Cheapest Way to Reach Cambodia from Thailand

I like to think of myself as a pretty thrifty traveler, and I usually take the cheap options when getting from one locale to another. Not only is it good for the wallet, but I like to think that I get a better feel of the local culture. During our recent trip, Kristin and I had allotted one day of travel between Bangkok, Thailand and Siem Reap, Cambodia. There are plenty of options for this route; the typical method is obtaining one of the many shuttle services from the Khao San Road area to the border town of Poipet (I've been told that it's cheaper to get shuttle buses traveling Siem Reap to Bangkok due to complicated legalities).

Our journey was approximately 450 baht ($15 USD) per person and took us about nine hours total. The majority was spent on the local train that runs from Bangkok's central Hua Lamphong Station to Aranyaprahet. We awoke around 5 AM on Sunday morning, sleepily dragging ourselves and bags out onto the street to catch a taxi amid straggling party-goers along Khao San Road; the short ride only cost us about 30 baht ($1 USD). We purchased our train tickets at the counter (each 48 baht; $1.60 USD).

We loaded onto the open-aired train and were soon clacking along the rails through Bangkok. The train slowly filled with passengers during several stops over the first hour or so. We exited the city into rural Thailand after a couple hours as the heat of the day crept up. People came and went at each stop, and vendors from the local villages lined the railways selling passengers snacks and beverages through the windows.

The countryside was beautiful. We passed acres and acres of farmland and lakes dotted with swooping birds and cattle. In between enjoying the views, Kristin caught up on a bit of sleep while I enjoyed a book.

We arrived in Aranyaprahet just after noon, enjoying some quick lunch before jumping in a tuk-tuk for Poipet; the 15-minute ride cost 50 baht ($1.60 USD). This is where the corruption began; instead of taking us to the actual border, the driver took us to a very legitimate looking "visa office" where a friendly "official" greeted us and invited us inside to purchase our Cambodian 'Visa on Arrival' for triple the actual price. We told our driver to kindly continue on to the real border if he'd please, and he dropped us off at the next "official visa office". Again, this is not where you want to buy your visa! We exited through Thailand immigration and followed the path; this is where you want to buy your 'Visa on Arrival' for Cambodia (picture below).

I went in and filled out the paperwork quickly (as a Filipino, Kristin didn't need to get a visa). Surprisingly, the officials here even asked for more money! I nicely but assertively restated the actual price (15-day 'tourist visa' is only $20 USD) and was finally granted my visa after a short stand off. We finally walked through Cambodian customs after an hour of hassles, caught the free shuttle to the taxi depot, and organized a shared taxi with another traveler named Claudia. Shared taxis usually take four passengers at a rate of 400 baht per person ($13 USD), but our driver agreed to take just the three of us granted that he could "pickup a friend along the way". To earn extra money, taxi drivers pick up locals along the long drive to fill up their car; I would suggest making sure your driver won't do this.

The drive from the border to Siem Reap takes a couple hours. We stopped quickly to fill up the gas tank. Surprise number one: cars in Cambodia run on propane (pictured above). Our next stop was to pickup our driver's "friend". With Claudia, Kristin, and I setup in the back of the Camry, surprise number two came. The driver squeezed two locals into the front passenger seat. We weren't terribly excited about this but we decided that it was alright; he's just trying to earn some money and we were jut trying to make it to Siem Reap. The biggest surprise was number three, when we pulled over once again to pickup another passenger. Our driver said not to worry because it's common to get eight people in a Camry in Cambodia and we only had seven! This was rather unnerving but having paid upfront (mistake), we couldn't really do anything at this stage. So we kept our mouths shut until we eventually arrived in Siem Reap. The driver wound through the small streets until we found a hotel that suited. So, two suggestions to avoid such a situation: make it clear that picking up other passengers along the way is not acceptable and don't pay upfront.

Finding Delicious Food in Thailand

After our late night arrival in Thailand, Kristin and I awoke mid-morning to begin our only full day in Bangkok. After a quick morning coffee, we ambled over to Ratchadamnoen Klang Road to the nearest bus stop; after watching dozens of buses pass, we finally saw our number and had to run out into the street to flag it down. We boarded and eventually arrive at our destination, Chatuchak Weekend Market. Known as Asia's largest market, Chatuchak covers a 35-acre area and houses over 8,000 different stalls selling a myriad of goods: clothing, ceramics, furniture, artwork, handicrafts, books, and of course, food.

