Today I crossed from Thailand and entered Cambodia. Another great experience. Most people usually cross this border my taking a bus to the closest Thai town to the Cambodian Boarder, then they take a tuk tuk over to the boarder, where alot of the scamming actually happens a lot of the people get taken to another office before the actual boarder and get told to get their visa their for almost double the price of the actual visa, and then they get taken to the actual boarder, where you have to get your passport stamped out of Thailand and into Cambodia, then you have to find transport going into the Cambodian town you wish to visit (for it is Siem Reap).
I managed to find out from fellow travelers that there is actually a bus that goes directly from Bangkok into Siem Riep in Cambodia, and after doing some checking up on it I booked my ticket on he bus and was set to go for today. This way is a bit more expensive then trying to find your own way to and from the boarder, but a lot more convenient, and I'm glad I did because after crossing the boarder and looking at the other side, I don't think I would have know what or how to continue to Siem Reap.
Anyways, back to the bus journey, after about 4 hours I think it was we arrive at the town in Thailand that is closest to the border, and before getting to the actual boarder, low and behold, the bus pulls up at some building and they tell us that if we do not have a Cambodian Visa we should go into the office and get it there. Thankfully I had done my homework and new that you can get the Visa from the actual boarder after leaving the Thai boarder and you enter the Cambodian boarder, so I told the gentlemen that I already have a visa (even though I didn't and stayed on the bus). Many of he other passangers got off to get their visas which they were charged something like 38$ for . Anyways everyone gets back on the buss and we proceed to the boarder. Here the buss stops again, because we have to get off to get our passports stamped out of Thailand, after sorting that out we continue walking and as we get to the Cambodia boarder there are signs telling you where to go to get your Cambodia Visa, those of us that did not get off at the previous building followed these signs that lead to the actual offical office that gives you your visa which we paid 20$ only, and in 5 mins we were done visa in hand and headed to get our passports stamped for arrival in Cambodia, then back to the bus and a few hours later, we are at our detestation. It was actually alot less scarier then I had imagined it to be and I am glad I did my home work about the visa scam and kind of proud to know that managed to avoid the scam and not sucum to it, because every one else did, or because I was scared.
This is a video of us walking after leaving the Thai Boarder and towards the Cambodian boarder.
I managed to find out from fellow travelers that there is actually a bus that goes directly from Bangkok into Siem Riep in Cambodia, and after doing some checking up on it I booked my ticket on he bus and was set to go for today. This way is a bit more expensive then trying to find your own way to and from the boarder, but a lot more convenient, and I'm glad I did because after crossing the boarder and looking at the other side, I don't think I would have know what or how to continue to Siem Reap.
Anyways, back to the bus journey, after about 4 hours I think it was we arrive at the town in Thailand that is closest to the border, and before getting to the actual boarder, low and behold, the bus pulls up at some building and they tell us that if we do not have a Cambodian Visa we should go into the office and get it there. Thankfully I had done my homework and new that you can get the Visa from the actual boarder after leaving the Thai boarder and you enter the Cambodian boarder, so I told the gentlemen that I already have a visa (even though I didn't and stayed on the bus). Many of he other passangers got off to get their visas which they were charged something like 38$ for . Anyways everyone gets back on the buss and we proceed to the boarder. Here the buss stops again, because we have to get off to get our passports stamped out of Thailand, after sorting that out we continue walking and as we get to the Cambodia boarder there are signs telling you where to go to get your Cambodia Visa, those of us that did not get off at the previous building followed these signs that lead to the actual offical office that gives you your visa which we paid 20$ only, and in 5 mins we were done visa in hand and headed to get our passports stamped for arrival in Cambodia, then back to the bus and a few hours later, we are at our detestation. It was actually alot less scarier then I had imagined it to be and I am glad I did my home work about the visa scam and kind of proud to know that managed to avoid the scam and not sucum to it, because every one else did, or because I was scared.
This is a video of us walking after leaving the Thai Boarder and towards the Cambodian boarder.