How to get from Bangkok to Siem Reap by road

Cambodia

January 15, 2022

If you are in Thailand and you are thinking of going to Cambodia one of the best options is to do it by land as it is much cheaper than a flight and there are several options. We tell you about the options and tips about the famous On-Arrival visa scams at the Cambodian border and how to avoid them.

How to get from Bangkok to Siem Reap?

  • Collective

By bus. It is the best way, as there are several companies that make this journey with different schedules and it is the most economical option. The bus leaves from Mo Chit bus station in Bangkok and arrives at Siem Reap bus station. The trip takes between 8 and 9 hours. The bus makes a stop at the Aranyaprachet border so that you can exit Thailand and enter Cambodia. Then, you get back on the other side, in Poipet (Cambodia), to continue the trip to Siem Reap.

You can buy a ticket online here or at a tourist agency. We recommend you to check the prices beforehand on this page so that you don't get overcharged at the agencies.

  • Train

From Hualamphong train station in Bangkok, there are two trains a day that take you to the border. The trip has a duration of 6 hours. One leaves at 5:55 am and the other at 1:05 pm. We recommend you to take the 5:55 am train to avoid having to sleep at the border, as it sometimes closes around 6 pm and you would arrive around that time with the second train.

The trains leave you a few kilometers from the border, so you will have to take a tuk-tuk to get there. From the border to Siem Reap, you can take a bus or a cab. The most comfortable way is to take a cab, which you can find at the border. You should negotiate the price with the driver, but it is usually between 20 and 30 USD. Otherwise, you can go to the Poipet bus station and take a bus to Siem Reap. At the border, it is indicated where the station is located.

  • Minivan

The minivans leave from the Victory Monument in Bangkok, you can buy the ticket at any agency.

The minivans drop you off at the border, as does the train, then you have to get a taxi or bus to take you to Siem Reap.

Cambodia Visa

To enter Cambodia it is necessary to apply for a visa that allows you to stay in the country for 30 days with a single entry.

On Arrival Visa: The on-arrival visa is only 30 USD and can be obtained either at the Cambodian airport on arrival or at the land borders. All you need is two passport photos and 30 USD in US dollars.

E-VISA: You can get your visa online here: E-VISA It costs 30 USD + 6 USD processing fee. It takes 3 working days to be approved.

If you are going by land, we recommend you to read about the most common visa on arrival scams and we tell you how to avoid them.

The infamous On-Arrival visa scam at the Cambodian border

If you go by bus, once you get to the border they will get off with your backpacks and some people who look like they are from the bus company will come up to you. They will tell you to leave your backpacks there, ask you if you have a visa, and if you don't, they will either hand you a piece of paper or ask you for your passport, saying that they will help you get a Cambodian visa.

DO NOT CASE. Tell them that you see them on the other side of the border. Ask them which bus you have to take on the other side, ask them to give you the sticker to get on the bus on the other side of the border and follow the road alone. They will probably tell you that if you do it alone you won't make the bus and you'll miss it, or that you'll have to wait 5 hours to catch the next one. Don't believe them, just keep going.

This is so, they want to "facilitate" the process to get the visa, so they will charge you 50 USD or more instead of 30 USD which is the cost of the visa. At no time do they tell you that they charge you more than what it costs, nor that you have the possibility to do it for less money, it is their business. Be careful, and don't confront them because they get quite violent. Calmly tell them that you are doing it on your own and that you see them on the other side of the border. Surely they will insist, we knew all this beforehand and they made us hesitate and we almost stayed with them, but no! You go on.

We were told that there was a long delay at the border and that if we did it alone we would miss the bus. The border was EMPTY! We were almost the only ones crossing and obviously we arrived on the other side 1 hour before the rest.

Visa on Arrival

Once you cross the Thai border, there is a checkpoint to get a Cambodian visa. If you already have a Cambodian visa, go straight through to immigration. If you don't have it, go through the checkpoint. The visa costs 30 USD, don't let them make you pay more. And, if you don't have a passport photo, they make you pay 2 USD more or 100 baths. The procedure is very simple. Once you get your visa stamped, go on to immigration.

If you go to the border in Tuk Tuk they will probably want to stop you somewhere telling you that it is the official place to get the visa, and they will want to charge you more. You say no, that you want to be taken to the border, because the on arrival visa is taken there, once you pass the Thai immigration, you will be able to get the Cambodian visa at the official place.

Once you have signed your passport, you have to find your bus to continue your journey.

The taxi scam and the bus that is running late

Another famous scam at the border is to be told that your bus is late and that you will have to wait several hours. Here comes the scam, they offer you the alternative of taking a taxi for about 30 USD to get there faster. Sometimes it is true that the bus is late, but it is up to you to pay the extra 30 USD or wait for the bus you have already paid for.

If you decide to take a taxi, don't take it right there at the border, walk a little further to get lower fares.

Conclusion

Surely after reading all the ways they try to rip you off at the border, you are hesitating to make this journey by land. The truth is that if you know all this beforehand, the crossing is easy and you will be able to get to Siem Reap without paying a single USD more than your fair share.