Cambodia: International Overland Border Crossings 

The Thai crossing at Poipet is the most accessible to Siem Reap; the Thai crossing at Koh Kong and the Vietnamese crossings at Ha Tien and Phnom Den give international access to southern Cambodia; and the Vietnamese crossings at Moc Bai and Chau Doc are most convenient to Phnom Penh.

Crossings with Thailand

1. Aranyaprathet, Thailand/Poipet, Cambodia (Most direct access to Siem Reap)
2. Hat Lek, Thailand/Koh Kong, Cambodia (Cham Yeam Checkpoint) (Most direct access to Sihanoukville)
3. Chong Jom, Thailand/O'Smach, Oddar Meanchey, Cambodia
4. Chong Sa Ngam, Thailand/Anlong Veng, Oddar Meanchey, Cambodia
5. Ban Pakard, Chantaburi, Thailand/Phsar Prom Pailin, Cambodia (Prom Checkpoint)
6. Ban Laem, Chantaburi, Thailand/Daung Lem, Battambang, Cambodia (Daung Checkpoint)

Crossings with Vietnam
7. Bavet Checkpoint: Moc Bai, Vietnam/Bavet, Svay Rieng, Cambodia (To/from Phnom Penh)
8. Ving Xuong, Vietnam/Kaam Samnor, Kandal, Cambodia ("The Chau Doc Crossing") (To/from Phnom Penh)

9. Tinh Bien, Vietnam/Phnom Den, Takeo, Cambodia (To/from Phnom Penh or Kampot/Kep)

10. Trapeang Phlong Border Pass: Xa Mat, Vietnam/Trapeang Phlong, Kampong Cham, Cambodia

11. Xa Xia, Vietnam/Prek Chak, Cambodia ('Ha Tien crossing') - (To/from Kampot/Kep) Newly opened international border crossing.

12. Le Tanh,Gia Lai Province, Vietnam/O’Yadaw, Ratanakiri, Cambodia -  Newly opened international border crossing. Travelers report Cambodian visas available at the border. Vietnamese visas NOT available at the border. Visa status is unconfirmed by official sources.

13. Trapeang Srer International Border Checkpoint, Kratie Province

14. Banteay Chakrey International Border Checkpoint, Prey Veng Province

Crossings with Laos
13. Voeung Kam, Laos/Dom Kralor, Cambodia

  

Visas at Overland Border Crossings

See Visas page for prices and other details on visas.

Border crossing with Laos: This is a semi-official crossing. Border policies are not stable. Cambodian visas are available at the border. Laos visas are not available.

Border crossings with Vietnam: Cambodian visas are available at the Bavet/Moc Bai and Chau Doc (Kaam Samnor) crossings. Availability of visas at the new Phnom Den and Kampong Cham crossings is unknown. Vietnamese visas are not available at any crossing.

Border crossings with Thailand: Cambodian visas and 30-day Thai transit visas are available at all Thai/Cambodian border crossings. Thai transit visas are free of charge. Other types of Thai visas are not available. 

 

Border Crossings with Vietnam 

Bavet Checkpoint: Moc Bai, Vietnam / Bavet, Cambodia (Route 1 to Phnom Penh)
Cambodian visas available at the border. Vietnamese visas NOT available at the border. Cambodian E-Visa accepted at this crossing. 
The Moc Bai crossing is the closest and most convenient to Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City. The road from Phnom Penh, through the Moc Bai crossing to Ho Chi Minh City is in very good condition except for short stretches under construction between Neak Loung and Phnom Penh. At peak traffic hours and holidays there can be long waits at the Mekong River ferry crossing at Neak Loung.

Bus: There are several bus companies offering direct a/c bus service between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City for $10-$12. No bus change at the border. The trip usually takes about 6 hours barring traffic back ups at the Neak Loung ferry crossing.

Phnom Penh does not have a centralized bus station. Buses from different companies depart from different stations. In Ho Chi Minh City, most of the bus stations and offices are in the Pham Ngu Lao area. 

Bus Schedules

Phnom Penh Sorya - Phnom Penh to/from HCMC:  6:30, 8:00. 9:00, 11:45, 13:30

Phnom Penh Office and arrival/departure: opposite the southwest corner of Phsar Thmey. Tel: 023-210359

Mekong Express - Phnom Penh to/from HCMC: 7:00, 8:30, 13:00

Deluxe buses.

Phnom Penh Office located at #87 Sisowath Quay at the corner of Street 102 on the riverfront. Tel: 023-427518. Stations located at Phsar Orrusey and at the office.

