Aranyaprathet, Thailand/Poipet , Cambodia?
Cambodian visas and Thai transit visas available on arrival at the border?
Open 08:00-20:00
The Route: Bangkok to Siem Reap via the Aranyaprathet/Poipet border crossing
It’s a 465km, 9-12 hour trip from Bangkok to Siem Reap. The usual route begins with a 4-5 hour bus or a train ride from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet (‘Aran’), the town on the Thai side near the border, then a short tuk-tuk ride the last 6 km to the border crossing. Cambodian visas are available at the border. There are two options in planning this trip, 1) buy a package ticket in Bangkok or Siem Reap, or 2) put it together yourself.
Note on road conditions: Road conditions have improved. The road between Sisophon and Siem Reap had been bad condition for several months due to rainy season condition, but the rainy season has ended and the bad stretch was recently patched up. Travel time from Poipet to Siem Reap is now 3-4 hours by taxi.
Option #1: Package Tickets
In Bangkok you can buy package tickets from travel agents on Khao Sarn and in the Sukhumvit area. The price ranges from 400-800 baht. Regardless of the cost of the ticket, most travel agencies are sending customers to the same bus companies. When you buy your ticket, ask about the type of transportation you will be on, especially on the Cambodian side. Make sure it is a tour bus or full sized bus, not a pickup truck. Buses from Neak Krorhorm tend to be better than most.
You will depart Bangkok between 7AM and 8AM, arriving at the border crossing near Aranyaprathet 4-5 hours later. At the border, you will disembark and will be told how to locate your onward transportation on the Cambodian side of the border. The last leg of the trip to Siem Reap tends to be uncomfortably slow, due both to poor road conditions and the tendency of some bus companies to deliberately drag out the trip so that the passengers arrive in Siem Reap at night, tired and disoriented. They are then ‘delivered’ to a commission-paying guesthouse. Scam alert: Some travelers report they have purchased package tickets on Khao Sarn Road for a trip to Siem Reap via Poipet, but instead are taken through an alternate crossing point such as Pailin or O’Smach. Travel through these crossing points is longer, slower and more vulnerable to additional scams.
Packages trips going the opposite direction - from Siem Reap to Bangkok - go much more quickly and with less hassle. Contact a travel agent in Siem Reap such as Neak Krorhorm Travel. $10-$14. Skyway Guesthouse in Siem Reap is running transportation in both directions for $10.
Option #2: Do it yourself
1) From Bangkok take a bus or train to Aranyaprathet. Bus: 164-196 baht (first class), 140-155 baht (second class), 4 hours, departing the Northern Bus Terminal (Morchit), hourly from 4AM to 6PM. Train: 48 baht, 3rd class, 6 hours, departs Hualamphong Station twice daily (5:55AM and 1:05PM).
2) From Aranyaprathet, take a moto or tuk-tuk from the bus station to the border for 50-60 baht, respectively.
3) Cross the border to Poipet.
4) On the Cambodian side, you have four options for transportation from Poipet through Sisophon and on to Siem Reap: a) Taxi; b) Official Bus; c) Tourist bus, b) Shared/private taxi, or d) pickup truck.
a) Taxi: Recently increased to $40-$50 for the whole car. 3-4 hours. This is the easiest, fastest, most comfortable, most expensive option. For a local shared taxi, $10/seat.
b) Official Tourist Bus: From the border take the free shuttle 1 km to bus station. $10 for the official bus. Buses leave when full which can sometimes take quite a while.
c) Package Tourist Buses: These are the same buses that the package ticket holders from Bangkok use. (See Option #1: Package Tickets.) Price is variable. Comfortable but often very slow. 4-6 hours.
d) Pickup Truck: 30 baht (in the back) - 50 baht (inside) to Sisophon. Change vehicles in Sisophon. 50 baht (in the back) - 100 baht (inside) to Siem Reap. Do not pay until you have arrived at your destination. 3-5 hours.
Taxis back to Poipet from Siem Reap should cost about the same, perhaps a bit less. Arrange through your guesthouse, hotel or a travel agent. Taxi stand is located at the Sokimex Station near the Stone Bridge on Route 6 in the center of town.
http://www.canbypublications.com/
