Koh Kong border to Bangkok

[Rob4]

Hi, with the help of people here we are about to go to this border and I made some plan I would like to review here.

 

From Kampot - we drive 2 hours to Sihanoukville. (Is it better doing it from PP?)

 

From Sihanoukvill we take a bus 8am to the border at Koh Kong and leave Cambodia.

 

Go into Thai border pay $30 visa, or is it $45 if you “don’t have a certain docs” ?

(what docs do we need ? 20k Thai?)

 

A minibus to Trat from there — or a bus to Bangkok 4-5 hours.

 

 

————

 

- is there a bus I can book right in Sihanoukville or in the border that take care of everything and wait at the border going to Bangkok directly ? 

 

- is there something we should know/bring/say at this border if asked? (Been 6mo In TH last year)

 

- Do all nationalities get same num of days for the visa at this border? (My gf is Vietnamese)

 

Thanks a lot.

 

[BritTim]

What is your nationality?

 

If you already have a Thai visa, or you are eligible for a visa exempt entry, there should be nothing to pay at the border.

 

Even if you can book a bus for onward travel in Thailand while in Sihinoukville, do not do that. On arrival in Thailand at Hat Lek (across the border from Koh Kong) get a minibus to Trat, and buses from there on to your final destination. I am assuming that you do not want to spend the exorbitant fares to fly from Trat airport to Bangkok.

[Rob4]

Thank you.

We usually get free visa on arrival of 30 days in any airport, is that what you mean?

 

How Long should all of this take starting from Sihanoukville at 8am ? (need to book the flight already from BKK)

 

what documents do they ask in this border? I heard they are not that easy and scam you a lot with overpriced visa fees.

[JackThompson]

29 minutes ago, Rob4 said:

Thank you.

We usually get free visa on arrival of 30 days in any airport, is that what you mean?

VOA is 2K Baht (unless discounted for a special), and what those from India, China, and a few other countries use. 

 

Visa-Exempt is what most of the rest use, and is free at all entry points.  The only difference with land-borders is you are limited to 2x / calendar-year by land-border.

 

29 minutes ago, Rob4 said:

How Long should all of this take starting from Sihanoukville at 8am ? (need to book the flight already from BKK)

That depends on when the next bus leaves to Bangkok after you arrive in Trat.  Maybe someone who has done this more recently can advise. 

 

29 minutes ago, Rob4 said:

what documents do they ask in this border? I heard they are not that easy and scam you a lot with overpriced visa fees.

The Big Scam is going in the other direction, when entering Cambodia (rip-off Cambodian-VOA charges).  I have never personally-experienced or read about problems entering Thailand at that location.

[Rob4]

Thanks a lot.

Do we need to show the "whole package" in there ? ( 20k THB, hotels for 30 days, POOT, etc ) 

Are we going to get a lot of questioning like on the airports?

 

[BritTim]

2 minutes ago, Rob4 said:

Thanks a lot.

Do we need to show the "whole package" in there ? ( 20k THB, hotels for 30 days, POOT, etc ) 

Are we going to get a lot of questioning like on the airports?

I advise you to have the cash (any major currency) though you probably will not need to show it. None of the other items are necessary, and questioning is unlikely.

[phuketrichard]

Koh Kong border is very easy entering Thailand

 

1. there is NO VOA, if u need one, at land borders,

2. as stated 40 or so countries get free 30 days visa exempt stamps.

3, SNV to Koh Kong about 3-4 hours ( depends on the roads) in August it took us 5  hours driving as the roads were total sh#t!!

4. Koh Kong- Trat- Suvarnabhumi Airport  is apx 390 kms so TRAVEL time is about 5-5 1/2 hours,

BUT it all depends on when the bus leaves Trat, how long u need wait, how long it take you to cross the border ( usually 10-15  minutes)

 

I'd break it apart an do SNV- Trat, stay the night. around 5-6 hours

 

Edited February 23, 2019 by phuketrichard

[DrJack54]

Your both entering visa exempt and as britTim advises have the 20k. You both will be given 30 days. As for time trat to bkk its going to be 5-6 hours maybe longer. To Surat Thai you most likely will fly DM to ST with lion or AirAsia etc. Think latest flights are about 7-7.30pm. If you got bus to swampy airport and can show flight ticket you got take free shuttle bus to DM. 

Edited February 23, 2019 by DrJack54
Error

[Rob4]

Thanks both, feel little bit more safe now:)

 

"If you got bus to swampy airport.. free shuttle to DM"  - that is cool, you mean the bus from Trat ? which one should we take ?

 

Also, the trip from Sihanukville to the border - should be booked in advanced or can be done in the evening before ?

 

Thanks for the help.

[moontang]

The travel agents will get the bus to pick you up at your hotel and take you to the border...it was efficient, when I did it.  I spent the night in Trad, too.

[Rob4]

Thanks, so we will book in SV the night before.

Think we will make the effort and keep going Bangkok to spend the night there.

 

Out of curiosity - is the computer at the immigration land border connected to the main system ?

Do they see my history ?

Actually why they are easier at the land borders ? its still the same passport with the same history.

Edited February 23, 2019 by Rob4

[DrJack54]

23 minutes ago, phuketrichard said:

Koh Kong border is very easy entering Thailand

 

1. there is NO VOA, if u need one, at land borders,

2. as stated 40 or so countries get free 30 days visa exempt stamps.

3, SNV to Koh Kong about 3-4 hours ( depends on the roads) in August it took us 5  hours driving as the roads were total sh#t!!