Mailinh Open Tour - Phnom Penh to/from HCMC: 7:00AM, 8:30AM, 13:00, 14:30

Phnom Penh Office: #391, Sihanouk Blvd. Departure/arrival: Olympic Stadium. Tel: 023-211666

Raksmey Angkor Corp - Phnom Penh to/from HCMC: 7:30

Phnom Penh Office and arrival/departure: #1Eo Street 106 at Sisowath Quay. Tel: 023-884179

Taxi: Local taxis depart Phnom Penh from Market Chhbar Ampeou. Shared taxi costs $5 for a cramped, harrowing ride to the border. Private taxi for $35. At the border, check through immigration, walk across the border arrange another taxi or van the rest of the way to Ho Chi Minh City.

Kaam Samnor, Cambodia/Ving Xuong, Vietnam ("Chau Doc crossing") (On the Mekong River)
Cambodian visas available at the border. Vietnamese visas NOT available at the border 
This Mekong River border crossing is near the Vietnamese city of Chau Doc. Coming from Cambodia, this crossing is accessed primarily from Phnom Penh.

From Phnom Penh, you will taxi (shared taxi: 10,000 riel) or bus east on National Route #1 to Neak Luong town (where the Route #1 meets the Mekong River.) At Neak Luong, take a ferry down the Mekong to the Kaam Samnor crossing near Chau Doc (10,000 riel.) Stamp out of Cambodia, take a motorcycle taxi to Vietnamese Immigration, stamp into Vietnam, and then catch another motorcycle taxi into central Chau Doc a couple of kilometers away. There are guesthouses and hotels in Chau Doc. Allot about 5 hours for the trip from Phnom Penh to Chau Doc. Mini-vans leave Chau Doc for HCMC regularly all day long. They can found clustered around the central market area and cost about US$3/person. The mini-van drivers wait for a full van before they leave so, to minimize your wait, try to get into a van that's almost full.

If you'd prefer to buy a package ticket for the trip from Phnom Penh to Chau Doc instead of arranging all of the transport yourself, Capitol Guesthouse and Neak Krorhorm Travel in Phnom Penh offer daily transport to Chau Doc (by bus and ferry) for about $7-$8.

Phnom Den, Takeo, Cambodia/Tinh Bien, Vietnam
Cambodian visas available at the border. Vietnamese visas NOT available at the border 
This border crossing in Takeo province Cambodia is about 10 km south of the the Vietnamese city of Chau Doc. Coming from Cambodia, this crossing can be accessed from either Phnom Penh or Kampot.

From Phnom Penh, take a shared taxi from Phsar Domkor (Market Domkor) to Phnom Den in Takeo province ($8-$10.) Walk across the border to Tinh Bien, Vietnam. From Tinh Bien, take a motorcycle taxi or car taxi to Chau Doc about 10km north. From Chau Doc, most travelers continue on to HCMC.   

From Kampot, arrange a taxi to the border (Phnom Den) through your guesthouse. Private taxi costs about $25 and take 2-3 hours. If you like, the guesthouse can help to find other travelers to share the taxi with you and reduce the per person cost. The taxi will travel through Kampong Trach district of Kampot province to the border crossing at Phnom Den. Much of the road is hardpack and may deteriorate in the rainy season increasing the travel time. At Phnom Den, walk across the border to Tinh Bien, Vietnam. From Tinh Bien, take a motorcycle taxi or car taxi to Chau Doc about 10km north. The 'right price' is reportedly about $3, though drivers ask as much as $10. Don't forget to bargain! There are guesthouses and hotels in Chau Doc. Mini-vans leave Chau Doc for HCMC regularly all day long. They can found clustered around the central market area and cost about US$3/person. The mini-van drivers wait for a full van before they leave so, to minimize your wait, try to get into a van that's almost full.

Trapeang Phlong Border Pass: Xa Mat, Vietnam/Trapeang Phlong, Kampong Cham, Cambodia
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that Cambodian visas available at the border. As yet unconfirmed by travelers. Vietnamese visas NOT available at the border.
Recently opened. In Kampong Cham province, Memot district, bordering the Vietnamese province of Tay Ninh. 

Xa Xia, Vietnam/Prek Chak, Cambodia (Ha Tien crossing)
Cambodian visas available at the border. Cambodian E-Visa accepted at this crossing.

Vietnam visas are NOT available. You must get your Vietnam visa in advance.

