What is the latest info regarding taking a Thai car across to Cambodia via Chong Chom/O'Smach

[Sheryl]

I haven't the least wish to take my Thai car into Cambodia for transport purposes but dearly wish they'd start allowing cars to cross at Poipet just so I could get body work/paint done in Camb.

Vastly cheaper and unlike in Thailand they do not insist that the entire car has to be repainted to deal with a single scratch. They can work on just a small area of the car, get it done within a day, and it looks fine.....

[Tomtomtom69]

I haven't the least wish to take my Thai car into Cambodia for transport purposes but dearly wish they'd start allowing cars to cross at Poipet just so I could get body work/paint done in Camb.

Vastly cheaper and unlike in Thailand they do not insist that the entire car has to be repainted to deal with a single scratch. They can work on just a small area of the car, get it done within a day, and it looks fine.....

Yep, this is the result of a lack of communication (or simply lack of willingness to implement an agreement) between Thailand and Cambodia.

To enter at Poipet (except to go to the casino zone) a carnet is required or a deposit of around US$10,000. Yes, US$10,000.

Commercial vehicles such as buses and trucks are allowed to enter at Poipet and indeed do so everyday, due to an agreement between the two countries. Private vehicles are not covered by this agreement.

Maybe after the implementation of AEC 2015 the Thais and Cambodians will reach an agreement to allow Thai and Cambodian private vehicles to pass freely at each official international border checkpoint.

Unless or until that happens, the current status quo will remain.

[kiwiaussie]

Fyi the Cambodian government has concluded bilateral agreements on the cross border movement of private vehicles with Laos and Vietnam. Laos came first, earlier this year followed by Vietnam 2 months ago. A car passport issued by these countries is all that's required. Thailand will be next very soon reportedly around the time of AEC implementation though possibly before. This means you will soon be able to use your car passport to enter Cambodia at any checkpoint including possibly from Laos and leave at any checkpoint. Insurance is currently not normally offered for private vehicles registered in Laos, Vietnam or Thailand if you're only transiting the country. However, insurers are in the process of implementing an agreement soon. So expect Cambodia to implement an official system for the entry of Thai registered vehicles soon.

Just a bump in this topic. Any movement on this? I understand that from reading these posts that there is as of yet no change at Chong Chom, but if anyone has any recent reports I'd be greatful as we are planning a trip through in the next month or two.

[kiwiaussie]

I haven't the least wish to take my Thai car into Cambodia for transport purposes but dearly wish they'd start allowing cars to cross at Poipet just so I could get body work/paint done in Camb.

Vastly cheaper and unlike in Thailand they do not insist that the entire car has to be repainted to deal with a single scratch. They can work on just a small area of the car, get it done within a day, and it looks fine.....

Yep, this is the result of a lack of communication (or simply lack of willingness to implement an agreement) between Thailand and Cambodia.

To enter at Poipet (except to go to the casino zone) a carnet is required or a deposit of around US$10,000. Yes, US$10,000.

Commercial vehicles such as buses and trucks are allowed to enter at Poipet and indeed do so everyday, due to an agreement between the two countries. Private vehicles are not covered by this agreement.

Maybe after the implementation of AEC 2015 the Thais and Cambodians will reach an agreement to allow Thai and Cambodian private vehicles to pass freely at each official international border checkpoint.

Unless or until that happens, the current status quo will remain.

My understanding is Thailand doesn't issue carnets, but happy to be corrected.

[phuketrichard]

Bump;

am heading up next month from Phuket to Kep to check on our land,

am driving so will post my border crossing experience :-)

[dennis123]

I want to move with my car to Cambodia through the Poipet border and I understand this is a bit of a gamble?

I don't have a car passport, do have the blue book of course (on my name), would it increase my chances if I get myself this purple car passport first or should I just avoid that border crossing and go to Koh Kong instead?

I leave on the day my visa expires so...

[phuketrichard]

Poi Pet

FORGET IT

car passport is ONLY for traveling to Laos

only entry points for thai car, Easily, are Koh Kong and Osmach

go day before

[dennis123]

Poi Pet

FORGET IT

car passport is ONLY for traveling to Laos

only entry points for thai car, Easily, are Koh Kong and Osmach

go day before

Thanks Koh Kong it will be then, going a day before will be a tough one but will try.

[PLM]

I apologize in advance as this is slightly off topic:

I have been doing some research regarding crossing the Thai-Cambodian boarder utilizing buses, van and or taxis.

Looks to me like I can do this starting from Surin, crossing at Chong Chom / O'Smach and then on to Anlong Veng.

My goal is to go to Preah Vihear & some of the other temple complexes north of Siem Reap.

Thanks

Edited February 14, 2016 by PLM

[phuketrichard]

have fun :-)

[Tomtomtom69]

Poi Pet

FORGET IT

car passport is ONLY for traveling to Laos

only entry points for thai car, Easily, are Koh Kong and Osmach

go day before

Thanks Koh Kong it will be then, going a day before will be a tough one but will try.

