Laos - Cambodia border crossing informaton needed

Big_Dave

Ol'Timer
Apr 21, 2016
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I believe Stung Tren is now closed to foreigners. More info here. Laos border crossing points

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Veun Kham - Dong Kralor (Champasak Prov. Laos - Northern Cambodia)

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Veun Kham - Stung Treng (river). This checkpoint has been closed, foreigners can no longer the border here.
 

Reddo

Member
Nov 10, 2018
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I did managed to cross from Thailand's Ban Hat Lek border over to the Cham Yeam in Cambodia.
No hassles, went to the custom counter and they just ask me to go.

When I exit at the Stung Teng border in Cambodia to Laos, the custom officer told me it was wrong not to process any custom papers, but he let me go, without any penalty.

More details can be found on my blog -> Max's Motorcycle Diary


I'm looking to cross that same border into Laos in a few weeks; so do you think the officials are generally ok and should let me cross? I'm on my own Thai registered bike..
 

Reddo

Member
Nov 10, 2018
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I believe Stung Tren is now closed to foreigners. More info here. Laos border crossing points

bluedot10.gif

Veun Kham - Dong Kralor (Champasak Prov. Laos - Northern Cambodia)

reddot11.gif

Veun Kham - Stung Treng (river). This checkpoint has been closed, foreigners can no longer the border here.

Thanks Big Dave for the info and link.

Just to clarify; there were two checkpoints within a few hundred metres of each other; one is now closed (Stung Treng) but the other, Dong Kralor, is still in operation. From what I understand from your link, the Dong Kralor one is accessible via Highway 7 from Cambodia which changes to Highway 13 in Laos...
 

Jimenator

Ol'Timer
Jul 5, 2016
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@
I'm looking to cross that same border into Laos in a few weeks; so do you think the officials are generally ok and should let me cross? I'm on my own Thai registered bike..

From the accounts I've been reading, if crossing from Cambodia to Laos, you should be OK. You may get away with not paying anything like Max did, or you may be hit up for a few dollars because you are "missing" papers they don't give at any border anyway.

Don't try coming the other way i.e. Laos to Cambodia, that could be problematic. In any case, due to the difficulties entering Laos by motorcycle from Thailand (and increasingly also, Vietnam) it's much better entering Laos from Cambodia where I have not heard there being any issues entering Laos by bike. You may then leave Laos for Thailand by pretty much any border, although Friendship bridges 2 & 3 may not like you riding across the bridge.
 

Reddo

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Nov 10, 2018
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From the accounts I've been reading, if crossing from Cambodia to Laos, you should be OK. You may get away with not paying anything like Max did, or you may be hit up for a few dollars because you are "missing" papers they don't give at any border anyway.

Don't try coming the other way i.e. Laos to Cambodia, that could be problematic. In any case, due to the difficulties entering Laos by motorcycle from Thailand (and increasingly also, Vietnam) it's much better entering Laos from Cambodia where I have not heard there being any issues entering Laos by bike. You may then leave Laos for Thailand by pretty much any border, although Friendship bridges 2 & 3 may not like you riding across the bridge.

Thanks for this post Jimenator...

My only worry is that I would need to organise a visa for Laos as I've heard they won't do visa on arrival at this border - and also still not 100% sure they will let me through as there have been plenty of recent posts about not letting Thai bikes into Laos at all borders (except for huay Xai).

I've decided to change my plan and enter Laos at Huay Xai / Chiang Rai province and then work my way around clockwise. If I can't get into Cambodia through Laos I will exit (hopefully) at Chong Mek / border back into Thailand...

Two days till departure from Phuket... fingers crossed!
 

Big_Dave

Ol'Timer
Apr 21, 2016
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Thanks for this post Jimenator...

My only worry is that I would need to organise a visa for Laos as I've heard they won't do visa on arrival at this border - and also still not 100% sure they will let me through as there have been plenty of recent posts about not letting Thai bikes into Laos at all borders (except for huay Xai).

I've decided to change my plan and enter Laos at Huay Xai / Chiang Rai province and then work my way around clockwise. If I can't get into Cambodia through Laos I will exit (hopefully) at Chong Mek / border back into Thailand...

Two days till departure from Phuket... fingers crossed!


Hi mate, Ive recently tried to enter Cambodia from Laos at this border. They will NOT let you in without a permssion letter from PP....the head customs guy will simply point to the copy of one he has permanently fixed on his desk. ...stupidly,coming the other way is not a problem, but I would suggest you dont watse your time, go out at Chong Mek and go back in at Choam. Anlong Veng is only 20klms across the border and its a very easy crossing.
 

