How to get from Bangkok to Siem Reap (and back)

We tried to put our answers to topic-related questions we give in support into one text easy enough to read here in this FAQ. Hoping you will find your way through the jungle! :)

From Bangkok to Siem Reap

There are several bus operators who serve this line, but we did not find many reliable enough to add them to our network. You might get an offer as low as 150 Baht from Khao San Road to Siem Reap, but be very very careful with that. They will totally over-charge you with the visa service and if you don't use them you will be left behind. In general you should be aware that the less you pay for the transportation the higher the risk is that you pay during the journey a higher price for something you don't have to pay for if you go with Giant Ibis or fly.

Our advise to get to Cambodia:

It takes a whole day, but it is worth doing it (once). Start your journey early in the morning from the northern bus terminal Mochit. Arrive there some time before 8 o'clock, especially if you do not know this huge terminal. There are a couple of alternatives.

A) The fun way

You could book the bus with us to Rong Klua Market, the border market. If you go to Aranyapratheet town you will need another transport to the border.
When you arrive at the border keep in mind that everybody who reaches the counters in front of you will cause you several minutes of waiting. Unless you want to stroll around on the market you should head straight forward to the counter. Do not talk with anyone who is not an official officer (with proper shoes and in uniform). The people you need are government employees and they do not come to you. You have to talk to them. So everybody who approaches you might just want to rip you off.

When you get to the border stay on the left side, go down the walkway with many signs in Thai language to the house. On the second floor (which in Thailand is the one above the ground floor) you can process the departure from Thailand.

The next step is the Cambodian health inspection where you have to fill out a form and they check your body temperature. The whole thing is not very organized. If you do not have a visa yet you find a small house on the right. Pay 30 US$ and if you pay 100 Baht extra for express service you will save some time. If there are not many people you might gain 3 minutes. If there are many others you might consider it. If you don't want to waste your money, take the line next to the express counter. If there are no express customers they call people from the next line. You will need a passport picture and you can pay in Thai Baht, but it is more expensive than paying in Dollars.

Continue your walk and on the right side you get into the border station where they will fill your passport with stamps.

When you are in Cambodia people will tell you how to take the official shuttle-bus to the bus terminal. This shuttle-bus is free of charge.
The bus to Siem Reap costs 9 Dollar on the Cambodian side, but if you get to an empty one you might have to wait until it is full. This can take hours. An alternative here is to talk to some fellow travelers who are on the same trip and ask to share a taxi. This will cost you around 45 Dollar, is quicker and brings you to your place directly.

B) Transport Co

You go to the counter of Transport Co. and buy a ticket to Siem Reap. This is more expensive and the duration of the trip depends on how quick or slow all passengers get through immigration. Recently Transport Co. has started to collect the tiny fee of 5 Baht per passenger in cash on the bus to facilitate hassle-free border crossings on weekends and holidays. Please do not worry to pay this small amount, it will speed up the immigration process significantly.

C) Train

You take the train instead of the bus to the border. The trains take longer and tickets can be bought only one day in advance, so online booking does not really make sense. You can buy your ticket at the counter the same day. This train is usually not fully booked.

D) The recommended way: Giant Ibis

Giant Ibis is probably the most professional and reliable private operator in Cambodia, the service and quality of vehicles is as close as it gets to the North American and European standards that you may be used to. Buses on this route usually have Wi-Fi as well as individual power sockets, which is a rarity. As any frequent traveler will know, being able to charge your phone is incredibly useful for when you arrive at an unfamiliar destination and are trying to work out how to get to your hotel. Recent reviews show that the stewards in these buses are really helpful when it comes to filling out the forms for your border crossing.

The whole process becomes much easier when you decide to fly.

From Siem Reap to Bangkok

To go back to Bangkok is quite similar. There are several bus operators who serve this line, but we did not find any reliable enough to add them to our network. There is a direct bus connection from Siem Reap to Bangkok. There are Nattakan/Transport Co. Ltd direct buses that go from Siem Reap to Bangkok for about $30. You can purchase tickets in Siem Reap at any guesthouse or travel agent, or directly at the Nattakan Transport office on Sivatha Blvd. The bus leaves at either 8:00 a.m. or 9:00 a.m. every day and takes between eight and ten hours to arrive. We suggest to take the earlier bus! The direct bus from Siem Reap to Bangkok is definitely the easiest option, although perhaps not the fastest and certainly not the cheapest. The best part about the direct bus is that most of the time you can keep your luggage on the bus while you walk through the border. Arrival at Mo Chit is estimated at 4pm, however it can be as early as 3.15 or closer to 5pm.

You could also take another bus to the border, walk across and then take a bus from Rong Kluea Market, the border market, to BKK.
The buses go every 30 minutes or so and you should depart before 13h00 to be sure to arrive at the railway station on time to catch your train.
It will take you about 5 hours to get to BKK from the border. You most probably will arrive at the northern bus terminal, Mochit. From there you can take a taxi for about 60 Baht to the MRT Metro stations Khamphaeng Phet or Mo Chit. This subway brings you all the way down to the railway station. The trip takes about one hour.

Keep in mind that leaving Cambodia is easy and takes only 5-15 mins. Thai immigration is a few meters down the road on the left. Expect to wait here for several hours (seriously). Typical times from joining the Thai immigration queue to entering Thailand range from 2 to 4+ hours. If the queue is long you'll be waiting outside in full sun for part of the time.

Once inside go for the immigration queue second from the right. The furthest right desk is for paid visas but there aren't many of these so when there's no queue they call others over from the nearest line so it can be significantly faster. So when you arrive at the border please head straight for immigration. If you fool around, your fellow passengers will stand in front of you in the cueue.

If you somehow miss the bus, if they are fully booked or if something else goes wrong, you can also take a taxi from the border to Bangkok. This will cost you around 1,900 Baht directly to the Hua Lamphong station.