Thailand forum

You could always fly into Phnom Penh (cheaper) then get the bus back to Siem Reap (about 6 hours). Not sure how much you would actually save time-wise in the end compared to going overland, but it will be cheaper than flying into SR.

Bus between PP and SR is about USD$6-7.

You could possibly bus back to PP, then fly direct from PP to Phuket.

You should be able to get to Siem Reap overland for much cheaper:

http://www.travelfish.org/feature/71
4-5 hours BKK to Cambodia Border
get through the border
Share taxi to Siem Reap about 2 hrs max
by bus 4 hrs max

With a full day you can travel to Siem Reap overland, then a full day back. If you can extend your time for SR by 1 day it's just the right amount of time for a 3 day pass to Angkor.

See also:
http://www.talesofasia.com/cambodia-overland-bkksr-intro.htm

"Therefore, I am really stuck on what to do"

You and thousands of other travellers over the years, in light of Bangkok Airways monopolistic ridiculously expensive fares between BKK and REP. Good news lately is the roads are vastly improved so as stated above you can easily go by bus and shared taxi in about 7-8 hours (flying then bus via Phnom Penh is no longer a time-saving option). Angkor is well worth a few days while you're on this side of the world. Allow an extra day or two in your schedule for the transport, then you'll still have nearly two weeks for southern beaches (even sand sea and sun get boring after a while). Happy Travels.

I really appreciate all your advice! I think Angkor would be better than just doing day trips from Bangkok or Chiang Mai per say. All the "3 week" trip questions in the forum sugguest to stick to one county, but I wanted to both

Angkor Wat park is owned by crooks. It's a shame most people dont know that. Your money is going to bad people.

I'd suggest visiting the Kymer ruins in Issan instead if you have any morals.

I'd suggest visiting the Kymer ruins in Issan instead if you have any morals. (Krabiman)
That is a load of shite Krabiman. There is a ton of corruption in every place. That means people should not see a place they want to see? Who are you to judge? If you want to avoid corruption don't come to SE Asia at all!!!! That said if you don't see it now you can't guarantee you'll ever see it an if that is what you want then that is your business.
So Krabiman, do you donate money to grow trees everytime you fly? Do you make sure all your t-shirts were made in a country that has a good distribution of wealth to all poor folks? Do you refuse to eat beef because it contributes to too many cows and methane gas? Do you make sure your leather shoes were made from an animal that died in a humane way? If you are in a foreign country do you make sure you mail in a vote to your local elections back home so the local kids have a chance for a better life? Stop being the moral police in so many threads and mind your own business. We have no idea how corrupt YOU are so grow up.

Thanks for the advice. Seems like everyone (except Krabiman) are saying to go instead of staying in the north of Thailand. Always trust your instinct

Papa, let me know what you end up doing! I am thinking of heading to Angkor from Bangkok the 5th overland or air!

i think i'd jump on the "go to Angkor" bandwagon too. for the overwhelming majority of people who go there, it is the type of experience they remember for a lifetime. i suspect you will too.

to save time, i'd take a taxi from bangkok to the aranyaprathet/poipet border crossing (won't be cheap but not too much compared to an air ticket) and then a second taxi from poipet to siem reap.

coming back from siem reap to bangkok by taxi should be cheaper still, but you might also consider taking the bus from siem reap to phnom penh and then flying back to bangers. one reason is because phnom penh is a cool place and easily worth a night. but the other is that if you cross back into thailand by land, you'll only get a 15-day visa exemption at the border, which by my maths leaves you a day or so short. if you fly back from phnom penh to bangkok, then you'll get a 30-day exemption on arrival, which will cover the rest of your trip.

so, no matter how you do it, figure the visa exemption into your plans so you won't have an unhappy experience at the airport on your way out of thailand. go to angkor. it will enrich you life much more than those extra three days on the beach somewhere. cheers.

Thank you all! I finalized my Angkor leg of the trip yesterday.

Krabiman
I'm afraid Thomas is right - all the governments in this area, and particularly in Cambodia, get very poor corruption ratings. That means money you pay for Visa fees is going into the coffers of corrupt governance. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. The situation at Angkor Wat isn't even particularly eggregious.

As for Alenoles - there was another option no one mentioned, but your friend could go kick it on a beach in Thailand and you could travel alone, and then link up with your friend on the return. Dragging someone along who isn't particularly enthusiastic might put a damper on the whole event.

I infinitely prefer traveling on my own, although when traveling with my four year old daughter that can be really special because she's at an age where everything is so exciting for her. I took her horseback riding yesterday, and the joy she got from that was infectious - even to the horse who loved her. But there is nothing more enjoyable in travel terms than getting on my chopper and just cruising the countryside, going where the wind blows me without considering the desires of others.