How to get from Pattaya to Cambodia and how long does it take? How to get from Pattaya to Cambodia on your own and how much it costs Pattaya Cambodia distance

The most popular excursion from Pattaya is an excursion to Cambodia. Whatever excursion you want to buy, it is very important to choose it correctly.

An excursion from Pattaya to Cambodia has its own characteristics - the main thing that a tourist should understand when buying an excursion is that it takes place on the territory of another state, with all the ensuing consequences! The company from which you buy a tour must have a partner in Cambodia and rarely has its own office. It follows from this that for a quality excursion you need to choose a company in Cambodia.

Not even all tour operators have their offices in Cambodia, not to mention street agencies. The excursion to Cambodia is divided into two stages.- first, tourists are taken to the border, where they cross the border on their own. On Cambodian territory, immediately after the Thai border, the group is met by a representative of the Cambodian side. The Russian guide meets the group after passing the Cambodian border.

Crossing the border itself, if you are traveling on an organized tour, should not cause you any difficulties. If you are traveling on your own, I highly recommend studying the material that describes the features of crossing the Thai-Cambodian border.

An excursion to Cambodia for two days and one night is approximately the same as a trip to Thailand for 2 days... In order to fully travel to Cambodia you need at least 3 days\2 nights, only the complex of temples around Angkor Wat can be explored for a week!

Description of the excursion to Cambodia

Almost all companies leave Pattaya at the same time - 3:30 to 5:00, depending on your hotel. For the first one and a half to two hours, tourists ride on a bus and sleep; closer to the Thai-Cambodian border, the guide will tell you about the rules for crossing the border.

After crossing the border, tourists will find a Russian guide, a bus, and breakfast on the way to Siem Reap. Closer to lunch, check-in at the hotel, lunch.

After lunch, the group goes to the famous Tonle Sap Lake, where there is a Vietnamese village, whose residents are engaged in fishing and selling souvenirs to tourists. Here you will see houses on the water, a school on the water, children swimming in basins and offering to take pictures with pythons, whose mouths are often barbarically sewn shut. The village itself is inhabited by Vietnamese and their descendants.

After this, tourists usually visit a crocodile farm, a souvenir and jewelry shop. In the evening, dinner at the hotel, free time.

The second day is entirely devoted to the main attraction of Cambodia - the Angkor Wat temple complex. You will explore the main temple of Angkok Wat, which is the hallmark of Cambodia, explore the temples of Ta Prohm, Ta Kaew and Bayon Temple, the latter is famous for its huge images of faces.

Important Features:

• Cambodia is a different country, so it is important to remember to take your passport from the hotel safe before it closes! Remember that departure to Cambodia is at 3-4 am and not all hotels provide access to your belongings in the safe at this time. The passport must be valid for 6 months.
• Don't forget 2 photos 3x4 cm
• An excursion to Cambodia from Pattaya or Bangkok is very tiring in terms of long journeys, so it is recommended to leave small children... hmm... I don’t know where to leave them...
• In Cambodia, baht and dollars are used, so you don’t have to change money. Each village will accept Thai currency, dollars, and give change in local currency - riel.
• Bring sun protection cream and a hat for walking in the sun, warm clothes for the bus and for the early morning. Be sure to take light clothing as... To enter Angkor Wat, you are required to cover your shoulders and legs below the knees.

Excursion cost

The cost of a 2-day excursion to Cambodia from Pattaya depends on the company you take the tour with, the hotel you stay at, and your citizenship. Citizenship affects the cost of a Thailand, Cambodia visa. For example, the cost of an excursion to Cambodia from the Tez Tour company is 7500 per adult. The cost of an excursion at street agencies starts from 3,800 baht. Make sure that the price of the excursion includes the cost of Cambodian visas.

To Cambodia on your own

Organizing an excursion to Cambodia on your own does not present any serious difficulties and is feasible for most tourists. It is highly recommended to seriously prepare theoretically so that everything goes smoothly. It is recommended to take a closer look at the route Pattaya - Koh Chang - Cambodia - Pattaya. Organizing an excursion to Cambodia on your own as part of a group of 3-4 people will significantly reduce your money.