Open 07:00-18:00

The Ha Tien border crossing is now a international border crossing open to foreign travelers. The opening was officially announced by the Cambodian government May 22, 2007. The border reportedly actually opened May 24, 2007. After years of anticipation (since the opening of the Koh Kong crossing in 1998), the opening of the Ha Tien crossing represents the removal of the last road block on the coastal travelers trail from Koh Chang Thailand, though the beach towns of Cambodia and on to southern Vietnam and Phu Quoc Island. Overland travelers can now beach hop across Indochina without ever having to leave the coastal roads.

From Kampot to the Ha Tien Crossing: The Prek Chak/Xaxia (‘Ha Tien’) checkpoint is the nearest, most easily accessed border crossing from Kampot/Kep. The crossing lies near the Vietnamese towns of Ha Tien and Rach Gia which are the jump off points to the Phu Quoc Island.

The road from Kampot to the border crossing is, for the most part, in fair condition, taking about 1h15m to traverse, though longer in the wet season. Take Route 33 east from Kampot to the intersection of Route 31 at Kampong Trach town. Turn south on Route 31. All but the last few kilometers to the border are sealed. There is also a shorter cut off road from Route 33 before Kampong Trach town. It is slightly shorter but the road is hardpack dirt, rough in parts and deteriorates in the wet season. A motorcycle taxi to the border costs about $10-$15, tuk-tuk for $15-$20 and a car taxi is $20-$25. For those coming from Vietnam, motodups usually wait at the border crossing to take travelers to Kep or Kampot..
 

Border Crossings with Thailand 

Cham Yeam Checkpoint: Had Lek, Thailand / Koh Kong, Cambodia (The way to Sihanoukville) 

Cambodian visas available. Thai transit visas available. 

Open 07:00-20:00

The Route: Bangkok to Sihanoukville via Koh Kong

The usual route runs from Bangkok, to Trat (with some people opting for a detour to Koh Chang), then on to the border crossing at Had Lek Thailand where you cross to Koh Kong City, Cambodia. From Koh Kong, either take the ferry or the road to Sihanouk Ville. If you intend to take the ferry, take note that the border opens at 7:00AM and the ferry departs Koh Kong at 8:00AM, which is just enough time to cross in and get from the border to the ferry dock. Some tour operators on Khao San Rd. in Bangkok are offering nighttime minibuses that leave Khao San at 1AM so that they arrive in Had Lek at 6AM, just before the border opens and two hours before the ferry leaves.

Bangkok to Had Lek / Koh Kong border crossing

1. Bus from Bangkok to Trat. ~200 baht, 5-6 hours. News: There is a new bus station in Trat about 2km from the previous bus depot near the market.
2. Van from Trat to the Thai border town of Had Lek (110 baht). Departs every 30 minutes or so.
3. Buy your visa and walk into Cambodia.
4a. If you are going to take the road, touts and drivers will approach you as soon as you cross the border.
4b. If you are going to take the ferry or stay in Koh Kong, take a motodup into Koh Kong City or to the ferry dock (50B for moto or shared taxi. 200B for private taxi)

Koh Kong to/from Sihanoukville by road

Road #48 is a picturesque, winding mountain road that connects Koh Kong City to National Route #4, which connects to Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh. The road has been under construction for years and is now almost complete. Very short, unfinished sections of road near the bridges can be very rough but most of the road is now sealed, fast and in excellent condition. The bridges at two rivers have not been completed, requiring ferrying across the rivers. Depending on traffic, the wait for each ferry can take anything from 10 minutes to 2 hours each. From the intersection of Road #48 at Route #4, you can proceed south to Sihanouk Ville, north to Phnom Penh or take the Route #3 cutoff to Kampot.

When you cross the border from Thailand, touts for vans to Sihanouk Ville will immediately approach you, claiming their van is about to leave. Vans only leave when they are full, regardless of tout’s claims to the contrary. Best to choose a van or taxi that is almost full. It takes 5 - 7 hours to get to Sihanouk Ville or Kampot and costs 600B per person.

Bus: Two bus company run full sized daily a/c buses between Koh Kong and Sihanoukville. Departure around 8AM. Check current schedule at the bus office. Bus companies, Rith Mony and Virak Buntham Express Travel (VET) (Tel: 012-322302) have offices on Street #3 in Koh Kong Town.

Koh Kong to/from Sihanoukville by ferry

Small bullet ferries run daily in both directions between Sihanouk Ville and Koh Kong. The trip takes about 4 hours. US$20 for foreigners. There are occasional cancellations due to adverse weather during the rainy season.

