Visa run from Bangkok to Cambodia

[Bamboo Grove]

Did another different kind of a visa run some time ago. I happened to have some things to do in Bangkok at the same time as my passport needed to be taken out for a walk. There are obviously several companies doing these runs to Cambodia from Bangers, I chose one that advertises in Bangkok Post. They have two daily departures (one on Mondays) leaving Big Mango at 05.30 and 07.00. I Chose the later one as I don´t fancy getting up at 04.30. The bus ride with one 10 min. stop to Aranyaprathet took about 3,5 hours and the bus was a nice double-decker with plenty of room to stretch your legs. It wasn´t crowded either (although I think the weekend ones might be), there was plenty of space for everyone.

They collected our passports before the departure and got the Cambodian visa for us. Passports were given back just before the arrival at Aran Ï so it was quite swift crossing the border to Poipet. The price for the trip included the transportation, visa fee (1,000 baht), soft drink and lunch. The lunch was in Poipet at one of the casinos there and you have about an hour to eat (thai style buffet) and spend a few baht in the casino if you so wish. By the way, if you buy 20,000 baht worth chips, you get one free night at the casino.

As I didn´t plan to spend any money feeding those hungry machines I just strolled around a bit and bought a few tins of Cambodian beer. Quite reasonable stout can be purchased for about 30-35 baht/can. Deeper in the town it´s probably cheaper.

There were two down sides to the trip; the first being the long queing time back to LOS at the Thai immigration, I think it took us about an hour to get through, and the other the movies that they showed on the tv on the bus. They weren´t Chinese fighting movies but cheap American fighting or "action" movies played rather loudly.

All in all, I think it was good value for the 2,000 baht it cost and the bus is back in Bangkok at about 4-5 p.m. so there´s plenty of time to catch a bus back to Head Rock City the same day or alternatively spend another hectic night gazing at the twinkling lights in the capitolium.

Some other companies orgianize vans to another border crossing (I think it´s in Chanthaburi (or maybe Trat) province but it´s a longer trip in a van, although they say the border crossing is quicker there.
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www.bamboogrove.fi

[lomuamart]

BG,
How long ago did you do the run? I've heard horror stories of the "fast track" passport control through the tour operators being stopped now.
You've got to queue like anyone else and why not?

[Bamboo Grove]

Less than two weeks ago. No problem with queuing an hour, it easily beats sitting on a bus to Ranong. As I mentioned everything else was smooth. The only queuing part was on the way back at the Thai Immigration, getting into Cambodia was quick and as we already had our visas, we didn´t have to go to the Cambodian Immigration also the out stamps were taken care of by the organisers.
_________________
知彼知己, 胜乃不殆; 知天知地, 胜乃可全
www.bamboogrove.fi

[Mart]

I've done the visa run to Cambodia from Bangkok too. It was well organised and easy. The biggest thing against it for me though was that the Cambodian visa sticker itself takes up a whole page of your passport, if you do this every month, your passort is eaten up quickly. Just something to consider?

Mart

[Bamboo Grove]