crossings allow vehicles but do not issue number plates, I believe. Please check yourselves) I decided to remove the number plate from the windscreen at the Province border. Return to vehicle and drive through to Cambodia. Not before giving 100Baht to the barrier keeper (police). I did say no at first but after sitting there with the barrier firmly shut for twenty minutes decided to pay. Barrier opened and away we went.

Apart from bits of money changing hands the whole process was very straight forward.

A couple of kilometers or so further on there is some sort of control with a hut well off to the right. Stop here if you want. We did and walked to the hut. We asked what they required and they said passports. They were not interested and did not look at the presented passports. We drove on to the toll booth at the entrance to the bridge and paid 49Baht (5800 Rial).

First right after the bridge takes you to the Asia Hotel, or across the road the Koh Kong Bay Hotel where we stayed the night. Good room overlooking the wide estuary, v. good wifi, swimming pool, waters edge bar and separate restaurant, plus, plus. We can recommend but search internet for best price. Next door is the French restaurant Cafe Laurent, or a few hundred meters further along are two Western friendly bar/restaurants.

Next day carried on to Sihanoukville. The number 48 road was in excellent condition except for the last 30 kilometers in parts before it meets the No. 4 Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville road. They are regrading and resurfacing so there are sections along this stretch that are like a ploughed field in small lengths (say 10 x 200meters). This will be completed soon as work is progressing. The whole number 48 road has been patched, and although to a good standard, I wonder if potholes will once again be prevalent? This No.48 sees very little traffic.

Turning right onto the No.4 just after Sre Anbel (Koh Kong Province border; I removed the plastic number plate) will find an excellent road but considerably more traffic all the way into Sihanoukville. Although only two lanes it is a toll road and 45 minutes or so into the No.4 drive you will encounter a toll booth. Fee, 2800 Rial or just under 75 cents US.

Border to Sihanoukville 4 to 4.5 hours and approx. 235 km. We took 4 hours.

We enjoyed Sihanoukville and Koh Kong (and Phnom Penh side trip by bus) and regret listening to other stories for so long. Can report on these places if requested including our police stop!

On return at border. Parked up. Effected passport control (exit stamp) including handing over a second copy of the E-visa, handed the plastic number plate back to same hut that it had come from and was returned the Thai customs form. Drove to Thai border and parked. Gave custom form at Custom window and received small card, crossed road to window 1 or 2 and had other form checked out (signature in ledger) which was handed back to us. Moved window in same building to effect passport control (entry stamp). Returned to vehicle and drove into Thailand, firstly giving the barrier custodial the customs form and small card. Smooth procedure with no hassles or money changing hands at either end!

Hope this was useful.

[cigar7]

Thanks for the detailed report!

Please tell us about the Police stop.

[dddave]

Great information. The Koh Kong border always has been a gauntlet of outstretched palms; probably always will be. Some things don't change.

I remember 10 years ago, standing in line at the visa window there. A 20 something backpacker was loudly insisting he would only pay the normal (in other places) visa fee of $20...When the kid demanded to see the officers superior, the officer just looked at him and without a word stamped his passport "ENTRY DENIED"

He was then "escorted" back to the gate in a not particularly gentle fashion; still yelling.

We all kind of wondered what would happen if Thai Immigration denied him entry as well.

[phuketrichard]

Nice detail report;

i have 3 of those red Plastic plates LOL

Drove all over Cambodia numerous times

Now i always enter at Osmach

I always said 3 days, paid ONLY 300 baht ( No extra's)
an exited elsewhere from Cambodia to Thailand

[johnnort]

Thanks to all who responded.

Phuketrichard, am I right in thinking that it is only the Koh Kong border that issues these plastic number plates? And I guess it is not a problem exiting via another border crossing if you have not been given back the Thai customs form by the Cambodians to hand in at the Thai side? Thai customs presumably ask for this form?

[phuketrichard]

yep

never saw them anywhere else; have heard if u exit there an overstayed what you told them they charge you 200 baht/day

I usually exit at Palin or Poi pet.

all three times i told them i lost the form

once they filled out a new form for me ( Palin)

2x they just said Mi pen rai

[siam2007]

great report indeed ! confirms my opinion that I will continue to only fly into Cambo (which has always been-hassle-free) as it is still the most corrupt sh*thole in all of Asia ;-) but yeah I do enjoy REP and PP once in a while ^^

[technologybytes]

I have driven from Thailand to Sihanoukville many times over the years via Had Lek and also on a motorcycle. It's much easier on a motorcycle, none of the 100 baht a day stuff either.

I was told that the red sign in the car is to show that you have paid road tax, I always keep it in the car but never displayed it.

Being stopped by the police is a challenge in Cambodia as they tell you that you should have Cambodian drivers licence and insurance, yet unlike other borders (Laos, Malaysia etc) there is no obvious place to buy insurance. Keep some $1 notes and if you do get stopped by the police just give them a few dollars. Keep smiling and laughing, they like that.

Best to avoid driving around Shianoukville, especially late afternoon. The police are everywhere and will stop you. It won't happen out on the main road.

On a motorbike just ignore the police and don't stop, I know this sounds like crazy advice but after you have been there a day or two you will understand.

[johnnort]

Well how did you know Technologybytes? That is exactly where we got stopped; right in the middle, on the road approaching the Lions, of town. A road block with about 5 police. They waved me down and told me Cambodia does not allow tinted windows in vehicles and to hand over my driving license. I gave them the international but no actual Thai license. The officer responded by saying this is Xmas and I should give him something. 5USD in his hand, a nod to the senior officer and we were waved on. In the meantime every car that passed had tinted windows and the Senior officer took a photo of our car from the front.

New Years eve we drove to the beach area and parked at the side of the road. My wife noticed a police officer sitting on a chair across the road from us. We found out they were stationed all over the place for that particular evening. Anyway I gestured to him if it was OK to park there as it was on a bend in the road. He walked over said OK now give me some money. I was prepared to give him 1USD but I could not get out of the car as the kirbstone was too high to open the door. I drove off and found somewhere else to park.

I was happy we got stopped this time because I now know the score and am less concerned about being stopped on another visit.