I am interested in finding out more about the Poipet bus service from Pattaya. My friend wants to go to Casino and another wants to stop, and then continue on to Seam Reap.
I have been told there are buses from Pattaya for visa trips. Do they cross the border and are they available to pickup passengers at Poipet for the return trip?
Are they comfortable or just vans.
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As far as I am aware if you travel on the Visa run buses you are actually not allowed to enter any other part of Cambodia apart from the shopping area you are taken to at Poipet whilst your passport etc is being processed. But who knows anything is possible if you ask!
I have seen trips to Poipet for the casinos advertised in some travel agents in Pattaya, the one on the corner of Pattaya South and 2nd Roads, springs to mind.
as per march/april a DIRECT coop bus Pattaya-Siem reap is promised, one from BKK started 2 days ago. As for now-due to immense fears of theft and left/right hand running issues, NO bus-whatever they tell you for direct-will cross that border-from either side.
For the usaul story for independent travellers: go to talesofasia.com, also via canbypublications.
Other as above-it depends on which casinobus you use-and you can always make a deal with driver or simply abandon the whole thing at the border-its main pro is the direct service. But DO be aware that there are more borders and not all buses go to/via Poipet. If you pay a high price-this includes for westerners entry into KH and a new entry/visum into TH-thats why its visarun. If there are unresvered seats-they will be happy to sell them for lastminute for borderrun only-2/300 bt should do it. Most casinobuses start from BKK/Chinese areas. Oh- I know you as wise enoyugh-but make very sure who ends up paying for the inevitable casino losses!
you can go to any bus station in pattaya or bangkok and get
a ride to the border for about 200 baht leaving every hour from
some buslines. there are several to choose from. getting a
last minute return ride with no resvervation is easy in Poipet.
any "limo" or hired minivan service will take you to the border,
drop you off, and pick you up if you like, but there are many to
choose from once in cambodia for the return trip.
there is absolutely no need to use the visa run services. they charge
way too much and if you don't need the visa it's not necessary.
getting a bus or minivan to Siem Reap once in Poipet is easy.
there are not any that continue on from thailand through to Siem Reap.
there are travel agencies on every corner in pattaya to make all of
this easy. the public "VIP" buses are cheapest and they leave on
time and are more comfortable than the minivans.
bottom line is there are many choices and you don't need a visa run
service or even a reservation to make the trip. easy, cheap, stress free.
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