This route can be briefly described as follows: You arrive in Pattaya, look around, and relax. Since the sea in Pattaya leaves much to be desired, you will probably want to relax at sea first, and then arrange a cultural program. A transfer from Koh Chang to Siem Reap can be purchased directly at the pier on the mainland. Upon arrival in Siem Reap, you can easily find excursion offers to Tonle Sap Lake and Angkor Wat. If you speak English, you can easily organize all the excursions yourself, simply by hiring a tuk-tuk that will take you to any tourist attraction.

A transfer from Pattaya to Koh Chang costs 400 baht per person, described in the material about Koh Chang. Transfer from Koh Chang to Siem Reap costs 800 baht per person for a group transfer.

If you decide to go straight from Pattaya to Cambodia, then your first priority is to buy a ticket in advance. Tickets are sold at the bus station on North Pattaya Rd. Buses to the Aranyaprathet terminus leave at 7.30 and 8.30. Cross the border, take a tuk-tuk to Poipet and there you take either a bus ticket or a taxi ($45) to Siem Reap.

Accommodation in Siem Reap

Siem Reap is a tourist city consisting entirely of hotels and guesthouses. You can easily find a guesthouse or hotel to suit every taste. During high tourist season, it is recommended to book in advance. Decent rooms start at $15 per night.

Excursion to Cambodia from Phuket

An excursion from Phuket to Cambodia follows the same scenario, except that you first get by plane to Bangkok, and then from Bangkok transfer to the Cambodian border, crossing the border and then according to the standard excursion program.

When going on holiday to Thailand, you should keep in mind that Cambodia is located next to it, where there are a huge number of attractions that attract thousands of tourists from all over the world. It makes sense to travel from Pattaya to Cambodia either on your own or as part of an excursion group, since it will be 100% cheaper than going to this country as a tourist from Russia or any other distant country.

So, there are several options for how to get to the country of temples and excellent infrastructure - Cambodia.

Excursion (the best option for those who are vacationing in Phuket, since going to Cambodia will be more profitable in terms of wasting time)

Independent option (there are three ways - plane, land, water)

Traveling on your own has its own charms, as you can not only enjoy the scenery without being tied to an excursion group, but also immerse yourself in the local culture and way of life to the fullest. There will no longer be a guide to call; you will have to decide everything yourself (even more interesting).

How to get to the Aranyaprathet border crossing

Consider the option of an excursion later (fortunately, there are no problems with booking in either 2018 or 2019), but for now the next step is an independent trip.

So, in order to find yourself on the territory of a foreign state from the territory of another foreign state, you will need to do two simple things:

Drive independently to the border of Thailand and Cambodia

Cross the border crossing.

There are several ways to get to the border crossing, with the exception of the most comfortable, fastest and most expensive plane:

• Taxi;
• bus;
• rented transport;
• minibass;
• ferry.

We will not consider the option of a ferry, as it is quite tedious and expensive.

By taxi

If you have the means and don’t want to bother buying tickets for public transport, and just understand the intricacies of the Thai transport system, you can travel from Pattaya (here and below we will take this city as a basis, and how to get to it from anywhere in Thailand, can be found on our website) by taxi.

Yes, not the cheapest mode of transport, but you have to pay for comfort.

The cost of a trip to the border crossing is 2000–4000 baht, depending on how you negotiate with the driver.

If you don’t want to bargain with a Thai, you can use the car booking service using the form below.

By bus

Traveling on your own by bus is much cheaper, especially compared to a taxi. The bus route will not take tourists to the border itself, but only to one of two places where the traveler will have to transfer to a tuk-tuk and proceed to the border crossing.

Bus ticket cost – 250 baht

The cost of a tuk tuk is 50–70 baht (depending on the arrogance of the driver)

In the direction of the crossing there is a route in the direction Mukdahan-Aranyaprathet. The final destination is the city bus station or Rongkluea Market station, located even closer to the crossing than the first.

You need to purchase a ticket at the Northern Bus Station (you can read more about it and where it is located in our article - how to get from Pattaya to Bangkok), and take the bus on Sukhumvit Street.

There can be no talk of any schedule, much less adherence to it. If the bus is on time, this is the exception rather than the rule. Prepare for a long trip, approximately 5 hours. There will be many stops along the way, so take a book or some other entertainment along the way.

