If you’re going from Siem Reap to Bangkok (or vice versa) overland, you may be nervous about the infamous Poipet border crossing. Before I crossed for the first time, I was extremely anxious after hearing so many horror stories about the border. Now that I do the trip regularly I know that if you go prepared you won’t have any problems.
If you’re going from Cambodia to Thailand (here are all the ways to get from Siem Reap to Bangkok) you’ll be crossing from Poipet to Aranyaprathet. Here are some tips for crossing in this direction, and at the end I’ve given specific tips if you’re going the other way, from Aranyaprathet to Poipet.
Get the skinny on crossing the Poipet-Aranyaprathet border overland.
It’s going to take all day
It will pretty much take you all day to go Siem Reap to Bangkok overland, but leaving early will shave a few hours off the trip (filed under ‘had to learn the hard way’). Siem Reap to Poipet is about a two-hour trip, and then an hour or four at the border, then another four to six hours from Aranyaprathet to Bangkok. The land border is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. It gets very busy and lines get very long after about noon, so the earlier you start your journey, the better.
You’re crossing on foot
Whether you take a direct bus, mini-bus or taxi, you’ll still have to walk across the border from Poipet to Aranyaprathet on the Thailand side. Coming from Siem Reap, you’ll get dropped off at a roundabout near the border in Poipet. Walk straight ahead and you’ll see Cambodia immigration on your right side. Get in line there and get stamped out of Cambodia.
If you’re hungry or want to use the toilet, stop in at one of the casinos in the no-man’s land between Poipet and Aranyaprathet. I like Grand Diamond Casino’s Chillax Restaurant because they have free WiFi and a great name.
After you leave Cambodia but before you enter Thailand, you’ll be treated to this.
Once you’re refreshed, keep walking straight until you get to Thai immigration and go upstairs. If you’re from most countries, you’ll get a visa on arrival (and if you’re not, you should have one already). We’ve got a full blog post on getting a Thai visa in Cambodia if you need to do this in advance.
Once you are at the border just remember that you need to be stamped out of the country you came from and get a visa for the country you are entering (so two stops).
Once you’re through, go straight if you’re heading to get a mini-bus or taxi or make your first right towards Rong Kleu Market if you’re catching a casino bus. This road is not paved and you’ll think you’re in some sort of post-apocalyptic fantasy novel, but in a moment you’ll see a 7-11 and realize that you’re actually in Thailand. From 7-11, you can turn right to head to the casino buses in the car park area.
7-11 near Rong Kleu Market Aranyaprathet border.
Don’t get scammed
Do not change money at the border. If you want Thai baht ahead of time, you can change money at Siem Reap’s Old Market before heading out, or hit the ATM at the 7-11 immediately after crossing the border. Don’t believe anything anyone says about facilitation fees. All transport prices quoted here are current, so negotiate until you get pretty close. Don’t get on any buses to the “bus terminal” it’s just a place where they force you to buy overpriced food and overpriced bus tickets. You can get cheap food and cheap bus tickets at Rong Kleu Market and don’t need to bother with the scammy bus terminal.
Carrying baggage across the border
If you’ve got considerable baggage coming through, you can hire a porter for $2 to $10. They will take your bags through and wait for you to get through immigration. Unlike everyone else in Poipet, the porters will not rip you off. Get your porter’s phone number before you head to immigration if you are nervous, but chances are he won’t speak English anyway. It’s polite to tip your porter.
Relax
The border crossing can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t need to be. Budget a full day to get through and take your time. Accept that no one will speak English, but that’s not going to matter. Buy a Thai SIM card in 7-11 for a couple of bucks if you want. You’ll be in Bangkok soon and the Poipet/Aranyaprathet land border crossing will be a distant memory.
If you’re coming from Thailand to Cambodia
If you’re heading from Thailand to Cambodia, this is the particularly scammy direction of the trip. Bring US dollars with you for your visa; do not change money at the border because you will get ripped off. Do not believe anyone that tells you that you need Cambodian riel, you do not, and they will rip you off. You can’t even pay for a Cambodia visa with Cambodian riel!
This is the building that you get your Cambodian visa in.
After you get stamped out of Thailand, you’ll need to enter Cambodia. If you already have an ordinary/business visa, they will stamp you and you will be on your way. Tourists will need to get a visa in advance or on arrival check out our page about Cambodia visas if you want to know more). A tourist visa costs $30. They will ask you for 1100 or 1200 baht (~$35) or if you insist on paying in dollars, which you should, they will ask for $30 and a 200 baht processing fee. There is no processing fee, it’s just a bribe. Arrive early and refuse to pay and eventually they will stamp you through. They’ll make you wait around for a while, but it’s just a game of chicken. Since you’ve budgeted all day to do this, might as well not pay their lame shake-down and catch up on your Kindle.
The other option is to get a Cambodia e-visa in advance, but to be on the safe side you need to order it online a week in advance, because they often don’t get it back to you in their promised three-day turnaround time. The cost is $40. It saves you hassle but not money. If you’re particularly nervous about the border crossing, this might help make things easier.
Once you walk get your Cambodia visa, you can walk through and catch a mini-bus or taxi from near the roundabout. Be aware that on the Cambodia side the police shake down all of the taxi drivers for at least $10 of each trip. The fare should be around $35, but often is as much as $55. Walk as far as you can stand and don’t deal with middlemen if you want a lower price.
