Cambodia-Thailand border crossing

Dec 27, 2013
30
6
8
I have had two border crossing points recommended to me on my departure by motorbike from Phnom Penh on May 4th:
1) O'SMACH
pretty straightforward
2) PREAH VIHEAR
by way of
Damnak
Kampong Cham
Kratie (Kracheh)
Mondilkiri
Ratinakiri
Stung Treng
Tbeng Meanchey/Preah Vihear

But Lonely Planet's forum says:
Getting to Prasat Preah Vihear from the Cambodian side is a unique and challenging adventure. It can generally be done only between mid-November and May because in the wet season many of the roads in this part of the country are impassable. When you finally reach the temple, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve completed a modern-day pilgrimage almost the equal of any undertaken at the height of the Angkorian empire. for a hair-raising, 20-minute ride up gradients of up to 35% the 5km steep road.
Read more:*http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/northwestern-cambodia/prasat-preah-vihear/transport/getting-there-away#ixzz2xcoJlYsp
Note that Prasat Preah Vihear is not an international border crossing – visitors enter*Cambodia*without a visa and must return to*Thailand*by 5pm the same day. Tourist visas for onward travel into*Cambodia*are*not*available here. It costs US$10 to visit from the Thai side – US$5 goes to the Thais for visiting the ‘national park’ and US$5/200B goes to the Khmers as the temple fee.
Since the border-crossing agreement is reciprocal, tourists coming from the Cambodian side can go a few hundred metres into*Thailand*to shop at the border market. Cambodian authorities charge 10B to cross.

I will be riding alone on my fully loaded Honda CBR250R.

Does anybody have recent, firsthand knowledge, about the route and in particular the difficulty riding the last 5km and whether I can cross here to Thailand while still getting a passport stamp and Thai departure card upon entry as I return to Chiang Mai??
 
Aug 7, 2003
365
28
18
I would suggest going further west from Preah Vihear to Anlong Veng and out north of the town to the border about 15kms. Still worth going to Preah Vihear , but the road stops at the temple and only by walking can you go to Thailand. The road is rideable all the way to the top. Ta Moks house in Anlong Veng and Pol Pots grave just close to the border if you are into that kind of thing.

http://wikitravel.org/en/Anlong_Veng

Osmach exit is simple also and a more travelled road. Tarred road to both borders.
 
Mar 30, 2010
2,136
300
83
paulhen;298038 wrote: I have had two border crossing points recommended to me on my departure by motorbike from Phnom Penh on May 4th:
1) O'SMACH
pretty straightforward
2) PREAH VIHEAR
by way of
Damnak
Kampong Cham
Kratie (Kracheh)
Mondilkiri
Ratinakiri
Stung Treng
Tbeng Meanchey/Preah Vihear

But Lonely Planet's forum says:
Getting to Prasat Preah Vihear from the Cambodian side is a unique and challenging adventure. It can generally be done only between mid-November and May because in the wet season many of the roads in this part of the country are impassable. When you finally reach the temple, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve completed a modern-day pilgrimage almost the equal of any undertaken at the height of the Angkorian empire. for a hair-raising, 20-minute ride up gradients of up to 35% the 5km steep road.
Read more:*http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/northwestern-cambodia/prasat-preah-vihear/transport/getting-there-away#ixzz2xcoJlYsp
Note that Prasat Preah Vihear is not an international border crossing – visitors enter*Cambodia*without a visa and must return to*Thailand*by 5pm the same day. Tourist visas for onward travel into*Cambodia*are*not*available here. It costs US$10 to visit from the Thai side – US$5 goes to the Thais for visiting the ‘national park’ and US$5/200B goes to the Khmers as the temple fee.
Since the border-crossing agreement is reciprocal, tourists coming from the Cambodian side can go a few hundred metres into*Thailand*to shop at the border market. Cambodian authorities charge 10B to cross.

I will be riding alone on my fully loaded Honda CBR250R.

Does anybody have recent, firsthand knowledge, about the route and in particular the difficulty riding the last 5km and whether I can cross here to Thailand while still getting a passport stamp and Thai departure card upon entry as I return to Chiang Mai??
Hi Paul,

Looks like your Lonely Planet is a bit out of date.