By the way, after arriving at their destination, tuk-tuk drivers have the bad habit of bringing tourists to the pseudo-border, where they sell them visas that are 1.5-2 times more expensive than the nominal price. Therefore, if you are traveling alone, it is better to join some company; this will not provide a guarantee against fraud, but at least it will protect you by 50 percent.

By rented vehicle

Having your own car is great and very convenient, but we recommend leaving aside the option of traveling to Cambodia by car. This is possible in principle, but let’s face it, “Do you need it?”

There is a lot of hassle, collecting documents, and no one promises that you will be able to go back, Cambodian border guards are very meticulous.

The best option is to rent a car (bike), drive to the border crossing and leave it there, in a paid guarded parking lot (price - 100 baht per day). If you don’t believe us, you can look for reviews on the Internet, which is what most tourists do.

On a minibus

The most convenient and relatively inexpensive excursion option for traveling from Pattaya to the border crossing is a minibus. These are standard minibuses that run on the Pattaya - Aranya Prathet route every hour from three in the morning to seven in the evening.

The fare for this type of transport is 260 baht, travel time is 4–5 hours.

The fastest minibuses are The fastest minibuses are from three in the morning to 6 in the morning. The trick is that the minibus works like a minibus, simultaneously transporting locals. The minibus works like a minibus, simultaneously transporting locals to their destinations, and at night the Thais do not need to go somewhere.

Minibuses depart from Big C, there are only three places located close to each other. Along the way, the minibus makes one long (15-minute) stop at a gas station. There you can go to the toilet and have a snack in the cafe, as well as the toilet and have a snack in the cafe, and also buy something for the road at the Seven Eleven supermarket.

Things to remember when going Border crossing

Step-by-step instructions on how to overcome the border:

The most important thing to remember when heading towards the border crossing is its opening hours. The crossing is open from seven in the morning to eight in the evening, given that the procedure for obtaining a visa is not quick, you need to take 2-3 hours in reserve to cross the border (usually everything is much faster).

You only need to cross the border on foot, even if you bought a tour from a travel company, you will be thrown off the bus and loaded back on the other side. That's why it's better to fly by plane.

Minibuses stop near the square not far from the crossing, it’s not that far on foot.

Passport control for foreigners is carried out on the second floor of the building. By the way, there is air conditioning there.

First you need to get to neutral territory. To do this, give your immigration card (to be filled out upon arrival in Thailand) and your passport to the window. If you have a visa, after receiving your passport, go back straight under the Cambodia sign to the neutral zone, and if you don’t have a visa, turn right.

To obtain a visa, you will need to fill out the form provided (the staff will prompt you) and hand it to the window along with your photo and passport.

Next is important!!! The visa price is $30 (business visa — $35), enterprising employees may try to make money from you and offer you a large sum. To this we answer: there is no Thai money, a visa costs 30 dollars, here’s 30 dollars. Relying on an inattentive and enchanted tourist, you’re not like that...

And by the way, visa prices may change, in any case, it is better to find out before the trip how much a visa costs, and a notice about the cost will hang in the building.

You can get a visa via the Internet or at the embassy, ​​but in the first case there is a possibility of a lack of communication (you will buy a new one). It’s even easier with the embassy; you can get it in advance, even before leaving for Thailand.

The visa is valid for 30 days.

So, to obtain a Cambodian visa you will need:

1. Valid passport (at least 6 months remaining).
2. Two 3x4 photographs.
3. Photocopy of the international passport.

The specified package of documents must necessarily be better; a copy will not be required, rather than waste time and nerves searching for a copy machine or a photo studio.

After receiving the visa, we go to the crossing and find ourselves in neutral territory.

This is a mini-city where there are souvenir shops, a hotel and even a casino. By the way, you can spend the night here. True, let’s not be unfounded about the prices, we didn’t specify, but something tells us that they are higher here than in the city.

How to get from the border town of Poipet to Siem Reap

So, you are in Cambodia. Do not rush to be surprised, the most interesting is yet to come. After the border has been passed, you need to get to one of the main cities of the country, from a tourist point of view - Siem Reap. This can be done in different ways:

• on a minibass;
• on public transport;
• by taxi.

The first two methods involve departure from the bus station, to which you still need to take a free bus from the border crossing.

