Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Keereeelé
( 0 3955 1285;
www.keereeele.com
;
r 2200-2600B; )
An excess of 'e's in the name doesn't
detract from the merits of this multistorey hotel on the interior side of the road. The rooms
are modern and comfortable with beds raised off the floor Chinese-style. Some have
views of the verdant mountains behind. The beach is 300m away.
HOTEL
$$
GETTING TO CAMBODIA: ARANYA PRATHET TO POIPET
Getting to the Border
The easiest way to get from Bangkok to Siem Reap overland is the direct bus departing
from the Northern (Mo Chit) Bus Terminal. The through-service bus trips sold on Th Khao San and elsewhere in
Bangkok seem cheap and convenient, but they haven't been nicknamed 'scam buses' for nothing, and you will be
most likely hassled and ripped off, often quite aggressively.
If you choose to do it in stages (much cheaper than the direct Mo Chit bus), you can get from Bangkok to the
border town of Aranya Prathet (aka Aran) by bus from Mo Chit, by bus or minivan from the Eastern (Ekamai)
Bus Terminal, by bus from Suvarnabhumi International Airport bus station, by minivan from Victory Monument
or by 3rd-class train (only the 5.55am departure will get you there early enough to reach Siam Reap the same
day) from Hualamphong. Aran also has bus service about every one or two hours from other cities in the area in-
cluding Khorat, Surin and Chanthaburi. All minivans, plus some buses, go all the way to the Rong Kluea Market
next to the border, so there's no need to stop in Aranya Prathet city. Otherwise, you'll need to take a
sŏrng·tăa·ou
(15B), motorcycle taxi (60B) or túk-túk (pronounced
đúk đúk;
80B) the final 7km to the border.
At the Border
The border is open 7am to 8pm daily. There are many persistent scammers on the Thai side trying
to get you to buy your Cambodia visa through them, but no matter what they might tell you, there's absolutely no
good reason to get visas anywhere except the border. Buying them elsewhere costs more and takes longer. Don't
even show your passport to anyone before you reach Thai immigration and don't change money.
After getting stamped out of Thailand - an easy and completely straightforward process - follow the throng to
Cambodian immigration and find the 'Visa on Arrival' sign if you don't already have a visa. Weekday mornings
you might finish everything in 10 to 20 minutes, but if you arrive after midday it could take an hour or more.
Weekends and holidays, when many Thais arrive to gamble and foreign workers do visa runs, are also very busy.
You will probably be offered the opportunity to pay a special 'VIP fee' (aka a bribe) of 200B to jump to the front
of the queue. You will almost certainly be asked to pay another small bribe, which will be called a 'stamping' or
'overtime' fee. You should refuse, though doing so might mean you have to wait a few extra minutes.
Moving On
There are frequent buses and share taxis from Poipet to Siem Reap along a good sealed road from the
main bus station, which is about 1km away (2000r by motorcycle taxi) around the main market, one block north
of Canadia Bank off NH5. Poipet also has a second 'international' bus station 9km east of town where tickets cost
double and which is only used by uninformed or gullible foreigners who get swept into the free shuttle that takes
travellers out there. Lonely Planet's
Cambodia
guide has full details for travel on this side of the border.
Ao Khlong Prao
Ao Khlong Prao is dominated by high-end resorts, with just a few budget spots peppered
in between. There are a handful of cheapies on the main road that are within walking dis-
tance to the beach, though traffic can be treacherous and noisy.