Don't understand the need to go a day before (unless your Thai permission to stay is expiring on the same day); I went through koh kong with my Thai car in around 35 minutes (I timed it) and it took longer on the Thai side than on the Cambo side. I already had my Cambo visa and I would advise you to do the same because this border is notorious when it comes to overcharging on the visa. The officers will show you a plastic card with some nonsense about a higher price written on there to make the scam look more official.

[phuketrichard]

no officer showed me any plastic card;

filled out the visa form, gave him a $20 and a $10 and that was that.

Of course it take longer on the Thai side as you need fill out paperwork,submit ur book, sign out in the book, wait for the signature from the official.Collect your temp export paper.

in KK;

Cambo side, pay 100 baht to raise the gate

and pay what was than 100 baht/day your going in for ( now i am told 150)

at Osmach just drive in

IN fact in NO Border have i ever paid more than the official rate (or been even asked) and thats gong back over 14 years entering Cambodia.

Entries before that were always not thru valid entry points

[PLM]

I apologize in advance as this is slightly off topic:

I have been doing some research regarding crossing the Thai-Cambodian boarder utilizing buses, van and or taxis.

Looks to me like I can do this starting from Surin, crossing at Chong Chom / O'Smach and then on to Anlong Veng.

My goal is to go to Preah Vihear & some of the other temple complexes north of Siem Reap.

Thanks

I may have been drinking when I created this post.

I came up with this plan after surfing the net, but most of the commentary on doing this route is at least a year or two old. Does anyone see a problem with this Journey? I plan on crossing in two weeks.

Thanks again

[phuketrichard]

plenty of people have crossed in the last 4 months,

same as before, nothing has changed

[khwaibah]

I apologize in advance as this is slightly off topic:

I have been doing some research regarding crossing the Thai-Cambodian boarder utilizing buses, van and or taxis.

Looks to me like I can do this starting from Surin, crossing at Chong Chom / O'Smach and then on to Anlong Veng.

My goal is to go to Preah Vihear & some of the other temple complexes north of Siem Reap.

Thanks

I may have been drinking when I created this post.

I came up with this plan after surfing the net, but most of the commentary on doing this route is at least a year or two old. Does anyone see a problem with this Journey? I plan on crossing in two weeks.

Thanks again

As said nothing has changed at Choeng Chom. Be advised that Cambodia will not allow Thai nationals to enter PV.

[PLM]

I apologize in advance as this is slightly off topic:

I have been doing some research regarding crossing the Thai-Cambodian boarder utilizing buses, van and or taxis.

Looks to me like I can do this starting from Surin, crossing at Chong Chom / O'Smach and then on to Anlong Veng.

My goal is to go to Preah Vihear & some of the other temple complexes north of Siem Reap.

Thanks

I may have been drinking when I created this post.

I came up with this plan after surfing the net, but most of the commentary on doing this route is at least a year or two old. Does anyone see a problem with this Journey? I plan on crossing in two weeks.

Thanks again

As said nothing has changed at Choeng Chom. Be advised that Cambodia will not allow Thai nationals to enter PV.

Perfect.

Thanks for the reply's.

[phuketrichard]

I apologize in advance as this is slightly off topic:

I have been doing some research regarding crossing the Thai-Cambodian boarder utilizing buses, van and or taxis.

Looks to me like I can do this starting from Surin, crossing at Chong Chom / O'Smach and then on to Anlong Veng.

My goal is to go to Preah Vihear & some of the other temple complexes north of Siem Reap.

Thanks

I may have been drinking when I created this post.

I came up with this plan after surfing the net, but most of the commentary on doing this route is at least a year or two old. Does anyone see a problem with this Journey? I plan on crossing in two weeks.

Thanks again

As said nothing has changed at Choeng Chom. Be advised that Cambodia will not allow Thai nationals to enter PV.

so true;

little story,

went with my daughter (when she was 16) who holds dual nationality, US/THai

at the bottom she registered with her US passport

After we took the motorcycles to the parking lot up the road an official asked her where she was from an she said Thailand.

They held us up for 20 minutes of tell calls down between who knows who,

they finally allowed us to walk up to the temples but we were escorted by 2 armed police and 2 other men in plain clothes who kept trying to separate her from me which i refused to allow,

Anyway almost had my daughter in tears as they kept trying to interrogate her

Left a really bad taste in my mouth, not to mention how she learned to hate Khmers

[Tomtomtom69]

Cambodia. Laos do not care about tint

even thou in Cambodia tint on the front window is a no no

When i left twice without the temp export doc they asked me where it was, told them i had lost it . Once they filed out a new one for me an stamped i had entered the day before ( had been in Cambodia 6 months) the other time they didn't do anything.

For laos, make sure ur car passport is stamped leaving Thailand, entering Laos, leaving Laos an entering Thailand.

Interesting. Although Cambodia imposes laws that it never enforces so rest assured they will NEVER check your window tint in Cambodia and certainly never at the border on Thai or other foreign registered vehicles. Nobody knows nor cares about this law. Even if they did, a $1-2 "donation" for "coke" would get rid of the police.