Expert opinion

Svetlana Markeeva

Expert on Thailand, lived in Pattaya for several years, wintered in Phuket

The minibus costs $10, and the bus costs $9.

The journey takes about 1.5-2 hours.

If you really want to feel the local flavor, or really don’t have enough money, you can get to the bus station from which public transport departs by taking a free bus, which departs almost from the border crossing.

Briefly about Cambodia, through the eyes of a tourist

The drive from the border crossing to Siem Reap will be the best thing you can remember about the country's roads, as it is one of the few normal routes.

The police are corrupt, and this is evidenced by the fact that even for the lack of a license you can pay off with a small fine, by European standards - 5-10 dollars.

Cambodia is very dirty, garbage is dumped right on the roads.

Everything in the country is much cheaper, even compared to Thailand. Thus, many enterprising tourists come to Cambodia to buy cheap alcohol. For comparison, take a look at how much a bottle of Jack Beam whiskey costs and compare. In Cambodia, 0.7 liters of this drink will cost you 10 dollars (normal whiskey, not palenka).

The main thing is that in your pursuit of alcohol, do not forget about the norm for transporting alcoholic beverages through customs, no more than 3 liters per person.

You can cheat a little, this rule does not apply to water and juice...

Sights of Cambodia

So, what to see in Cambodia, what route is best to plan in order to cover the most popular places to the maximum. Below are some of the most popular tourist attractions.

So, the following deserve special attention in Cambodia:

• temples of Angkor;
• genocide museum;
• Royal Palace;
• National Museum of Art;
• Tonle Sap Lake.

Indeed, there are many more interesting places in the country, but it is unlikely that it will be possible to talk about everything within the framework of an article, and hardly anyone will read the huge amount of information.

Angkor Temples

When it comes to Cambodia, the first thing that comes to mind is Angkor Wat. Indeed, this is the most famous temple currently existing in the country. However, it is only part of a huge city - Angkor, on the territory of which there are several sacred places for local residents, including:

1. Angkor Vol.
2. Angkor Ta Prohm.
3. Angkor Bayon.

It was here, in the city of Angkor, that the sensational action film “Lara Croft” was filmed, starring Angelina Jolie, and this is exactly what all the guides, without exception, rely on. But there is something to see here even without this.

By the way, depending on how many temples you want to visit, the price for the excursion will depend.

Tonle Sap Lake

Lake Tonle Sap is famous for its floating village, which is located right on the water. During the dry season, the water recedes and the houses temporarily turn into ordinary ones.

Accommodation

The cost of living in Cambodia is much lower than in Thailand, as the country is poorer. It is impossible to say that there are no normal hotels here. Below we present several acceptable options for where you can stay; if you bought a tour, the hotel is provided by a travel agency.

If you have time and you arrived in the country without a tourist group, but on your own, you can even live with local residents, but you will have to spend time looking for acceptable housing.

Other countries

From Thailand you can travel not only to Cambodia, but also to many other cities in Southeast Asia; the most common (far from budget) excursion is the Golden Triangle. The excursion involves visiting three countries at once - Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. The excursion is expensive due to air travel, as a long distance is covered by air.

In addition to the triangle, you can go to Malaysia (see Kuala Lumpur) or Singapore (the capital of technology and cleanliness). The most expensive thing is the air ticket.

In principle, prices in 2018 or 2019 are not very different, but it is better to check with the tour operator in advance so that there are no surprises.

So, no matter how you plan your trip to Cambodia (whether it be a two- to four-hour flight) or a five-hour tour along the roads of Thailand, you should definitely visit this country.

These questions are of interest to many tourists who travel around Southeast Asia, and in particular Thailand and Cambodia. First, we will share with you the latest information that we just received from our friend from Sihanoukville (Cambodia), and then we will recall two episodes from our trips to Cambodia from Pattaya.

Our good friend and currently a resident of Sihanoukville, just the other day arrived to Cambodia from Pattaya. This summer he visited Russia and found time to visit us. It was very cool and unusual to see him this summer at the dacha! Before that, we only communicated in Sihanoukville, surrounded by tropical nature.

