Poipet dangerous for casual travelers without 10k baht?

[secondtime]

I'm a US citizen but I've lived in Asia the past 5 years, only two trips home during that time.  I travel extensively and my passport is nearly full.  My last and only visit to Thailand was in early 2017.  I plan to take a land journey from Vietnam, across Cambodia and ending in Bangkok or Pattaya.  The cheapest and easiest route for me into Thailand is a Capitol Bus from Sisophon to Bangkok, which passes through Poipet.  When I cross the border I will have a hotel booking and a return flight to Hanoi scheduled for 7 days later.  But I will not be carrying 10,000 baht because I'll only be in Thailand a short time, and frankly I don't want to deal with withdrawing multiple currencies and carrying so much cash on me.

 

Is there a realistic chance that I will be denied entry for not showing 10k baht?  If it's a low chance then I'll risk it but if it's a medium/high chance I will either choose a more expensive border crossing or skip Thailand altogether.  I looked at other border crossings but they seem to rely on private minibuses and taxis which are quite expensive.  Capitol Tours is cheap but they only go through Poipet.

 

Maybe I'm being too paranoid about all the travelers and runners experiencing trouble at Poipet, but sometimes border officials flip through every page of my passport and comment that I travel a lot.  Do Thailand IOs look down on frequent travelers?  If it matters, I'm a white man in his late 30s, and I'll probably have a beard after so much time on the road.

 

Thanks in advance for any warnings or advice you might have.

[ubonjoe]

It can be the equivalent of 10k baht in any exchangeable currency. It is not likely to be asked for with your history.

[BritTim]

From Sisophon (or Siem Reap or Battambang) rather than getting a through ticket, just get a bus to Poipet and, after crossing the border, a casino bus to Bangkok or Pattaya.

[secondtime]

21 minutes ago, BritTim said:

From Sisophon (or Siem Reap or Battambang) rather than getting a through ticket, just get a bus to Poipet and, after crossing the border, a casino bus to Bangkok or Pattaya.

How much do Casino buses cost?  If I get a through ticket from Sisophon it's $15 to Bangkok, and the price only drops to $6 if go only to Poipet.

 

I hoped it might smooth things to go with a bus group.  When entering Cambodia from Vietnam the bus staff keep everyone together and get the IOs to process all their passports around the same time.

[glegolo]

You think usd 300.- (10K baht) is a lot of money to show?????

 

glegolo

[ChaiyaTH]

How is 10k a issue? That's like 3-5 days of travelling budget?

Edited January 17, 2020 by ChaiyaTH

[secondtime]

12 minutes ago, glegolo said:

You think usd 300.- (10K baht) is a lot of money to show?????

 

glegolo

All my hotels and transportation are done by credit card.  300 USD worth of baht is more than I intend to spend out of pocket cash.  If I withdraw that much in USD or Dong or HKD or Yen or wherever I go next, I need to deal with currency conversion rates.  And the biggest reason is I don't like carrying that much cash on me.  Both for safety reasons and because cash money burns a hole in my pocket.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, secondtime said:

How much do Casino buses cost?  If I get a through ticket from Sisophon it's $15 to Bangkok, and the price only drops to $6 if go only to Poipet.

A casino bus is 200 baht. While the saving is minimal, you are less likely to be exposed to scams, the bus will almost certainly be more comfortable, and you avoid the frequently long wait for the departure from Poipet.

[secondtime]

6 hours ago, BritTim said:

A casino bus is 200 baht. While the saving is minimal, you are less likely to be exposed to scams, the bus will almost certainly be more comfortable, and you avoid the frequently long wait for the departure from Poipet.

That's really good advice, thanks!  With the casinos (for Thais) all in Cambodia, is there a certain place to catch casino buses on the Thai side?

[ChouDoufu]

you can take the train from aranyaprathet to bangkok......48 baht.

 

https://railtravelstation.com/2019/09/02/how-to-walk-from-poipet-to-ban-klong-luk-aranyaprathet-at-night/

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, secondtime said:

That's really good advice, thanks!  With the casinos (for Thais) all in Cambodia, is there a certain place to catch casino buses on the Thai side?

After crossing into Thailand, you turn right and right again (next to the Kasikorn bank) following the frontage road about 200 metres past the 7-11 to the end where there is a parking area with the casino buses. When you get there, ask which bus is the next one out going to Bangkok or Pattaya (whichever you choose). From around noon, they leave about every 30 minutes. You may well have to fight off the touts on your way, who may well tell you that foreigners cannot use the casino buses. (Note: Cambodian citizens really are not allowed on the casino buses, but Western tourists are, as long as the bus is not full.)

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, ChouDoufu said:

you can take the train from aranyaprathet to bangkok......48 baht.

