Guest Posted July 20, 2001 Report Share Posted July 20, 2001 Anyone know where I could get a car and driver at such short notice to do a visa run tomorrow, Saturday? Need to leave early morning and spend one hour at the border and return same day. Prices? TIA blackie@expats.com 017412211 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kohchaiBKK Posted July 20, 2001 Report Share Posted July 20, 2001 Blackie, I tried the guy I used last week to go to Ao Manao, but he was booked for Saturday. A friend once reccommended Khun Poramet at 01-291-3286, but I've only used him locally. I'm about a week behind you for my first visa run. I was planning on Koh Kong. Exactly where is Poi Pet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kohchaiBKK Posted July 20, 2001 Report Share Posted July 20, 2001 Dan I'd be interested in those details. Where did you go, how did you get there, and how much did it cost? Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 21, 2001 Report Share Posted July 21, 2001 Hi Dan, I've done the bus route 3 times and I hate it. It really is a pain in the arse. Sticky plastic seats ... 1 stop etc. =================================== kohchaiBKK. Poi Pet is the frontier town just inside the Cambo border. Imagine Dodge City on a bad day and you've got Poi Pet. Dusty, dirty & Aussie type flies that stick to your skin and bite, and a million tiny kids begging you for something. AranyaPrathet is the Thai town nearest and is probably the closest place to BKK for a visa run. It's a 50B tuktuk ride to the frontier from Aranya. Ao Manao WTF is it? Can't find it on my Michelin map! "Khun Poramet at 01-291-3286," thanks for the tip. [ July 20, 2001: Message edited by: Blackie ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 21, 2001 Report Share Posted July 21, 2001 quote: Originally posted by kohchaiBKK: Dan I'd be interested in those details. Where did you go, how did you get there, and how much did it cost? Thanks in advance Two alternatives..... BUS or TRAIN... first the cheaper of the two TRAIN: 2 trains only depart Bangkok (Hualumpong Station, platform 10) at 5.55am sharp and 1.05pm sharp, so for the day trip you will be wanting the 5.55am. You wanna get yourself there at least 10 minutes before to allow time to purchase and board. 3rd class train is the only availiable on this line and the cost is a (whopping!) 48 baht to Arunyaprathet. Getting a seat is no problem. Train arrives in Arunyaprathet at 11.40 and from there (directly outside the station) you can get a green songtow for 5 baht for the 10 minute ride to the border (Rong Klua). They leave about every 10 minutes. Alternatively you can get a m'cycle taxi for 40 baht (going rate - don't let them convince you otherwise). They will be there at the station in abundance waiting to coerce you into a fare. Although they are convenient and quick I normally take the songtow because I don't like the way the m'cycle guys swamp and harass you as you are alighting the train... Be prepared for the onslaught of dusty little kids wanting to follow and assist you in exchange for some baht.. From there you do your stuff; --> go to departures --> then directed further on to pay your Cambodian entry visa (1000 baht 30 day tourist) --> cross border --> go to arrivals (they will ask you your length of stay and if you are going straight back into Thailand you must pay, what I call a 'rude tax' of 100 baht for not staying in their country long enough. --> straight into the departure queue about 2 feet away to get your stamp out --> cross --> thai arrivals...etc. If you can accomplish this all efficiently and if the queues arn't too long and full of AnkorWat going backbackers (always frustrating as they never seem to have a clue) you may be able to get a songtow or m'cycle back to the train station for the only train back to Bangkok at 1.35pm.. but never fear, the bus station (visible from the train station) has gvt.air-con buses running to Bkk every half hour or so 'til about 7pm. Note: the same songtow stops at the bus station also. The bus fare ranges (don't know why) from about 130 baht - 180 baht depending on the time. Â BUS: Buses to Arun' depart Bangkok all morning, starting from about 5am (I think), but if you get the 6.30am or 7.30 am bus, it leaves you plenty time. They leave from the Nothern Bus terminal at Morchit. They are generally about 1 1/2 hours faster than the train.. takes about 4 hours or there abouts. Fare again is about 140 baht. Either way, you can leave in the morning and be back in Bkk anytime from 6pm-8pm. The bus is by far more comfortable (reclining cushioned seats vs. train's wooden bench). Bus is air-con, train isn't but has plenty of breeze and has never bothered me. I normally go by train and return by bus. I quite like the train, apart from the fact that you can get up and have a smoke, the scenery rolls by much more pleasantly. p.s. Sorry about the long-winded reply. Thought I better cover the full gamut though. Hope this has helped. ==================================== Dan p.p.s (oh yeah, forgot to add that you will need to present 1 passport sized photo for the cambodian visa form.) [ July 20, 2001: Message edited by: Dan ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 21, 2001 Report Share Posted July 21, 2001 quote: Originally posted by Blackie: Hi Dan, I've done the bus route 3 times and I hate it. It really is a pain in the arse. Sticky plastic seats ... 1 stop etc. Plastic seats? I've never encountered any. Every bus I've taken from Morchit was air-con and the standard padded bus seats.. the same blue and white type buses that run from Ekamai to Pattaya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 21, 2001 Report Share Posted July 21, 2001 You leaving from BKK? Why not just do it by public transport? It's a one day affair. I just did mine again. Always a pain in the arse but done in a day, much cheaper too. If you want details on this..just ask again.. cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 22, 2001 Report Share Posted July 22, 2001 Dan, good post. (they will ask you your length of stay and if you are going straight back into Thailand you must pay, what I call a 'rude tax' of 100 baht for not staying in their country long enough. We got a cab from Mochit and negotiated a price of 1700B return, and told the (owner) driver to wait one hour for us. Little did we know how many peeps want to go to Cambo on a Saturday. It took 2.5 hrs to cross, shop briefly, and get back in to Thailand. Would reccommend the driver as he was a smoker and as long as we opened the windows he was cool about it. The trip up took 3 hrs. Rtn to Suk was 4.5hrs.(add 100B) Will use a taxi again. If you want to go from Suk, the price would be 1900-2000B. Always look for a well kept taxi with fabric seats, chances are it's an owner/driver. Good luck. BTW duty free Gordons gin (ex Singapore) is 450B/litre. Fliptop (Lite) Marlboros are 200B/200 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thalenoi Posted July 22, 2001 Report Share Posted July 22, 2001 quote: Originally posted by kohchaiBKK: Blackie, I tried the guy I used last week to go to Ao Manao, but he was booked for Saturday. A friend once reccommended Khun Poramet at 01-291-3286, but I've only used him locally. I'm about a week behind you for my first visa run. I was planning on Koh Kong. Exactly where is Poi Pet? KochaiBKK, Blackie asked "Ao Manao WTF is it? Can't find it on my Michelin map!" Do you mean that beatiful beach Ao Manao south of Prachuap? (you need you passport to get there, because it's on a military site) Would like to know was this a day trip and how much you paid the guy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kohchaiBKK Posted July 23, 2001 Report Share Posted July 23, 2001 thalenoi, 3 of us negotiated a toyota van and driver for 1,100 baht a day plus gas for a 5 day swing down south a bit. We hit Cha-am, Hua Hin and Ao manao. Ao Manao is south of Hua hin, about 2 hours drive, and is indeed on air force property. No problem getting in, though, and I was not asked for my passport(which was in Bangkok.) The driver entered through a checkpoint and was admitted in. None of us were ever asked to show any papers or ID. Ao minao gets a lot of Thai beachgoers on weekends, but few farangs. Its practically deserted on week days, though, which was when and why I went. We had the whole place to ourselves. We rented a boat, hit one of the islands in the bay, and went "native." A refreshing change from Bangkok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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