So, let's tell you about the road to Cambodia (Sihanoukville) from Pattaya which our friend recently overcame. It turned out that tickets to Trat at the bus station, which is located at the intersection of Sukhumvit and Central Street (Pattaya), are not sold in advance, but only immediately before boarding the minivan. In the morning before the minivan departed, it turned out that we had to pay for two seats, since our friend had luggage. This situation did not suit him, so he went to another bus station (at the end of South Street in the southern Big C area), from which he left by bus to Chanthaburi for 200 baht. From Chanthaburi, our friend’s route went to Trat (for 60 baht). Further - from Trat to Hatlek by minivan for 100 baht. At Hatlek there was a crossing of the Thai-Cambodian border. Then came the final stage of the journey - a taxi from the border (Hatlek) to Sihanoukville (Cambodia). The taxi cost our friend $25, but this amount took into account the fact that there was another fellow traveler - that is, $50 was divided in half.

How long does it take to travel from Pattaya to Cambodia?, and more specifically, to Sihanoukville? This trip will take you all day. And you must definitely take into account that the border crossing in Hatlek closes at 7 pm. Therefore, leave from Pattaya to Cambodia need it as early in the morning as possible!

But first, a little background on how we first ended up in Cambodia. This was our winter quarters of 2013-14. Then we spent the first 4 months of winter on the beautiful island of Koh Samui (Thailand) and after that we decided to go to neighboring Cambodia for a couple of months. Our many acquaintances in Pattaya assured us that the idea of ​​​​living in Cambodia is complete nonsense, since Cambodia, in their opinion, is full of terrible dangers and unsuitable for long-term living. So we decided to find out what kind of country this is – Cambodia? Is it true what we have heard about this country or are these just myths? ...after some time, Cambodia will become our favorite wintering place, and Sihanoukville will become our second little homeland.

...And here we are on our way to Cambodia from Pattaya, on the border of Thailand and Cambodia - the border crossing in Hatlek. A terrible number of people - both tourists and local residents... our bags and suitcases are constantly trying to be carried somewhere by persistent “helpers”, bustle and hellish heat. We stand in line for a tourist visa. The cost of a visa somehow “miraculously” varies from $30 to $50, depending on the mood of the employee. We were lucky, it cost us the allotted $30. Having overcome this important stage of obtaining a visa, we head to the transport that we must use to get to Sihanoukville. Here we are faced with the peculiarities of local taxi drivers - the greater the number of people in the taxi, the higher the price will be. In the process of long and emotional debates, we agreed on $80 for 4 people.

How to get from Pattaya to Siam Reap?

A few years ago we went excursion from Pattaya. It was a tour of the Angkor temples, which can be booked at any travel agency in Pattaya. We were with a small group of friends and our son, who came to stay with us in Pattaya. Excursion to Angkor (Cambodia) from Pattaya There are two and three days. We took a three-day trip, since going to Angkor for two days is extremely short and superficial in terms of impressions. Different travel agencies have almost the same excursion programs to Angkor, and prices vary, starting from 3,500 baht, depending on the hotel where you stay.

Poipet border crossing

Our group set off to Cambodia from Pattaya at 5 am. We traveled in a comfortable minivan, in which everyone slept together until 9 am - this is the time of arrival at the border crossing in Poipete. This border crossing was remembered by the large number of people and duty free shops, where tourists from Thailand, missing branded and varied alcohol, stocked up for future use. Still, how great it is when the whole country (Cambodia) is a duty free zone!

After crossing the border at Poipet, our group continued on our journey and arrived in Siem Reap by 12.30, where we had lunch. After which the excursion program included a trip to Tonle Sap Lake. Lake Tonle Sap is famous for its floating villages: local houses, markets, a school, a church - all of this is on the water. Some villagers had never been on solid ground. During excursions on Tonle Sap Lake Numerous boats approached our boat, from which we were offered to buy various fruits, trinkets, and even held out boa constrictors to take a photo with them.

In the evening, our group had dinner at a restaurant, during which there was a folklore performance with traditional Khmer dances and songs.

On the second day of our excursions to Cambodia from Pattaya after an early breakfast (at 6 o'clock) we went to the main goal of the trip - ancient Angkor. The excursion program included inspection of only the most important ones. In order to see all the temples of this ancient city, you will need at least 5 more days.

