Northern Thailand - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 843

GETTING TO CAMBODIA
Trat to Koh Kong
Getting to the border From Trat, the closest Thai-Cambodia crossing is the Hat Lek/Cham Yeam
crossing. Minivans run to Hat Lek hourly 5am to 6pm (120B, 1½ hours) from Trat's bus station.
At the border The border is open from 7am to 8pm. Visas are available at the border here, but they're
a steep 1000B (they are US$20 at other crossings), and payment is only accepted in baht. Ignore any-
one who says you require a 'medical certificate' or other paperwork.
Moving on Take a taxi (US$10 plus 6000r for the toll) or moto (unmarked motorcycle taxi; US$3) to
Koh Kong town where you can catch a bus (US$7, six hours) or share taxi (US$11, five hours) to Ph-
nom Penh, and buses (US$7, five hours) or share taxis (US$10, four hours) to Sihanoukville.
For more information about crossing this border in the other direction, Click here
Chanthaburi to Pailin
It's possible to cross to Cambodia at the Pong Nam Ron/Psar Pruhn crossing via the eponymous pro-
vincial capital of Chanthaburi Province - a less hectic alternative to the crossing at Aranya Prathet,
further north.
Getting to the border To Chanthaburi, buses leave from Bangkok's Northern & Northeastern Bus
Terminal (214B, 3½ hours, four departures daily) and Eastern Bus Terminal (214B, 3½ hours, fre-
quent), and minivans leave from near the Victory Monument (200B, three hours, hourly from 6am to
7.30pm). In Chanthaburi, minivans leave from a stop across from the River Guest House (150B, 1½
hours, two departures daily).
At the border The border is open from 7am to 8pm, and visas are available upon arrival.
Moving on Take a moto (unmarked motorcycle taxi; US$5), share taxi (6000r) or taxi (US$10) the
18km to Pailin, from where you'll need to connect to one of the frequent share taxis to Battambang
(per person $5, 1½ hours). From Battambang, it's possible to continue to Siem Reap by boat, or Ph-
nom Penh by bus. A private taxi from the border to Battambang costs US$40.
For more information about crossing this border in the other direction, Click here .
TOP OF CHAPTER
Ko Chang
039 / POP 5000
With steep, jungle-covered peaks erupting from the sea, picturesque Ko Chang (Elephant
Island) retains its remote and rugged spirit despite its current status as a package-tour re-
sort akin to Phuket. The island's swathes of sand are girl-next-door pretty but not beauty-