Review: Direct bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap

Before you start reading, are you looking for our full review of how to get from Bangkok to Siem Reap in 2022? If not, carry on.

If you’re heading from Thailand to Cambodia, the Bangkok to Siem Reap direct bus is the easiest way to do the trip overland. Why might you want to go overland, one might ask? For one, it’s a lot less expensive, with the direct bus costing between $28 and $35. For another, if you’re looking to transport large or bulky household goods or have large pieces of luggage, the direct bus is an easier option, particularly because they don’t make you change buses at the border.

Nattakan Transport Co bus Bangkok to Siem Reap

The Nattakan direct bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap (and vice versa)

Bus options

There are now two companies running direct buses between Bangkok and Siem Reap, Nattakan and Giant Ibis.

We have more in-depth reviews of both Nattakan (see below) and Giant Ibis (click here) on this route if you want to get into the nitty-gritty details, but in summary, I have taken both several times and think that Giant Ibis offers a better trip. They leave from a more convenient location near Khao San Road, the buses are brand new and the entire journey, including the border crossing, is smooth.  Although the ticket is more expensive at $35, it’s well worth the price.

Buying tickets

If you’re going with Giant Ibis, tickets can be bought online and a seat reserved in advance for $35 with no additional service fees. You can print your ticket out or just show it to them on your phone or device and you’ll get straight onto the bus. Buying online allows you to choose your own seat, and advance purchase is recommended because the bus can get busy in high season.

You can also buy Nattakan tickets between Bangkok and Siem Reap (plus Bangkok and Phnom Penh) on BookMeBus. Tickets cost $28 in either direction, plus a 5% booking fee ($1.40 per ticket). The procedure is simple and you’ll receive an e-ticket that you can either print out or present on your phone when you arrive at the bus station. In high season the buses are often full, so it’s more than worth the booking fee to be able to reserve a seat in advance.

Transport Co Ltd Bangkok

The Transport Co. Ltd station inside the Northern/Mo Chit 2 bus terminal, Bangkok

Tickets for Nattakan can also be purchased at the Northern bus terminal in Bangkok, sometimes called Mo Chit 2 bus terminal, sometimes called Chatuchak bus terminal. On the ground floor a booth labeled The Transport Co, Ltd. sells the Bangkok to Siem Reap tickets. Taxi fare to the bus station is around 150 baht (about $4.25) from Sukhumvit, making the trip a more expensive way to get a ticket than the online option unless you’re already in the area.

The Nattakan buses run at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. in either direction and the Giant Ibis leaves at 7:45 a.m.

The bus journey on Nattakan

The direct bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap takes between 8 and 11 hours, depending on how crowded it is at the border. Passengers are allowed two bags each with a maximum weight of 20 kg, although the weight limit was not enforced when I hauled two suitcases of Ikea merchandise to Cambodia. There is limited storage space above the seats in the bus, so if you want to stow something inside, board early. The Nattakan Bangkok-Siem Reap direct buses are Korean, and seats are comfortable and lean back more than they probably should–watch out for the knees of the person behind you!

Nattakan Transport Co bus Bangkok to Siem Reap

Nattakan buses: not not the worst place to spend eight hours…

On my recent trip, the 9:00 a.m. bus from Bangkok left on time. We were given a bottle of water and a snack, which was a limp-looking Asian pastry. There was a toilet break at 11:00 a.m. at a rest stop with a giant 7-11 and some fast food and local food options. At 1:10 p.m. we stopped at the Transport Co., Ltd. office in Aranyaprathet and were each given a ready-made hot lunch from 7-11, in my case it was shrimp and basil stir-fry. I’m ashamed to admit, but I thought it was pretty good if a bit on the small side. Vegetarians be warned, you’ll need to bring your own lunch. Later, we were given the choice of an orange juice or an iced coffee. You won’t starve if you don’t, but it’s definitely worth bringing some food of your own on the trip.

By 1:40 p.m. we were at the border, and everyone had finished their visa process and we were on the road at 3:15 p.m. We arrived in Siem Reap at 5:30 p.m., for a total of 8.5 hours.

The border

When you approach the Poipet/Aranyaprathet border, the bus will stop and let off all passengers. You can leave your bags on the bus (that’s why they call it a direct bus, there are no bus changes). You’ll then be expected to walk yourself through the various border checkpoints. There’s not a lot of instruction from the crew and the process can be confusing for those who have not done it before, but it’s actually quite simple. 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).

If you are heading from Bangkok to Siem Reap, after you go through both offices, turn back around and the bus will be waiting for you in front of the Grand Diamond Casino. They wait there for every passenger to complete their visa process, which takes an hour or two in total, so don’t be afraid to go into the casino and have a drink or a meal in the Chillax Cafe. It sounds awful, but the food isn’t too bad.

Visas

Most nationalities do not need to get visas in advance (check out our page about Cambodia visas if you want to know more). On the Cambodia side, a tourist visa costs $30. The bus company will request an additional $5 to have your visa batch processed with everyone else on the bus, and it is much quicker. Some days the bus company will require you to do this, other times you can secure your visa on your own.

If you choose to do it on your own, the visa officials 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. Telling other passengers the real price loudly will usually get you serviced more quickly, as they will be eager to get you out of there.  The other option is to secure an e-visa in advance. The price these days is $40, so you won’t save any money doing it that way, although it may help minimize border-induced rage that is not uncommon in Poipet. For more about crossing the Poipet border, check out our post on Crossing the Poipet/Aranyaprathet border overland.

poipet border checkpoint

This is the official building that you get your Cambodia visa in. If you stop somewhere before the border, don’t bother wasting your money.