Angkor is truly amazing and leaves a strong emotional impression for many years! This place has its own special aura, so you need to slowly explore the temples of Angkor in order to be able to feel it. Therefore, in addition to the obligatory program with a guide, take time to walk around yourself and find your favorite place in this ancient city.

After looking at the beauty of Angkor, it was time to return to Pattaya. There are few options, despite the presence of an airport, everyone travels by land, which is much cheaper, but also much more tiring. Although for me the return journey (to Tai) was comfortable, but first things first.

Bus tickets from Cambodia to Thailand

After dinner at Molly Malone's, I immediately bought a bus ticket to Pattaya, the cost was surprisingly less than I expected. I managed to bargain for 12 dollars, although the road to Siem Reap from Pattaya cost me 260 Baht (to the border) + 400 Baht (to Siem Reap).

Exact prices for bus tickets and schedule. If there are no tickets, then try entering the names of settlements in Latin.

• Siem Reap - Siem Reap;
• Poi Pet - Poipet;
• Aranya Prathet - Aranyaprathet;
• Pattaya - Pattaya.

In fact, the path consisted of two segments. The first is from Cambodian Siem Reap to the border town of Poipet. The second section is from Thai Aranyaprathet (Thai side of the border with Cambodia) to Pattaya. By the way, there is a train station in Aranyaprathet, so you can try to get to Bangkok or Pattaya by train.

At the appointed time, a young Cambodian on a motorcycle came to pick me up at the guesthouse, to my laughter that I wouldn’t go that far on this crap, he smiled and said, the bass station is on the next street and if you want, then walk. I didn’t want to stomp on foot, and two minutes later I was already on a bus, as old as Angkor itself. The bus drove around the town for some time, picking up barangays like me and rushed along the broken road to the Thai border. Outside the window flashed the amazing residential buildings of the Cambodians, the Cambodians themselves and everything that should be flashed outside the windows of the bus. Surprisingly, what kind of durable vehicles on which I moved around Cambodia, in fact there are practically no roads, and the equipment did not break down along the way, or maybe I was just lucky?
Funny houses on stilts outside the window appeared completely chaotically and it seemed like you had been moving along flat terrain for a long time and then there were a couple of such huts and then nothing again.
In the middle of the journey, the bus usually makes a stop and there is an opportunity to eat or buy some trinkets or just stretch your legs and take a breath from the Cambodian road.
Pay attention to the next photo, how dusty the road is and how surprisingly clean the car is. It’s funny, but during my entire stay in Cambodia I never saw dirty equipment, the cars could be broken down, old, poor, etc., but they were all clean.
After wandering around, taking pictures of local life, I honestly tried to eat something, but I had no appetite.
After a short coffee break, the trip continued and funny houses on chicken legs and their inhabitants flashed outside the window again.
A few hours later, the bus arrived in the border town of Poipet, but it was not the only bus that brought people, so a fair number of motley crowds accumulated at the border.
The line moved slowly, but an hour later I found myself outside the border of the Kingdom of Cambodia, but not yet in the Kingdom of Thailand.
A noisy place with an abundance of casinos and all sorts of strange services, somewhat reminiscent of Aprazka in St. Petersburg.

Having made your way through everything that happens between the borders into the air-conditioned checkpoint building with a huge photograph of the royal family in front of the entrance, you realize that this is only half the way.
Everything is calm on the Thai border and it seems to me that there is a little more order. After passing the border guards, you can say goodbye to Cambodia, hello Tay.
Remembering the fact that the bus ticket was paid for to Pattaya, I kind of doubted the strength of the contract, but no, everything was fair, after the border a Thai man met me and asked me to show a receipt for payment, checking my name with his list and asked wait on the sidelines with the words “a couple more tourists and we’ll go,” but as it turned out, the tourists we were waiting for were turned away on the Thai side due to lack of visas (two girls from some European country, I don’t remember exactly). So there were only two passengers, me and Alexey (as it later turned out to be a famous traveler), it was too fat to carry two on a bus, so we were put in a taxi and the taxi driver quickly took us to Pattaya.

Last week we finally started our travels around Southeast Asia, and our first trip was a solo trip from Pattaya to Cambodia.