While Kristin's top priority was finding some nice Thai clothing, mine was getting some skewers. There are dozens of street carts selling these all over Bangkok, but Chatuchak seemed like the place to find the best selection. Each vendor has their own marinades and special dipping sauces so try a few different ones. One stick is priced at 5-20 bot (approx. 10-60 cents US) depending on what it is and how big it is. I was a bit surprised that Thai cuisine has such a large emphasis on pork. That being said, there is a broad selection of chicken, fish, and other seafood at these little skewer carts. I'm not much of a pork eater but I have to admit that my favorites were probably pork: hot dogs, cut into chunks, and wrapped in bacon!

After passing through a few dozen stalls and feeling a bit overwhelmed, it was time for lunch. We exited the damp stall area and re-entered the world on a sunny street, stumbling upon several food vendors with little awnings setup. They all looked pretty similar, and the smell of traditional Thai cuisine was very enticing. We both ordered khanom chin namya, boiled rice noodles with fish balls in a fish-based sauce. The chef prepared it quickly and it was on our table in minutes. Then, we got to customize our bowls with fresh ingredients that took up most of our table space: bean sprouts, cabbage, fresh and pickled cucumber slices, a whole selection of greens (spearmint leaves, Accacia  pennata leaves, and others I can't name), and plenty of different sauces that range from sweet to very spicy.

Kristin and I spent a couple more hours walking through the stalls and bargaining for deals. I think we both wanted to buy a whole lot of different things because there are such unique products on offer at Chatuchak. We thought about our traveling lifestyle and knew that more is less, so we restrained ourselves and each bought a few articles of clothing before weaving our way back through the crowds to the busy bus stop.

After a long trip back to the Khaosan Road area and a little rest, it was time for a couple of beers and some dinner. We again indulged in street food along Khaosan road, and debated trying some insects (yes, the picture above is a selection of bugs). Many insects are considered a delicacy in Thai cuisine; the maeng da, a gaint water bug, is said to taste like gorgonzola cheese! Other insects on offer include grasshopper (far left), scorpions (first in back-left), termites, bee larvae, and silkworms. They are mostly deed-fried with a selection of different spices (kaffir lime leaves, cumin, coriander, and/or chilies). I have been known to eat insects, but I don't think I've ever paid for any before. One scorpion cost 30 bot ($1 US), the same as a whole dish of pad thai!

Thailand - Khaosan Road

My Amazing Race SE Asia trip with Kristin was planned as a tight itinerary (Bali-Singapore-Vietnam-Cambodia-Malaysia-Bali). The first leg of the trip went fine, and were in Singapore's well-appointed international terminal by late Friday morning. After spending some time wandering the expansive airport, we caught a train, then a bus over to the LCCT (low-cost carrier terminal); this is where airlines such as Air Asia and Jetstar are situated, and it's definitely a step below the rest of the airport. When I tried to check-in for our flight to Vietnam, I was informed that a letter of invitation from the Vietnamese embassy was required (I didn't have, and couldn't get on short notice). Big problem.

After running through a few different options, we settled on booking a flight to Thailand. This allowed us to keep the remainder of my itinerary the same. We arrived in Bangkok around midnight, made it through a long immigration line, and caught a taxi straight to the Khaosan Road area. Khaosan Road was originally Bangkok's largest rice market, but has recently developed into the hub of the city's budget traveler community (it's been nick-named the "backpacker's ghetto"). The short stretch of street and the surrounding area has earned an international reputation as a center of partying; it's lined with bars, night clubs, tourism agents, guest houses, hotels, and vendors selling all sorts of goods from food to clothing to electronics.

We were a bit worried about finding a place to stay in such a busy area of Bangkok, particularly since the taxi dropped us off around 2 AM on Saturday and the streets where still brimming with people. Fortunately, we were quickly able to find a cheap room at a local guest house. After throwing our bags down, we headed out for some food (we hadn't eaten since 4 PM) and a beer (necessary after 18 hours of traveling). We quickly found a street cart offering up some delicious pad thai, another offering up skewers of all sorts, and a 711 (yes, they are everywhere in Thailand) with some cold Chang Beer; we spent about 150 bot (just over $5 US) and enjoyed them all happily while wandering the street. We soon retired to the guest house for a short sleep before starting our busy second travel day.