We’ve gotten reports that the bus will stop before you get to the border and try and get you to use an agent to process your visa for 900 baht by calling it a VIP service. They did not do this on my recent trip, so hopefully this is no longer an issue. However, if they do stop and try and get you to let them process your visa you have a choice of whether or not you pay. However, this so-called VIP service can be worth it, and it’s often faster and less stressful to just pay the extra money, so it’s up to you whether or not you think it’s a battle worth fighting.

On the Thai side, you will get stamped through and do not need to pay anything.

Overall, this is a much easier way to travel overland than the other methods I have tried, which always involve haggling at the border for taxis and buses. The Bangkok-Siem Reap direct bus is not as cheap as the mini-bus/casino bus combination (which is usually around $11 or $12) but the peace of mind is worth it. If you’re looking for more info on going the other way, check out our post on getting from Siem Reap to Bangkok.

Transport Co., Ltd.

Mo Chit 2 Bus Terminal (หมอชิต 2 (อาคารผู้โดยสาร), Bangkok [map]
+66 2 936 0657; +66 89 281 1396
Buy tickets

Nattakan Transport

22 Sivatha Blvd, Svay Dangkom District, Siem Reap [map]
T: 063 96 48 96; 078 975 333
Buy tickets

Bus tickets purchased through links in this post generate affiliate sales for us. This does not affect our reviews for specific bus companies or routes! For more about how we deal with advertising, affiliate sales, and stuff like that, you can read more here.

192 Responses to Review: Direct bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap

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    rachel says:

    Lina, for aseans like me theres no need to get visa right?

    Alexander says:

    Hi just of target abit ..but is it possible to get bus from mo chit to Phnom Penh ..
    Or even pattaya to Phnom Penh
    Thanks lina

    rahelle says:

    hi, aseans like me dont require visa to cross right? thanks!

    Marchie says:

    Also the minivans are notrious for accidents. Some offer 10 or 11 US$. It means they want to do it in record time and I have seen overturned cars in the canal by the road side. I would not chnace it. I know people who do. I think they are nuts. But each to their own. I thnk you should travel as heavy as possible and the weight rules applies here. The heavier the locomotive means the others have to give way. I never sit in the front.

    Marchie says:

    Visas cost 20 US$ and not 30 Dollars. Carry Dollars and not Thai Baht because they charge you anything they like up to 1000 Baht. Right now 20 US$ = about 660 Baht. Get it changed in Bangkok or go into the Casino close by and change it there. Do not pay any extra fee. Just refuse and look around nonchalantly until they do it. They will do it. You need one photo. If you do not have one they will want 100 Baht. Sometimes if I do not have one then I pay that as the bribe. Then sit down and 5 minutes later it will be done. I have been through the border more than 20 times and just ignore most of them. Talk to no one who offers to help you. Across the border you can get to the International bus station and get to Siem Reap and the buses are OK. They will stop ance and request you buy their overpriced food. I always carry my bag with me.

    Samuel says:

    Hi! Your post was really useful to help me ‘visualise’ everything (and the scams) before I departed. I decided to write a post of my own as well :) (p.s. the visa scams are all still active as of December 2014).

    Amanda says:

    Unfortunately they’re STILL doing the agent scam… And I actually called the officer out on it as they were collecting everyone’s passports as we stopped about 5-10 from the border, and he abruptly cut me off saying, “This is NO SCAM!” … Not wanting to make a scene, I went ahead and paid the 400 baht after already reading this site…

    Ugh – as said, once we got to the border all the ‘locals’ quickly got off and did their own visas. My friend and I were rightly a bit pissed, but it did not seem like they gave any option for those who did not know about it.

    Anyways – just a heads up for future travelers!

      Lina says:

      Thanks for the warning, Amanda. The last I heard the “fee” was 900, so at least the price has gone down.

        David says:

        A bit dated, I know, but: when I came across on the bus on 9 September I was left alone after I told the express-visa facilitator that I wanted a Business Visa not a Tourist Visa. Very much a soft sell with no arm twisting (on that day)

      chris says:

      We passed through 3 days ago and the ‘fee’ is now 1300 Baht.

    Sandesh Chandavarkar says:

    i will be travelling to thailand and also want to visit cambodia and go back to thailand. and when i come to cambodia i get the cambodian visa and while returning back to thailand will it be a problem to get thai visa?

      Lina says:

      Unfortunately I can’t predict your visa situation. It depends on your nationality and whether you are using back-to-back tourist visas in Thailand as a way to live there–they are cracking down on people who are doing this. If you’re just a regular tourist, it won’t be a problem.

    David says:

    I’ve just bought a ticket on the web via thaiticketmajor.com/ for 750B + 20B fee= 770B. I paid for it at a 7-11 (20B fee); several other places, incl BKK Bank and Tesco, also possible. It’s a reservation (I think) and I’ll pick up the real ticket at Morchit.

      Lina says:

      Thanks, David. I tried to buy through that site last week and nothing came up, but I now wonder if that’s because the days I searched for were fully booked. I’ll try using it next time I’m in Bangkok.

    Dorien van Burgsteden says:

    Do they sell those tickets at regular travelagents in Bkk now aswell or is the only way to go to get ticket at the train station?

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