15 years after imposing a no RHD vehicle law, around 1 in 3 Cambodian registered vehicles in western Cambodia still have RHD and about 5% of all Phnom Penh registered vehicles have RHD, including "State" and "Police" plates. A quick stroll around Phnom Penh is enough to confirm this.

[Tomtomtom69]

Anlong Veng / Chong Sa-ngam.

After hearing stories of NO vehicles allowed to cross in either direction, apparently a group of Lao registered vehicles were allowed to cross there in the last few months on the condition that they travel no further than Siem Reap and leave the same way they came. They did so. I had to ask twice to confirm it was Chong Sa-ngam as I was almost certain that that couldn't be right.

Although I wouldn't try crossing there with a vehicle given that most reports suggest it's not possible (except MAYBE if leaving with a Thai vehicle back to Thailand) since Chong Chom is not far away, if you're rejected you can always travel the relatively short distance over there. However, Chong Sa-ngam is of little advantage to anyone except if you're coming from Ubon Ratchathani perhaps, but even then it's way under 100km further to Chong Chom.

[blakegeee]

Slightly off-topic, but is there anything in place to prevent you from selling your car in Cambodia? If you come back to Thailand on foot, is that going to be an issue? Thanks for any information!

[Sheryl]

I believe right hand drive vehicles are banned in Camb and even if not, would be very hard to sell one. No market for them.

In addition prices for used cars are much lower in Camb than in Thailand. So hard to see what reason anyone would have to want to do this.

[blakegeee]

Reasons for selling aside, is there anything at the border to ensure that you take the "temporarily imported" car back out?

[phuketrichard]

Slightly off-topic, but is there anything in place to prevent you from selling your car in Cambodia? If you come back to Thailand on foot, is that going to be an issue? Thanks for any information!

you'd have to pay import tax before u can sell it

is there anything at the border to ensure that you take the "temporarily imported" car back out?

well when u leave thailand you get a temp export paper and sign the customs book,

your LEGALLY allowed to keep the car out for 30 days.

after that... they can legally charge you ( i have never been charged)

you could just dump the car, as there is nothing in ur passport that says it was your car you entered with

The Cambodia side.....nothing at Kep Chong/Osmach

at Koh Kong they take the temp export doc issued by the Thai customs and charge u 100 baht /day that ur going to stay and if u exit there and u stayed longer they charge you the 100 baht

a friend of mine entered 2 months ago at Kep Chong and exited at Koh Kong and they did not charge him anything

I am , once again , going to exit at Pailin

Edited July 22, 2016 by phuketrichard

[blakegeee]

Ok, thank you very much for your information. Exactly what I was wondering. So you have nothing in your passport showing you entered with a car. And if you left without a car, they wouldn't know the difference.

Edited July 24, 2016 by blakegeee

[phuketrichard]

Ok, thank you very much for your information. Exactly what I was wondering. So you have nothing in your passport showing you entered with a car. And if you left without a car, they wouldn't know the difference

it shows u entered by car / (and some by bus) but i have entered by car an left by air many times

[Tomtomtom69]

I believe right hand drive vehicles are banned in Camb and even if not, would be very hard to sell one. No market for them.

In addition prices for used cars are much lower in Camb than in Thailand. So hard to see what reason anyone would have to want to do this.

Not true at all. There is a 2001 law that theoretically prohibits the sale of RHD vehicles but in practice it is routinely ignored. I therefore beg to differ on your "hard to sell, no market for them" claim. 1/3 out of all vehicles in western Cambodia have RHD. In Phnom Penh, my unscientific analysis is around 1/20 or 5%.

Next time you are in Cambodia (or if you're already there) take a walk down any street and look carefully at the side the steering wheel is on. You'll be surprised at how many there are. I was too, when I first noticed this trend a few years ago.

Stolen Thai RHD cars, other old vehicles or those involved in accidents that aren't worth repairing in Thailand are regularly smuggled to Cambodia and sold there. While in theory you could convert the steering wheel to LHD, in practice this is expensive, they generally don't do a very good job and almost no one bothers. Even "police" and "state" vehicles often have RHD and we're not talking old vehicles here either. Rather, previous generation Isuzu pickups from Thailand.

[amjamj]

Anybody knows where a Thai can cross into Cambodia with only an ID card ? Thanks.

 

 

 

[Sheryl]

Can't cross into Cambodia proper anywhere without a passport. Can access border Casinos/border markets  at those crossings which have them.

[Benmart]

On 06/09/2015 at 6:23 PM, khwaibah said:

They are only good for one year and have to be renewed. In my area the first year is 250 baht.

The renewal these days is stamped in the original "car passport".

[my friend I]

On 7/21/2016 at 11:55 PM, Sheryl said:

I believe right hand drive vehicles are banned in Camb and even if not, would be very hard to sell one. No market for them.

In addition prices for used cars are much lower in Camb than in Thailand. So hard to see what reason anyone would have to want to do this.

 

Most of the Svay taxis are rhd.