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Cambodia/thailand border crossing

lauraandmark

motodop
Posts: 21

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone knows the easiest/best place to cross back into thailand from cambodia - we will be travelling from Siem Reap to the border. We were thinking of going to the thai island of Koh Chang (or surrounding) so wonder if we should head to Sikhouville beach area then cross around there? we will need a 30 day toursit exemption visa at the border!

Thanks

Mark

#1 Posted: 15/9/2008 - 17:10
Lother

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If you don't necessarily want to go to Southern Cambodia, you can go to Poipet from Siem Reap and cross the border there to Aranyaprathet. From there you can either take a direct bus to Trat (from where the boats to Ko Chang leave) or go via Bangkok.

If you want to go to Sihanoukville, you can go from there to the crossing at Ko Kong . The bridges are appparently finished now, so there are regular buses. From Ko Kong it's about 1,5 hours to Trat . Both crossings have 30 day visa exemption stamps available.

#2 Posted: 15/9/2008 - 21:49
Tilapia

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Unless the bus schedules and routes have changed since I was there last, there is no direct bus from Aranyaprathet to Trat . You have to first to go Sa Kaeo where you go south on #317 to Chanthaburi (on a local bus ... an Orange Crush ... the kind with windows and doors that don't work), and from there you go to Trat . From SR it is a very long, hot, dull trip, but the scenery along #317 is terrific and makes that part of the trip worth it.

Again, this may have changed since I was there.

If you're going to Koh Chang, you are probably better off going via Sihanoukville, ferry to Koh Kong, then van or bus to Trat or straight to Laem Ngop. The ferry trip is great, comfortable, and gorgeous. Of course, this route will take you longer, and if you've already been to PP you may not want to backtrack.

#3 Posted: 15/9/2008 - 23:31
Lother

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I took a bus from Aran to Trat last December, and now that I think about it, yeah, we had to change at Chanthaburi. No change at Sa Kaeo. Both buses were alright, though pretty slow.

#4 Posted: 16/9/2008 - 00:03
Tilapia

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I guess it has become a pretty popular route, so it makes sense that they run a bus directly. Must have been along some pretty minor highways.

When I lived in Prachinburi I had two choices for going to Trat ... 1) via Sa Kaeo- Chanthaburi (7 hours!!!) or 2) via Chonburi - Chanthaburi (6 hours!!!). It was almost faster to just go back to Ekamai and start from there. So much for weekends at the beach!

Cheers.

#5 Posted: 16/9/2008 - 00:14