 

https://railtravelstation.com/2019/09/02/how-to-walk-from-poipet-to-ban-klong-luk-aranyaprathet-at-night/

Unless prepared to walk 6 km to the station, you need to add the cost of transport to Aranyaprathet station. There is a songtaew if you wait around by the 7-11. The train is strictly for the penny pinching backpacker crowd who regard a $4 saving as worth a dusty five hour trip in third class to reach Bangkok. There are only two departures a day.

[ChouDoufu]

8 hours ago, BritTim said:

Unless prepared to walk 6 km to the station, you need to add the cost of transport to Aranyaprathet station. There is a songtaew if you wait around by the 7-11. The train is strictly for the penny pinching backpacker crowd who regard a $4 saving as worth a dusty five hour trip in third class to reach Bangkok. There are only two departures a day.

aranyaprathet station?

 

i read there was a newly-opened station directly on the border.

ban klong luk station, adding 7 minutes to the train schedule.

 

$4!  OP seemed concerned about cost of casino buses.

[Burma Bill]

26 minutes ago, ChouDoufu said:

aranyaprathet station?

 

i read there was a newly-opened station directly on the border.

ban klong luk station, adding 7 minutes to the train schedule.

 

$4!  OP seemed concerned about cost of casino buses.

Yes, there is a newly opened station but trains still terminate at Aranyapratet until a through service to Phnom Penh is established. Across in Poipet there is a smart looking revamped station operated by Royal Railways of Cambodia where trains from Phnom Penh via Battambang terminate (limited service at weekends taking 10 to 11 hours). A new single track links both sides of the border and crosses the forecourt of one of the casinos, like a tramway. At this time there is no through service and processing visa/passport formalities for train passengers would, in my opinion, be a logistical nightmare for both Immigration Offices. It is bad enough now, especially at the Thai side for foot passengers, so having to deal with a train load would make things worse! 

Poipet Railway Station:-

 

[carabaothai]

One time, 3 years ago, I was refused to enter Thailand at Sadao border because I didn't get 20k baths!

I was back to Thailand after motorbike one week trip in Malaysia 

There was maybe 2 hundred Malaysian people but only me was asked to get 20k in my pockets.

I was send to the immigration boss (a woman) who showed me a big old poster in her office where it was written something like "no enter the country if you don't have 2O K with you".

She said it was the law.

 

Fortunately I was with thai friends who lent me the amount 

[rabang]

16 hours ago, ChouDoufu said:

you can take the train from aranyaprathet to bangkok......48 baht.

 

https://railtravelstation.com/2019/09/02/how-to-walk-from-poipet-to-ban-klong-luk-aranyaprathet-at-night/

Been there, done that. Terrible experience. Ok, might be safer than the crazy minibus drivers.

[ChouDoufu]

i see.  i mentioned it as i was doing my summer planning.  the seat61 website already shows the timetable with the new station included, saying service to the border station effective july 01, 2019.

https://www.seat61.com/Thailand.htm#Aranyaprathet

thai railways websites still have the old schedule.  assumed they were just slow in updating.

 

anyhoo, it's not an uncorfortable train ride.  i've done it several times carrying a touring bicycle in the passenger cabin.

 

[tomauasia]

Call this place hang man's crossing..MAD MAX 2

[DaRoadrunner]

Only 10,000 baht? They might turn you away at the border as you are obviously not one of the rich billionaire Indians or Chinese. .... Thailand no want cheap charlie Farangs no more.

 

You have not been here for a while, things have gotten expensive, unless you are not planning on having much fun? I could easily blow 10,000 in one day.

 

[secondtime]

4 hours ago, DaRoadrunner said:

Only 10,000 baht? They might turn you away at the border as you are obviously not one of the rich billionaire Indians or Chinese. .... Thailand no want cheap charlie Farangs no more.

 

You have not been here for a while, things have gotten expensive, unless you are not planning on having much fun? I could easily blow 10,000 in one day.

 

I like traveling by road and eating in small restaurants, staying in guesthouses, getting to know other travelers and any locals who are willing to humor me.  I'd rather spend my money on street food and drink warm beer with ice than buy it from large mart or restaurant that I could see back home.  It's been a while since I've been in Thailand so I'd like to spend a week there.  I suppose I could withdraw and carry 10k baht but I'd prefer not to.  I know I'll spend more than I intend, and I've had money taken from me in the past (robbery and what I think was a pickpocketing), so I'm very loath to carry more than I need.

 

My income is fixed so 10k baht of currency I withdraw would be near the end of my trip in Cambodia.  That means a couple of high ATM and FX fees.  If I convert it to Baht (which I'll probably need to do, if I no longer have that money on plastic) I lose more money in another FX conversion.  When I leave Thailand U lose even more converting it to a third currency.  My Scottish father is already rolling over in his grave just contemplating the unnecessary losses.  I'm very tempted to take a gamble and see if they turn me away.  If Poipet has ATMs I could withdraw the necessary money and go right back and try again.  Or if they are real jerks I'll just leave and scratch Thailand off my itinerary.

