To break up the trip, can you suggest a Thai town with a good cheap place to stay near the boarder? Is it then possible to easily continue into Siem Reap?

If your using Chon Chom then Prasat is a short distance away from the border and has a few resorts.

I am going this Sat. by train at 05.55 am. I found on Airbnb.com a pretty cheap place in Siem Riep near old town with Aircon wifi breakfast + free pick up and newly built for 18 per night for a double room.

Free pick up of what? OK I'll be serious - free pick up from where? The border? Which border? In what? I'm guessing you mean free tuk tuk from a bus station in SR.

Going (again) on Sunday but form the tiny border of Choam Sa Ngam/Anlong Veng. If the budget hotel is any good we need a name

Which border is the one the train from bangkok takes you near?

Aranyaprathet is the border down on the main route to Siam Reap. (by Train and by Car)

Aran Mermaid Hotel is half decent (I think 1200 THB a night)

There are too many touts and lots of scams at that border, including taxis dropping you off at an unofficial office for obtaining your visa - please research carefully and don't organize your visa before passing Thai Immigration.

Tell the tuk tuk, you don't want to go to Visa Scam office and straight to Thai immigration - he'll understand :-)

Also, after Cambodian Immigration they will try and herd you onto "Tourist" Buses, which will take you 10KM away to a bus depot that has no buses, where they have got you held to ransom and have to pay expensive taxi fee;s to get to Siam Reap.

Alternatively, just keep walking and you will come to a roundabout and negotiate a half decent taxi deal there..

edit: Good idea to stay in the hotel overnight and pass through immigration long before the Train and Tourist Vans arrive!

Useful term "min yoh teh" it's Khmer for "I don't want!"

Have dollars for the visa fee as they will take baht and rip you off, the 100 baht "expedite" fee is pretty much unavoidable once you get to the cambodian visa office, which is on the right before immigration control.

The driver on arrival in Siam Reap will transfer you to Tuk Tuk, where they will hard sell a tour package for Ankhor Wat - tell them you friends staying at the hotel have already arranged your tour.. Then negotiate with a local Tuk Tuk the tour which will be half price.

Thank you v much

I used your suggestion and will go with something more in my budget, seems good if you're not fussy, in case other people are looking at the same route:

Market Motel 350 b / night
105 / 30 - 32 Raduthit Road | (Aran Market), Aranyaprathet

Thank you v much

I used your suggestion and will go with something more in my budget, seems good if you're not fussy, in case other people are looking at the same route:

Market Motel 350 b / night

105 / 30 - 32 Raduthit Road | (Aran Market), Aranyaprathet

I seen that Market Motel place, it looked OK and seemed popular..

They had a bit of bar downstairs where I had a few beers one night, but did notice people being turned away because it was full.