Many travelers make their way to Siem Reap after a stint in Bangkok, as the city is accessible by various modes of land transportation.
I’ve
done the mini-van and the local train ways.
the Low-Down:
A lot
of travel agencies and even van operators have shops on or near Khao San that
you can book a ride with. They travel to and fro daily usually starting at early
morning 7AM.
Some
companies may ask you to go to the Victory Monument as it’s the most convenient
to Khao San and the most popular landmark for travelers to meet hence, the vans
depart from there. Although there are some that may pick you up at your hostel
or the travel agency you booked at.
We
paid for ours at a travel agency.
Price: THB 400 (~$13)
Type: Air-conditioned
minivan that can seat 8-10 persons.
Total
Travel time: 4 hours.
Number
of people in van: 7
Personal
Review: comfortable despite the amount of luggage and big male foreigners with
us.
the process:
- We
departed from the agency office and stopped briefly somewhere near the entry to
the highway to pick up the other passengers.
-
About
an hour to Poipet, we stopped at an eatery for refreshments and here is where
the agent travelling with us, collected the passports and visa fees. It was $20
for non-asians. Me, being Filipino, didn’t need to pay nor fill out the Visa
form.
-
Then on to Poipet (Customs Bureau), the border where you exit
Thailand and enter the Kingdom of Cambodia. Details regarding Poipet and Immigration
continued below.
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LOCAL TRAIN
Price: THB 48 (~$1.50)
Type: 3rd class non-a/c with no reserved seating. So, go early to get comfy.
Total Travel Time: 6-7 hours
Personal Review: uncomfortable yet exciting.
the process:
-
From
Khao San, take a 15 minute cab ride , about THB 50 (~$2) to Hua Lampong Railway
Station.
- Buy a ticket for
ARANYAPRATHET, the location near Poipet. No reservations necessary; just come
and purchase ticket.
- Schedule: the 5:55 AM
train with estimated arrival at 1:10 PM
You need to know that there’s
another train that leaves at noon but if you want to make it to Poipet while
the offices are open (Border Office hours are 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM), take the
early morning one. Otherwise, you’ll have to spend the night in Aranyaprathet.
Would I recommend this?
Absolutely. If you're on a budget, have no strict schedule, or don’t
mind non-luxurious traveling, it’s fun riding the train with the friendly
locals. Although, it’s wise to get a seat early so you can sit by the window
for a more comfortable ride and admire the flourishing countryside. The aisle
is a no-no especially when the train gets full and people are standing up while
train vendors squeeze themselves to get to their customers.
The
train does many (felt like a hundred!) stops on the way which is why the trip
takes very long. And on each stop, passengers get off and get on board. Expect
to share your 3-person-seater bench with 4 others and chickens too!
Another
is to dress comfortably as it gets really hot once the train is full to
standing. A neck pillow will do wonders for your health and well-being. The
seats are facing each other and built for smaller Asian people so, leg-room is
definitely compromised for the bigger and taller travelers. And get used to the
locals watching you doze on and off the whole trip.
Most
importantly, you may want to hold off on the drinks (tea, coffee, and alcohol)
as well, as the toilets are non-existent. Unless you call a hole in the train
floor one! So, best to sip your water sporadically.
So if
you don’t mind sitting shoulder to shoulder with the locals, drinking little,
sitting upright and getting a bit uncomfortable for more than 5 hours, the
train is a definite must-try!
i've heard of but have never tried:
Bus: cheap (THB 750) but
takes the whole day (8-9 hours).
Taxi: fast but pricey.
You’re looking at THB 2,000 minimum.
Private
Van: THB 3,000 – 4,000. Not
bad if you’re a group.
Arriving at Aranyaprathet.
This is the
last destination for the local train. This is NOT THE BORDER yet. It’s just a
location near POIPET.
There are
restaurants, hostels, and most importantly, a toilet here.
To get from ARANYAPRATHET
to the BORDER (Poipet)
You can either take a cab or a tuk tuk. Mike and I took the tuk-tuk.
Price: THB 60
($2) for both me and Mike.
Time: 15-20
minutes.
and How to get from Bangkok to Siem Reap - Part 2
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