 

[Matzzon]

On 1/17/2020 at 10:30 AM, secondtime said:

All my hotels and transportation are done by credit card.  300 USD worth of baht is more than I intend to spend out of pocket cash.  If I withdraw that much in USD or Dong or HKD or Yen or wherever I go next, I need to deal with currency conversion rates.  And the biggest reason is I don't like carrying that much cash on me.  Both for safety reasons and because cash money burns a hole in my pocket.

Really! As you are already told, the risk you will be asked to show money is rather small, but you just have to ask yourself if you are willing to take that risk.

To not be able to carry 10k baht in your pocket when entering Thailand sounds rather strange to me what ever weird reason you might come up with.

[elgenon]

Off topic but I would really like to know how you prepare/file/pay your American taxes.

[ChouDoufu]

8 hours ago, secondtime said:

I like traveling by road and eating in small restaurants, staying in guesthouses, getting to know other travelers and any locals who are willing to humor me.  I'd rather spend my money on street food and drink warm beer with ice than buy it from large mart or restaurant that I could see back home.  It's been a while since I've been in Thailand so I'd like to spend a week there.  I suppose I could withdraw and carry 10k baht but I'd prefer not to.  I know I'll spend more than I intend, and I've had money taken from me in the past (robbery and what I think was a pickpocketing), so I'm very loath to carry more than I need.

 

My income is fixed so 10k baht of currency I withdraw would be near the end of my trip in Cambodia.  That means a couple of high ATM and FX fees.  If I convert it to Baht (which I'll probably need to do, if I no longer have that money on plastic) I lose more money in another FX conversion.  When I leave Thailand U lose even more converting it to a third currency.  My Scottish father is already rolling over in his grave just contemplating the unnecessary losses.  I'm very tempted to take a gamble and see if they turn me away.  If Poipet has ATMs I could withdraw the necessary money and go right back and try again.  Or if they are real jerks I'll just leave and scratch Thailand off my itinerary.

 

you do NOT need to show baht.  (10k baht OR equivalent in foreign currency.)

you do NOT need to exchange currency.

you do NOT need to suffer exchange rate piracy.

you DO need to go back and reread previous posts.

[ChipButty]

8 hours ago, secondtime said:

scratch Thailand off my itinerary.

 

Good idea lots of other people are doing just that

[secondtime]

Following up so anyone researching this topic will find my experience.  I crossed through Poipet today (Saturday around noon).  Took about 1.5 hours to clear Cambodian exit control and get through Thai entry control.  All the Thai IOs were women and a man in an office who appeared to be the supervisor.  The IO I had didn't ask me any questions at all.  I watched about 20 people ahead of me go through quickly.  One young guy with a suitcase got sent back, maybe for filling out the arrival card incorrectly.

 

I used Capitol Tours to buy a ticket from Sisophon to Bangkok, which cost me $16 USD.  Once through the border I was a bit confused because one bus company was picking up their passengers almost right outside the exit but I couldn't see any other activity.  I asked one of their employees and he told me most bus groups are further down the road and in a parking lot to the left.  I found the area just past the mall/KFC/currency exchange building.  The touts along the way ignored me because I had a bus card around my neck.  Once in the lot at the Capitol Express waiting area, I saw a taxi and tried to wave it down for a quote.  An employee noticed this and said he could call a taxi if I wanted.  I asked how much it would cost to get to Pattaya he replied 2500 baht (he discussed it with a friend so they were probably taking a cut), but even as he said the price he added that it would be much cheaper to wait until Bangkok and go from there (1000-1500 by taxi, or cheaper by bus).

 

Eventually a minivan pulled up and I got in.  The employee I spoke with talked to the van driver and suggested he drop me at a nearby station to get a minivan ticket to Pattaya for 250 baht.  I agreed and the driver let me out at the station and even stuck around until he was sure I could buy a ticket.

 

My experience was good, but I met a young couple who had also booked with Capitol Tours.  They were going from Siem Reap to Pattaya (a route not available to me for some reason even though I was starting in Sisophon, which was along the way) but their bus was cancelled because the driver slept in.  Capitol sent them to Poipet with the advice to find passage to Pattaya from there.  One of the same employees I spoke with convinced them to take a bus to Bangkok and charged them 400 baht each (which I think is higher than the official rate).  When the employee suggested to me that I go to the local bus station and take a minivan they were interested in doing the same.  They asked the employee for their money back but he refused to give it to them.  They ended up paying 800 baht for a 3 minute drive to the local bus station.

 

Thanks everyone for your replies, both the helpful posters and the grumpy ones (who were helpful in their own way too).