Entering Cambodia

Entering Cambodia
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

There are cheap tourist buses that run from Khao San Road to Siem Reap for as low as 250 BHT, but I chose to go to the city bus station and take a non-touristy bus to the border. For 207 BHT, I was on an air-conditioned first-class Thai bus to Aranya Prathet at 0730 and arrived at the border at 1130. I had beat the tourist buses (and crowds) and was able to get my Cambodian visa on arrival for $20, paying no one else for commission. On the Cambodian side, I bought a $10 ticket on a tourist bus (at least it was air-conditioned) for a bumpy 4.5 hour ride to Siem Reap.
The tourist bus scam is explained here:
www.talesofasia.com/cambodia-overland-bkksr.htm
Basically, the buses make money off of commission to rest stops and guesthouses and from "helping you" apply for your visa. You leave late, stop many times, and arrive at night in Siem Reap when it is too dark and you are too tired to find your own accommodation.