Cambodian arrival help pls

[wondercul]

I just exited Thai passport control and got stamped out. Now I'm in no man's land with casinos, like the grand diamond city Casino.

I heard so many people telling me to get a visa to Cambodia. The only guy who seemed legic was a police man with tourist police uniform. He had a form and wanted 1,300 baht.

I'd rather pay the $30 correctly. Can you tell me where to go, preferably with a picture of the building or very good description.

Edited February 28, 2015 by wondercul

[stat088]

Stamp into Cambodia near the entrance to Grand Diamond. The entrance closer to Cambodia.

[stat088]

[stat088]

When you go to stamp out of Cambodia it's on the opposite side of the street.

[stat088]

It's normally 1,000 baht for the Cambodian visa but you can get an express service for 1,300

[wondercul]

Thanks.

Now for the bus that's $10 to siem reap!!?

Some mad guy taxi told me the last bus has gone.

[stat088]

Never got the bus. I usually hire a car.

[wondercul]

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect PRO1425105477.658446.jpg

The picture posted above is where to go when you already HAVE a visa.

The visa building is the first one on the right side of the street. Some idiot wrote on the google review of the building "this is not the official visa building" but it is!

I will report my experience.

OK basically i took the most busy land crossing from Thailand. I took a bus from Bangkok, mo chit station for 220 baht to Aranyupatiet or whatever it's called, the Thai border town. I stayed the night for under 400 baht aircon room. I got woken in the night and for that reason didn't wake up until 11am.

Anyway it didn't matter too much. I took a tuktuk for 80 baht to the border. 7km. Enter the Thai border area and went upstairs to get my exit stamp.

Back down and tons of Asian locals are flowing through on their free passes. Lucky b***ers I'm thinking. I heard so many horror stories but if you're used to asia, it's not that bad. I literally ignored every guy who called out to me on the cambodian side. Not one chased me. The down side was the visa building was pretty hidden on the right just as you leave Thailand. I walked in the insane heat, sweat dripping from my head to the ground. I reached Cambodian passport control, a non aircon crap building. A helpful westerner directed me back to the visa building. Great. More walking in the hot midday sun, i thought. The visa was actually really easy. Fill in the quick form and hand over $30 and refuse to add 100 baht on principle. I don't want to encourage corruption. This only cost me about 4 minutes extra waiting time for the visa. After 1pm you might want to pay it as at this time the line at passport control is growing longer.

Anyway passport control line took about 35 minutes. The line was just inside the shade when I joined it. I'm glad I didn't get there even later than 1.30pm.

They stamped me in no problem.

In Cambodia proper, i continued with my determination not to get scammed and paid a tuktuk to take me to the local bus station, 500m or so away from passport control. Bad idea, because the local bus station only has 2 buses a day to Siem reap. I paid the tuktuk 4$ to continue andtake me the 11km to the big bus terminal. Some British guy told me they took the free transfer bus. I heard it was some scam, but the free transfer bus is in fact the best way. In fact, I've read about so many damn scams! I was so nervous. But at the end i was thinking, that was not hard at all! I would definitely do it again the same way, staying overnight on the Thai side because my total transport costs from Bangkok to Siem reap were $20! A ton cheaper than flying! And there were no bad prices for water etc. In fact, both sides of the border are competitive and full of things to buy! Both sides accept baht!

Any questions? If you're used to aggressiveness, then cambodians around the border seem like the nicest most honest, gentle people! The street kids didn't even blink at me! Honestly all the horror stories must have been written by soft wussies.Talk to people on the cambodian side who you get a good feeling about. Not everyone there is trying to scam you. There are some official guys with ID tags walking around, talk to them if you have a problem. If you have any sense it's fairly easy to tell when someone is trying to get money out of you.

Here is the visa building, taken from the wrong side because I walked past it at first.

Edited March 3, 2015 by wondercul

[stat088]

Yes i forgot about the Visa office. I crossed their last month but i have a 1 year working visa and went straight to passport control.

