Are you planning to explore Cambodia and don’t really know where to start your journey? Or would you like visit this beautiful country after your Thailand trip? This is my experience report going from Bangkok to Siem Reap by bus with Travel Mart. I did the border crossing in February 2023 and will tell you more about the whole journey.
Ways to get from Thailand to Cambodia
In general there are two ways to get from Thailand to Cambodia: by bus or by plane. I personally prefer the bus as you get to see much more of the country. Although the whole trip from Bangkok to Siem Reap takes almost 10 hours it really isn’t too bad when you do it. There are many stops on the way and the border crossing (which takes 1-2 hours) is included.
Going by bus is the more adventurous, cheaper and definitely the better option looking at it from the environmental perspective than taking the plane. Today I’m telling you more about the route from Bangkok to Siem Reap.
If you’re planning to travel Cambodia from Europe I can recommend to book a flight to Bangkok, Thailand instead and go from there. The flight connections from the West to Thailand are usually shorter and cheaper than to Cambodia. Siem Reap is also the perfect spot to start a round trip through Cambodia rather than Phnom Penh.
Here’s a three week itinerary to travel Cambodia.
How to get your tickets
My review today is with the company Travel Mart. You can book your tickets through 12Go. The cost for a ticket is around 40 Euros.
I didn’t organize a visa beforehand and therefore got the visa on arrival. Please have a look on this website to see your individual visa requirements. The only thing you have to prepare for the border crossing is 30 USD in cash to pay for the visa on arrival. In some cases you can also pay in Thai Baht, however getting some USD is highly recommended.
The price of the ticket includes:
- Transport from Bangkok to Siem Reap in air-conditioned bus incl. WiFi and toilet
- Snack, water & lunch (you can choose from three meals – vegan is available)
- For 200 THB Travel Mart takes care of your visa (see more below)
Bangkok to Poipet
Meeting point at Travel Mart is at 7 am. The office is located very close to Khao San Road in Bangkok. You will then check-in, choose your meal and pay the visa fee (30 USD). Travel Mart offers a VIP service for 200 THB which means that they will take care of your visa on-arrival. First, I was a bit sceptical but in hindsight I can recommend paying for this service.
In fact, if you don’t book the service and have to queue at the immigration for longer, the bus won’t wait for you. We had some people from Pakistan with us who unfortunately had to go through immigration themselves due to country requirements. As the process took too long, they didn’t make it back on the bus. They then had to wait for the next one, which arrived four hours later.
The first leg of the journey takes around four hours. At 10 am we did a short break where they picked up our lunch. We had the chance to use the toilets and buy some water. At around 12.30 pm we arrived at the border to Cambodia.
Crossing the border
The border crossing was very smooth. We left the bus, got our departure stamp at the Thailand checkout point and then handed them over to the Travel Mart crew. While they were taking care of the visas we walked across the Friendship bridge into the Kingdom of Cambodia. At the bus we were then given back our passports which contained the visa on arrivals. There was another chance to use the toilet for 5 THB right after the border.
Arriving in Siem Reap
Welcome to Siem Reap! At around 4 pm we arrived in Siem Reap – 1.5 hours earlier than scheduled! The bus will drop you at Virak Buntham Arng bus stop where you can either continue via tuk tuk or walk to your hotel.
All in all the bus journey was very pleasant and the process smooth. The bus was comfortable, not too cold and we had WiFi throughout the whole journey. There is also a basic toilet on the bus to use. I can really recommend going from Bangkok to Siem Reap with Travel Mart! The staff was super friendly and helpful. Click here to book your journey to Cambodia.
Doing the whole trip? Check my 3-month itinerary through Cambodia, Vietnam & Laos