From Koh Kong to Sihanouk Ville: The speedboat departs at 8:00am every morning. The ferry dock is located on the riverfront in Koh Kong City 500m south of the Koh Kong Bridge.

From Sihanouk Ville to Koh Kong: The speedboat departs at 9:30AM everyday from the ‘Port of Passenger Ship’, near the Port of Sihanouk Ville, just off Hun Sen Beach Drive. (The departure time recently changed from noon to 9:30AM. Double check the departure time with your guesthouse.)

 
Aranyaprathet, Thailand/Poipet , Cambodia 
Cambodian visas and Thai transit visas available on arrival at the border. Cambodian E-Visa accepted at this crossing.

Open 08:00-20:00

Most overland travelers from Thailand to Siem Reap enter Cambodia through the Poipet/Aranyaprathet Border Crossing and either bus or taxi into Siem Reap. The route is popular and well-traveled though poor road conditions east of Sisophon continue to slow travel. Several other border crossing offer access to Siem Reap, but with more challanging travel conditions. Cambodian visas and 30-day Thai transit visas are available at all Thai border crossings. Cambodian authorities charge 1000 baht for a tourist visa rather than the usual US$20. Thai transit visas are free of charge. Other types of Thai visas are not available.

The Route: Bangkok to Siem Reap via the Aranyaprathet/Poipet border crossing

It’s a 465km, 9-12 hour trip from Bangkok to Siem Reap. The usual route begins with a 4-5 hour bus or a train ride from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet (‘Aran’), the town on the Thai side near the border, then a short tuk-tuk ride the last 6 km to the border crossing to Poipet Cambodia. On the Cambodian side, National Route #5 from the border to the town of Sisophon is in good condition taking only about two hours. Much of the remainder of the route from Sisophon to Siem Reap is hardpack dirt which deteriorates during the rainy season. Dry season travel time is about 2-1/2 hours. Longer in the wet season. There are two options in planning an overland trip from Bangkok to Siem Reap: 1) buy a package ticket in Bangkok or Siem Reap, or 2) put it together yourself.

Option #1: Package Tickets
In Bangkok you can buy package tickets from travel agents. The price ranges from 400-800 baht. Regardless of the cost of the ticket, most travel agencies are sending customers to the same bus companies. When you buy your ticket, ask about the type of transportation you will be on, especially on the Cambodian side. Make sure it is a tour bus or full sized bus, not a pickup truck.

You will depart Bangkok between 7AM and 8AM, arriving at the border crossing near Aranyaprathet 4-5 hours later. At the border, you will disembark and will be told how to locate your onward transportation on the Cambodian side of the border. The last leg of the trip to Siem Reap tends to be uncomfortably slow, due both to poor road conditions and the tendency of some bus companies to deliberately drag out the trip so that the passengers arrive in Siem Reap at night, who are then ‘delivered’ to a commission-paying guesthouse. Scam alert: Some travelers report they have purchased package tickets on Khao Sarn Road for a trip to Siem Reap via Poipet, but instead are taken through an alternate crossing point such as Pailin or O’Smach. Travel through these crossing points is longer, slower and more vulnerable to additional scams. Generally speaking, package trips going the opposite direction - from Siem Reap to Bangkok - are quicker and there’s less hassle. Arrange through your guesthouse, hotel or a travel agent.
 
Option #2: Do it yourself

1) From Bangkok take a bus or train to Aranyaprathet. Bus: 164-196 baht (first class), 140-155 baht (second class), 4 hours, departing the Northern Bus Terminal (Morchit), hourly from 4AM to 6PM. Train: 48 baht, 3rd class, 6 hours, departs Hualamphong Station twice daily (5:55AM and 1:05PM).
2) From Aranyaprathet, take a moto or tuk-tuk from the bus station to the border for 50-60 baht, respectively.
3) Cross the border - stamp out of Thailand, proceed to Cambodian immigration to get your visa and stamp in. This crossing has a reputation for scams. Touts will tell you that you need assistance to get a visa. This is not true. The process is straightforward and easy. Immigration has a reputation for overcharging travelers for the Cambodian visa, demanding 1000 - 1200 baht for a tourist visa rather than the official US$20. If you want to pay the right price, try being respectful but firm that you want to pay the official price of US$20. They may make you wait longer, but travelers report that this does sometimes work. Another way to avoid the overcharging is to get your visa in advance through a Cambodian embassy or an online e-visa for $25.  
4) On the Cambodian side, take a free shuttle bus to the transport station. From there you have options for transportation from Poipet through Sisophon and on to Siem Reap: a) Taxi; b) Official Bus; c) Tourist bus. Riding to the back of Siem Reap in the back of a pick-up truck is still possible, but very few people do it these days.

a) Taxi: $40-$70 for the whole car. 3-4 hours. This is the easiest, fastest, most comfortable, most expensive option. Share with other travelers and split the cost.
b) Official Tourist Bus: $10 for the official bus. Buses leave when full which can sometimes take quite a while. Slow.
c) Package Tourist Buses: These are the same buses that the package ticket holders from Bangkok use. (See Option #1: Package Tickets.) Price is variable. Comfortable but often very slow. 4-6hrs.