Hi guys,thanks for this useful post. We are going to Cambodia next week and we already have a Visa. But we take the train from Bangkok to the border and take a bus/Taxi to Siem Reap. The question is : do we need to come with USD or can we withdraw money on ATM after crossing the border ?
If U.S citizen had usual tourist (30 days) visa in Cambodia and overstayed a few months without getting extension (didn’t know anything about visa), where can they go or speak to to find out total amount owe. Of course, avoiding those that can take him in. Many online sources show different prices per day. Is it better to pay at Customs when trying to get on flight to return to USA? (Concerned penalty fee is more than what they actually have)
Or can they get some type of visa extension now?
Hi!My name is nik.I am from Greece,I dont speak english well.I tried to pass the poipet to go in bangog to my country embasy and they keep my pasport there.It was expired my visa because i was in hospital in pnon penh sic with my hurt.tHEY LEAVE me to go till find money for the visa and now is a lot of money.I live in an old house with out water and light.I want to go buck to take my passport .My family want to send me money but I dont know how can i protect and not tell liy to me.I can not go outside because the polise will cut me.There is only a man that help me and bring me food water and anything that I want.You think that they will not give me buck my passport with the money that I have to pay?I hope that you will understand my english.Thank you
Hi Nik, you should check out the visa and work permit group on Facebook, where you can get advice from many people. https://www.facebook.com/groups/333901840112789/
Nik, from similar stories I’ve read- you or family members can try reaching out to the Greece Embassy and let them know your situation, mainly that you don’t have money to pay penalties and you want to go home. They may deport/make arrangements for you to leave Cambodia, but you may not be able to return ever.
Hi, I am leaving Phnom Penh on July 2 and was planning on taking a night bus to Bangkok. After reading this post I’m not so sure if that’s the best idea. Solo girl (with quite a bit of luggage).
Do you know anything about the Mekong Express direct bus from Phnom Penh to Bangkok, which leaves at 11:30pm?
Thank you!
I would advise against taking a night bus to Bangkok. Take a daytime bus, it’s safer and more time efficient. For one, the border doesn’t open until morning-time and it’s only 2.5 hours from Siem Reap to the border, so you’ll just end up sitting at the border for hours waiting for it to open.
Just to confirm this post, immigration crossing the both border doesn’t operate overnight?
Correct.
Go on morning bus which leave Phnom Penh at 8,30am it be full day trip 4,30pm approximately back to Bangkok ? safe travels
Hi Lina!
I hope to receive a good response from you. We will be traveling from Siem Reap to Bangkok next week. Upon reading different articles about crossing the border, I am quite nervous about the scams that other articles and you are talking about. I am a Filipino and I know that I don’t have to get any visa. I just want to know…
-if there are still things that I need to pay in the border?
-do I need to provide/prepare some things (like necessary papers or photos) in crossing the border?
This will be my first time to go out of the country so I’m really quite nervous. Your help will be a great help! Thank you in advance!
In between borders right now, trying to get in Cambodia. As the author said, it’s a game of chicken. First time he asked 1600 baht for the tourist visa. Now, one coffee later it’s 1500. I actually only carry 30 dollars and 10000 riel so that’s all he can get out of me…
I’m going to cross the border from Cambodia to Thailand next week, and heck yes I’m super nervous oh god.
Piece of cake your be fine
Kiaora we travel across border from Thailand into Cambodia 2 day ago on 15th may 2017,,,make sure you get a extra photo of you done like the one in your passport.. And have a departure card it a blue and white one we did not have this card it had pay 100 bacth…. We come in on VIP bus your crew on bus will help you in process of what you do at border they do all wheeling and dealers I guess with imagrantion lol so the process walking through was ok for us… But some passengers on our bus had to get photos taken which took a while waiting for them… I’m kiwi from new Zealand and love Cambodia more than Thailand best of luck and travel safe.. ? ?
Hi, great info, thanks. I’ll be crossing in two weeks with the kids and well be arriving at the Poipet border from Bangkok on VIP bus. Does the bus drop you off at the Thaï border and pick you up in Cambodia? Do we simply walk to customs? Do we need to take our luggage of the bus? Thanks for your input. I want to simplify entry for the family.
Hi yes your bus driver has a tour guide person on the bus you are travelling on he will tell you what happens before you get to the border and yes you carry your bag across the border then hop on the bus after you been through customs best of luck safe travels
I passed the border on July 3rd 17 a few days ago and ignored all the guys on the Thai side trying to scam me with a visa. Getting my visa to Cambodia was no stress at all. Choose to pay using baht and paid 1100. No photo, but I told them to photocopy from my passport, they said that will cost me an additional 200, but I refused and said I had 1USD in my pocket (true thing) so the guy accepted and it took me 2-3 mins pluss 30 sec in the next office about 75 meters ahead.
Hi, we are planning a trip to siem reap but was a bit confused with the visa issue. do filipinos have to seure a tourist visa upon entering their country? saw it in wikipedia and cambodian tourism site that countries that are members of the asean including the Phils. is exempted and has 21days to stay.Pls. enlighten us.Thanks
Thank you so much for this fantastic blog! It has been so helpful for planning my up coming trip.
I am going from Thailand to Cambodia for a few days and then returning to Bangkok for one night on the direct bus to get my flight. Could you tell me the process for returning to Thailand please? I will get a visa on arrival at the airport, but should I get something in advance to cross back or will stamping out be enough?
I have a Cambodian E visa on your advise ready to cross.
Would love your advice on this is possible. Many Thanks
Josie
Once you enter Thailand again you will get another visa on arrival (whether that be at the airport or the land border)