[TheSiemReaper]

I cross at Poipet regularly; it's no big deal as long as you ignore the endless queue of aggressive touts on the Thai side... after that, it's just another tedious border just like anywhere else. The free bus to the bus terminal is a scam. You can get a ticket to SR from one of the four bus companies on the road up from the roundabout for about $4-$5. The bus terminal is much more expensive. Not that I'd ever get a bus when you can hire a taxi for $25 (as many occupants and bags as you want to put in it) and skip the endless break stops (which are completely unnecessary in a two hour drive). And if you buy a bus ticket in SR - you can get back to Bangkok for $9.... so even $20 from Bangkok to here is twice as much as the trip actually costs.

[Tomtomtom69]

I cross at Poipet regularly; it's no big deal as long as you ignore the endless queue of aggressive touts on the Thai side... after that, it's just another tedious border just like anywhere else. The free bus to the bus terminal is a scam. You can get a ticket to SR from one of the four bus companies on the road up from the roundabout for about $4-$5. The bus terminal is much more expensive. Not that I'd ever get a bus when you can hire a taxi for $25 (as many occupants and bags as you want to put in it) and skip the endless break stops (which are completely unnecessary in a two hour drive). And if you buy a bus ticket in SR - you can get back to Bangkok for $9.... so even $20 from Bangkok to here is twice as much as the trip actually costs.

Unless you want extra flexibility and have a LOT of goods, then why not catch the Bangkok-Siem Reap through bus? There are two departures daily in each direction, leaving around 8am and 9am. That is the best and most efficient method for most people.

I do agree with you on the taxi part if you aren't going by through bus though. I've never caught any bus from Poipet to Phnom Penh (my only destination ever, to/from Poipet as the last time I went to Siem Reap was 12 years ago and back then I flew) but as you say a taxi to Siem Reap is only like $25 and you can go anytime without annoying stops.

Only the cheapest of the cheap backpackers would rather spend 2 hours trying to get the cheapest bus ticket in the stinking heat to save a few bucks but will spend an additional 4-5 hours getting to their destination only to get scammed later on, but hey they obviously live by different principles than people like me.

[mike2011]

Tomtom: Thanks for your stereotyping and valuable insights into your mindset. Many people arrive at Poipet and do not come from BKK. Others prefer the leisurely train, I am one of them. There are many on the forum who like to save a dollar or two. Just check the posts. These are not backpackers but people living in SEA. Usually it takes less than 5 minutes to purchase a ticket unless the person is totally unaware of what is needed or simply retarded.

Siemreaper thanks for the info. I never knew that the big companies run a service from Poipet to SR. Usually I cross in the evening on my way to PP and use the overnite bus company which is a different enterprise. So this is welcome news.

[wondercul]

I cross at Poipet regularly; it's no big deal as long as you ignore the endless queue of aggressive touts on the Thai side... after that, it's just another tedious border just like anywhere else. The free bus to the bus terminal is a scam. You can get a ticket to SR from one of the four bus companies on the road up from the roundabout for about $4-$5. The bus terminal is much more expensive. Not that I'd ever get a bus when you can hire a taxi for $25 (as many occupants and bags as you want to put in it) and skip the endless break stops (which are completely unnecessary in a two hour drive). And if you buy a bus ticket in SR - you can get back to Bangkok for $9.... so even $20 from Bangkok to here is twice as much as the trip actually costs.

The free bus is not a scam any more. Its the best option now.

[TheSiemReaper]

I cross at Poipet regularly; it's no big deal as long as you ignore the endless queue of aggressive touts on the Thai side... after that, it's just another tedious border just like anywhere else. The free bus to the bus terminal is a scam. You can get a ticket to SR from one of the four bus companies on the road up from the roundabout for about $4-$5. The bus terminal is much more expensive. Not that I'd ever get a bus when you can hire a taxi for $25 (as many occupants and bags as you want to put in it) and skip the endless break stops (which are completely unnecessary in a two hour drive). And if you buy a bus ticket in SR - you can get back to Bangkok for $9.... so even $20 from Bangkok to here is twice as much as the trip actually costs.

The free bus is not a scam any more. Its the best option now.

No, it's not. It has never been and will never be the best option.