Living in Thailand, every month we have to apply for a visa extension and spend 3,400 baht on it. We thought that this meaningless ritual could be replaced with short trips to neighboring countries and thus combine business with pleasure. Last Friday we went on our first solo trip from Pattaya to Cambodia. The main purpose of the trip was to visit the Angkor Wat temple complex. The whole trip cost us 7961 baht and took us 3 days. Next I will tell you how it all happened and where the money was spent.

• about how we went to Koh Chang with visaran to Cambodia through the city of Koh Kong;
• about how we went on a visaran trip to Cambodia on our own and stopped at a national park Pangsida.

From Pattaya to Cambodia

We went to Aran (a city on the border with Cambodia) by minibus on Friday at 3 am. The tickets were purchased the day before from the transport company, which is located right behind the BigC hypermarket on Sukhumvit. Boarding the minibus is also carried out there.

Location of the minibus stop to Cambodia on the map:

View on a larger map

Ticket price is 260 baht per person. Minibuses depart to Aran every hour, starting at 3 am. Two more people were traveling with us in the minibus, and our driver did not make any additional stops or visits to neighboring towns and villages. Therefore, as promised, at 7 am we were already at the border with Cambodia.

Passing the border left us with the most unpleasant impressions of the entire trip. Of course, I apologize, but I wanted to spit in the face of literally every border guard with whom we happened to come into contact. It feels like they have learned the only phrase in Russian: “One hundred baht,” and say it at every convenient and inconvenient occasion. I don’t want to go too deep into this topic, let everyone who goes to Cambodia on their own feel it for themselves. I’ll just give you one piece of advice: imagine that applying for a visa at the Cambodian border is a game like “Buy an Elephant”. For every phrase from the border guard: “One hundred baht,” answer “There is no hundred baht.” We played this game for about 20 minutes and eventually won. As a bonus, you can then tell these brave border workers what you think about them. The guys will not understand you, but you will again find peace of mind and harmony. In general, the most important thing is not to strain yourself, otherwise your brain will explode.

After crossing the border, we decided to relieve stress at the local casino, which is located in the neutral zone between Thailand and Cambodia. This is where we spent the hundred baht we had saved.

After passing through passport control, we found ourselves in the Cambodian border town of Poipet. We didn’t wait for fellow travelers and quickly charged a taxi to the city of Siem Reap. A taxi cost us $30. Of course, we initially wanted to share the cost of travel with someone who was also going to Siem Reap, but while we were sitting in the casino, all the people had already left.

Siem Reap

We got to the city quite quickly, in about two hours. Upon arrival in Siem Reap, our taxi driver handed us over to a tuk-tuk driver, who took us to our guesthouse for free and drove us around Angkor the whole next day, for which he received his well-deserved $15.

We pre-booked a room at the Okay Guesthouse Siem Reap ($12 per night). These are the only guest houses with a pool that cost less than $15 per night that we could find in Siem Reap. In general, prices for guest rooms here start from $2 per night. But, to be honest, without the bass we would have had a very difficult time here.

We quickly checked in, cooled off in the pool and at about 12 o'clock we went to have lunch and explore the city. It was hot outside: +35C. Therefore, after about thirty minutes we decided that, well, screw this city, we’d better go back closer to the pool.

Hotel search in Siem Reap:

The second attempt to explore the city began at 16.00, when the heat subsided a little and one could feel more or less comfortable under the sun.

In general, Cambodia, and Siem Reap in particular, make a rather depressing impression. There are tons of garbage on the streets, people walk around sad, prices are high. All calculations are made in dollars and, as a rule, it is unrealistic to buy something here for less than $1. In general, one gets the impression that the country has stopped in its development, and no one is trying to restore order in it. This can be accurately judged based on the behavior of the border guards and the attitude of Cambodians to the cleanliness of their city, despite the fact that Siem Reap is the main tourist city of Cambodia.

Of the entertainment available here, there are mainly only a few restaurants and massage parlors. The main promenade, Pub Street, is also not at all fun. There are no transvestites, no clubs, no magicians, nothing at all. There's not even music playing anywhere.

In general, giving up trying to find at least something interesting here, we went for a massage and had dinner at one of the restaurants, where we ate a couple of dishes from the national Khmer cuisine

The frog was good, especially with beer.

So there is no point in coming here for more than one day.

Angkor

The next day we got up at 5.30 am and went by tuk-tuk to explore the main attraction of Cambodia - the city of Angkor.