Taxis back to Poipet from Siem Reap should cost about the same, perhaps a bit less. Arrange through your guesthouse, hotel or a travel agent.
 

Chong Jom, Thailand/O'Smach, Cambodia
Cambodian visas available. Thai transit visas available.
Remote border crossing north of Siem Reap in Oddar Meanchey province. From Siem Reap travel to Kralahn, then north to Samrong and then on to the border. Guesthouses available in Samrong.

Chong Sa Ngam, Thailand/Anlong Veng, Cambodia
Cambodian visas available. Thai transit visas available.
Remote border crossing northwest of Siem Reap in Oddar Meanchey province, opposite Thailand's Si Saket province.

Ban Pakard, Chantaburi, Thailand/Phsar Prom Border Crossing: Pailin, Cambodia
Cambodian visas available. Thai transit visas available.
Located in Pailin, Cambodia, opposite Thailand's Chantaburi province. From Bangkok, bus to Chantaburi for about 150 baht (4 hours). Mini bus to border for about 100 baht (1-2 hours). Cross border. Motodup to Pailin. Taxi from Pailin to Battambang (shared taxi for 200baht, private for $25-$30.) 3 or 4 hours but road conditions change with the season.

Ban Laem, Chantaburi, Thailand/Daun Lem, Battambang, Cambodia
Cambodian visas available. Thai transit visas available.
Located in Kamreang, Battambang province, Cambodia, opposite Thailand's Chantaburi province.

Border Crossings with Laos 

Voeung Kam, Laos/Dom Kralor, Cambodia
Cambodian visas are available at the border (Don't forget to bring a photo!). Some travelers report that visas are only available at the road crossing, not at the river crossing. Laos visas NOT available at the border. No special permits required from either Cambodia or Laos.

Open 08:00-17:00
There are two border crossing points with Laos relatively close to one another: 1) the riverine crossing at Koh Chheuteal Thom; 2) the road crossing at Dom Kralor. Expect extra fees for “stamps” on both sides of the border.

To get to the Lao border crossing from Phnom Penh, take a taxi or bus to Stung Treng town, and then arrange transport to the border from Stung Treng. The road from Phnom Penh all the way through Stung Treng and to the border has recently been improved and is currently in comparatively good condition. Travelers used to take the ferry most of the way to Stung Treng, but now with the improved road conditions, most most people go by road.

To get to Stung Treng either:

1) Take a Phnom Penh Sorya Transport bus (station near the Central Market in Phnom Penh) for 42,000 riel, 7-10 hours. The bus departs the Phnom Penh station daily at 7:00AM,

or;

2) To get to Stung Treng via Kratie: Take a Phnom Penh Sorya Transport for 21,000 riel, 7 hours. Departs daily at 7:30AM. Then take a share taxi to Stung Treng for 20,000 riel, 2-3 hours.

To get to the border crossing from Stung Treng, either take a ferry ($5/person, $30 for a private boat, 1 - 3 hours) or the minibus to the road crossing.

Going the other way, from Laos to Cambodia, you can cross the border by road or river. By river, take a boat from Don Khone or Don Khong to Voeung Kam ($2-$5). From Voeung Kam, get a Cambodian boat to Stung Treng for $10. (There had been several reports of price gouging by the boats to Stung Treng, but there have been fewer reports of this as of late.) Then take a bus to Phnom Penh on the Phnom Penh Sorya Transport for 42,000 riel.

From Laos to Cambodia by road, travelers report that people who bought package tickets from their guesthouse in Laos to travel from Laos through to Stung Treng Cambodia are met by onward transportation at the border after they cross into Cambodia. But otherwise, there is no regularly scheduled onward transportation available on the Cambodian side of the border. Traveler's the arrive without pre-arranged onward transportation report that there are sometimes private taxis and motos waiting at the border but there are times when no transportation is available, requiring a long wait for transport to show up.       

Last update: 03/08

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