Preah Vihear doesn't even allow the day trippers from Thailand any more.
Barbed wire and mine field and they regularly have little blow ups and pot shots at each other.
They will let you walk right up to the barbed wire, no worries. (Pics in the trip report below)

As for the roads.. They are fantastic with no traffic..
You will not have any problems unless you have a flood and the road becomes impassable.
You could easily ride from Siem Reap to Preah Vihear.. We only counted a few potholes around Sieam Reap.. Further away, the better the roads.
(GPS overlayed in Google Maps - We loaded up the OSM map for Garmin)

Osmarch was an easy quiet border crossing we used

Another one near Anlong Vieng.. I think it was. At the time I thought it was local only as we were asked why we were there.
A real frontier town with new hotels going up. But just did a google and looks to be open for International visitors

Our trip report here.. Hope that helps with your planning.

https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/showthread.php/39313-A-3-day-meander-Bangkok-Preah-Vihear-Siem-Reap-Bangkok

I was on my Ninja and Rob was on his Ducati.

Cheers
Brian
 
Dec 27, 2013
30
6
8
Many thanks Harry for the update. I like adventure but like it somewhat planned and downsides limited!! I think I will take in Preah Vihear but carry on to O'Smach to cross. Am I safe in assuming #2627 to #2625 thru the Wildlife Sanctuary to connect to #2648 to Anlong Venh are easily biked even though very dusty?

harrythefinn;298044 wrote: Just to make it clear there is no immigration at Preah Vihear border.

http://wikitravel.org/en/Preah_Vihear is current .
 
Dec 27, 2013
30
6
8
brian_bkk;298045 wrote: Hi Paul,

Looks like your Lonely Planet is a bit out of date.

Preah Vihear doesn't even allow the day trippers from Thailand any more.
Barbed wire and mine field and they regularly have little blow ups and pot shots at each other.
They will let you walk right up to the barbed wire, no worries. (Pics in the trip report below)

As for the roads.. They are fantastic with no traffic..
You will not have any problems unless you have a flood and the road becomes impassable.
You could easily ride from Siem Reap to Preah Vihear.. We only counted a few potholes around Sieam Reap.. Further away, the better the roads.
(GPS overlayed in Google Maps - We loaded up the OSM map for Garmin)

Osmarch was an easy quiet border crossing we used

Another one near Anlong Vieng.. I think it was. At the time I thought it was local only as we were asked why we were there.
A real frontier town with new hotels going up. But just did a google and looks to be open for International visitors

Our trip report here.. Hope that helps with your planning.

https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/showthread.php/39313-A-3-day-meander-Bangkok-Preah-Vihear-Siem-Reap-Bangkok

I was on my Ninja and Rob was on his Ducati.

Cheers
Brian

Great trip report and the photos were wonderful! I will go back and read it a couple more times and make some notes.

As I asked Fred below, I think I will take in Preah Vihear but carry on to O'Smach to cross. Am I safe in assuming #2627 to #2625 thru the Wildlife Sanctuary to connect to #2648 to Anlong Venh are easily biked even though very dusty? One of the challenges is always pacing your day in order to land in a place in which you can find a suitable room for the night, so how many hours at a leisurely pace do you think that it, if you have ridden it? Guesthouse suggestions at either/both ends?
 
Oct 16, 2014
5
0
0
Sorry to resurrect an older thread but my wife and I are heading from Thailand to Cambodia (USA registered bike) and then back to Thailand (on to Malaysia) the end of October 2014. We have E-visas for Cambodia so are restricted to entering at certain crossings per https://www.evisa.gov.kh/Default.aspx

Our original plan was to Enter at Poi Pet but since finding and reading through the forums that location is a hassle correct? Why, corrupt and bogus fines?

So, per Cambodia's E-visa link below we should be able to enter at Cham Yeam (Koh Kong) and then exit at O Smach (Oddar Meanchey) (O Smach is not a valid E-Visa Entry Point).

How does that sound?

I also read about a Green Book that some have received (or not) at the border crossing. Should I come away from the border with some specific papers for us or the bike?

By the way, The E-Visa system worked like a charm (Visa in 2 days via email).
 

ntb

0
Aug 18, 2009
76
3
8
Does anyone have updates about crossing Koh Kong into Thailand with Cambodian registered big bike?