Khett Siem Reab Travel Forum

I'm currently is Siem Reap and will be on my way to Bangkok in a few days. I'm told that the cost to hire a driver and car from SR to the Thai border (Poiphet) is $35 USD (for the entire car, not per person) and now only takes about 1.5-2 hours. Then after crossing the border take a 6 hour bus to Bangkok for $9 USD. Is this true? Has anybody travelled this overland route recently? How did you go about it?

Seat61 suggests the train from the border to BKK but I'm told here that the bus is recommended. This info is from my guesthouse and tomorrow I'm gonna shop around for prices but would like to know the latest info from anyone. I checked out the forums but most are rather old given the upgraded paved conditions of some roads here. I could pay about $12 USD for bus the whole way from SR-BKK but was told its about 12 hours total and rather grueling! Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Yes. It's approximately $35-40 from Siem Reap to Poi-Pet for entire car that I paid in Dec. 07, traveling time 3 1/2 hours. I paid 1,700THB for a taxi from Thai border and drop us off at Hotel on Wireless Road. Taxi stand is around Farmers Bank or you may catch one of those Van in front Farmers Bank to Bangkok. Price is probably 400-500THB PP to Bangkok as well. Journey between Poi-Pet to BKK is about 3-4 hours.

Locals price SR to Poipet is around $25 but your typical would expect to pay $35. maybe try to bargain down to $30. Its a fair price. Not sure from there on to Bangkok.

Locals price SR to Poipet is around $25 but your typical tourist would expect to pay $35. Maybe try to bargain down to $30. Its a fair price. Not sure from there on to Bangkok.

It's $35 per person for an entire car, but only if they have 3 or 4 people. I couldn't find any place that had enough people booked so it would have been a lot more expensive. I ended up taking a minibus from my guesthouse in Siem Reap to the border. Then took a tuk-tuk from the Thai side of the border to the train station, then got the 3rd class train into Bangkok. I would recommend it because I hate buses in southeast Asia. But you're already there, so you know what to expect. That said, the 3rd class train was comfortable and reliable. Don't remember the price, but it's cheap enough not to have to remember what it cost.

Well, from experience (July 2008) it's $35-$40/car with good A/C from SR to Poipet and it takes 3-3.5 hrs. After crossing to the Aranya Pratet you can get a tuktuk to take you to the bus station (I think i paid Baht40). Bus fare to Bangkok is Baht 236, the trip takes about 4-4.5 hrs.

Thanks everybody for all your help. I believe I got an excellent deal. I paid $25 USD for a Toyota Camry (just my wife, myself and the driver) from SR to Poipet which was only 2 hours 20 minutes, then $8/person for Minivan from the border to Bangkok which only took 4 hours BUT that included a stop for lunch that took about an hour. The minivan driver was driving like a bat out of hell, yawning and trying to stay awake, the entire trip but we made it alive!

I'd recommend this trip anyday. $41 total for 2 people and only 5.5 hours driving time from SR to BKK.

Great work guys on the SR/Poipet run. It is a good deal but as I said $35 is a typical fair tourist price so you effectively paid the price locals pay. Well done indeed, you drive a good bargain.