4. Koh Kong- Trat- Suvarnabhumi Airport  is apx 390 kms so TRAVEL time is about 5-5 1/2 hours,

BUT it all depends on when the bus leaves Trat, how long u need wait, how long it take you to cross the border ( usually 10-15  minutes)

 

I'd break it apart an do SNV- Trat, stay the night. around 5-6 hours

 

I certainly would be taking your advice in breaking up trip. The OP must have own reason for getting to thani asap. Personally I would be spending couple of nights at koh Chang. 

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, Rob4 said:

Out of curiosity - is the computer at the immigration land border connected to the main system ?

Do they see my history ?

Actually why they are easier at the land borders ? its still the same passport with the same history.

The difference is, the land-borders, other than Poipet/Aranya, follow published immigration law.  At the airports, they tell you that you cannot spend "too much time" (undefined) in Thailand - which is not a legal reason for denial of entry; then they stamp something like "doesn't have enough money to support their stay" in your passport as the "official" reason for the denial, to cover their tracks.

[Rob4]

I see but if you think about it, why all officers at land borders follow rules and the one in

airports are "less liberal" ?

 

Do they see my full history in there ? if not that may be a way in (!)

Edited February 23, 2019 by Rob4

[phuketrichard]

all computers are connected in Thailand ????

 

NOTE: if u can take a bus from Kampot to Koh Kong,  saves you wasting at least an hour or more going in a and out of SNV

 

 

Edited February 23, 2019 by phuketrichard

[Rob4]

Thanks about the note, think we will spend an evening in SNV to rest before .

 

If all computers are connected, its still strange to me that things go well in this border even if you have too many stamps.

Asia..

[BritTim]

9 minutes ago, Rob4 said:

Thanks about the note, think we will spend an evening in SNV to rest before .

 

If all computers are connected, its still strange to me that things go well in this border even if you have too many stamps.

Asia..

Visa exempt entries were often denied at land borders before the implementation of the two per calendar year rule a couple of years ago. At most land crossings, with the notable exception of Poipet/Aran, they figure that if you have a visa, the checks that you qualify have already been done by the consulate. Indications are that the crackdown on entries with a visa do not apply to all airports, only those where the senior officials appear to believe the documented rules require augmenting. It may appear strange to us that immigration procedures vary between entry points, but that is the way Thailand is.

[Rob4]

So if I have zero 30days visa exempts this year can I feel more safe ?

BTW- do I need an onward ticket ? what if I will be asked for it?

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, Rob4 said:

So if I have zero 30days visa exempts this year can I feel more safe ?

BTW- do I need an onward ticket ? what if I will be asked for it?

You can feel safe at a border crossing with no visa exempt entries this year.

Tickets out of the country are seldom asked for.

[DrJack54]

3 hours ago, Rob4 said:

So if I have zero 30days visa exempts this year can I feel more safe ?

BTW- do I need an onward ticket ? what if I will be asked for it?

Your entering visa exempt at a border. Flight out of Thailand not required. Even if you were say flying from pp into Thailand on visa exempt entry...it would not be passport control in bkk that would be the worry. In say pp or anywhere the airline would want to see onward flight to issue boarding pass because no visa.

[Rob4]

Thanks all you helped a lot.

will updates here within a day.

 

Next will try the ED visa.

[BritTim]

4 hours ago, Rob4 said:

Thanks all you helped a lot.

will updates here within a day.

 

Next will try the ED visa.

Just make sure you steer clear of Phnom Penh for future visa applications. Applying there is too stressful and uncertain.

[Rob4]

We booked from our hotel a bus in Sihanoukville right to Bangkok.

 

They say the driver collect passports at Koh Kong and do the visa for us.

 

Should it be a source for concern? Can we or should we ask to do it ourselves??

[JackThompson]

7 hours ago, Rob4 said:

We booked from our hotel a bus in Sihanoukville right to Bangkok.

 

They say the driver collect passports at Koh Kong and do the visa for us.

 

Should it be a source for concern? Can we or should we ask to do it ourselves??

Unless something has changed, you just pay extra for the BKK part of the journey doing it that way.  Also, you have to wait longer for the bus on the Thai side to pick you up, vs grabbing one of the vans leaving every 20-30 mins or so from the border to the Trat bus station.

 

OTOH, maybe your bus is more of a "sure thing today" bus, than getting to the Trat bus station, and finding out the only available options leave the next morning. 

 

If you can have a driver handle your passports, that might be advantageous, depending on if they have "arrangements" with immigration for this.

[DrJack54]

9 hours ago, Rob4 said:

We booked from our hotel a bus in Sihanoukville right to Bangkok.

 

They say the driver collect passports at Koh Kong and do the visa for us.

 

Should it be a source for concern? Can we or should we ask to do it ourselves??

You are not going "right to sihanoukville to bkk" You are going to border and then transfered to other means of transport. That could be minibus to trat....whatever. 

You were in kampot and had good advice to go to border and then Thai side onto trat. Which you skipped. Currently have yet another thread about what to do at border relating to passport. 

[BritTim]

11 hours ago, Rob4 said:

We booked from our hotel a bus in Sihanoukville right to Bangkok.

 

They say the driver collect passports at Koh Kong and do the visa for us.

 

Should it be a source for concern? Can we or should we ask to do it ourselves??

I recommended that you not book a through ticket. It will cost you more money and take you more time. However, there are also various scams that they may want to run on you. One reason they probably want your passports is to ensure you do not escape their clutches.