James83

New Member
Dec 20, 2018
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hey everyone, update for you as of today (31 Dec 2018). I plan to enter Laos from Cambodia at Stung Treng border.

I visited the Laos Embassy in Phnom Penh and the guy there said it was possible and I just needed this form which he showed me. He said it was $20. I said it was more expensive than I wanted to pay and he immediately halved it to $10, which I accepted. I will let you know if it works.

It did mean I had to give a date I wanted to enter Laos, which I didn't want to do as I prefer to plan day by day, but I wanted (some) reassurance I could get through. Will let you know how I go.
 
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Reddo

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Nov 10, 2018
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hey everyone, update for you as of today (31 Dec 2018). I plan to enter Laos from Cambodia at Stung Treng border.

I visited the Laos Embassy in Phnom Penh and the guy there said it was possible and I just needed this form which he showed me. He said it was $20. I said it was more expensive than I wanted to pay and he immediately halved it to $10, which I accepted. I will let you know if it works.

It did mean I had to give a date I wanted to enter Laos, which I didn't want to do as I prefer to plan day by day, but I wanted (some) reassurance I could get through. Will let you know how I go.


Good luck!
 

James83

New Member
Dec 20, 2018
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So today I crossed from ‘scam’bodia to Laos at stung trung.

Had to pay $30 for ‘bike papers’ and a $2 stamp fee on the Cambodia side, and then $5 bike fee and $2 stamp on Laos side.

There were four of us with bike and we had no other option and he wouldn’t negotiate.

Apparently a day before my hotel said someone was rejected.

Good luck to anyone attempting it!
 

Werner Meier

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Nov 20, 2016
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Update on the Veun Kham - Stueng Traeng crossing. Tried to enter Cambodia coming from Laos Feb 1, 2019. Two bikes: a Thai and a Singapore bike, duly registered and owner driven. A friendly Laos checkpoint officer advised us not to stamp out from Laos but first go to the Cambodian side to see if they let us in. On the Cambodian side then the situation became quite tricky. The two of us were maneuvered immediately inside a customs' office, a uniformed person (broken English) was assisted by (what we believe) was a fixer in civil cloths, speaking rude English. Being treated like schoolboys that just committed some crimes, we were told in blunt language that it is illegal to enter Cambodia with foreign registered bikes. Two options were offered: first is travel without bike to Phnom Penh and obtain official clearance, a process said to take 5 days or more, come back and cross the border with bikes. Second option was to ask the approval of all present customs officers to allow us to enter. Fixer was blunt enough to tell us that the second option was very expensive but refused to name any figure. We also learned that there would be no paper whatsoever to prove we "legally" entered Cambodia with the bikes. Hence no protection for us in front of customs officer on the next exit checkpoint. They would have had us on our balls, exposed to extort further money from us or even play games with confiscation of bikes or similar. The fixer and officer were obviously on the run for big time money and in presence of all the red tape and risks involved we decided to drop them and return to Laos, a country that has been much more hospitable to us.
 

Dodraugen

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Thanks for the info. A corrupted bordercrossing indeed. Better to enter Cambo from Thailand and for example O’Smach.
 

Jimenator

Ol'Timer
Jul 5, 2016
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Werner, thanks for your report.

Went to the Veun Kham crossing a couple of weeks after you and have a very similar story to report. When I was there, I saw there were 4 Chinese registered cars/campervans looking to cross into Laos. I was thinking these guys are not going to be allowed in. So I went to talk with them, since I'm able to speak some Chinese. I also spoke with Lao customs. They said that while they have no problem with allowing foreign cars/bikes in or out of this border, the decision to allow entry on the Cambodian side rests with the officials there. So they would recommend talking with them first (no need to get your passport stamped) then come back for passport stamping if the OK is given.

I told the Chinese crew that they have 3 options, but only 2 of them are realistic: 1) go down to Phnom Penh for a permit, leaving their cars parked on the Lao side in the meantime. Then return to get your vehicles at the end. Since it was Thursday lunchtime and 537km to Phnom Penh, unless they managed to find a taxi to bring them to PP that day (most likely arriving in PP very late, perhaps after midnight), get the permit on Friday allowing them to be back at the border by Saturday, it would most likely turn into a multi-day affair. 2) speak with the Cambodian officials although it's unlikely they'd be allowed in or 3) Come back next time with a permit. Crossing via Thailand doesn't work as they would need a permit for Thailand. Although some vehicles are making it into Thailand despite the rules, they are not Chinese registered. Chinese need a permit in all cases. In the end they decided it wasn't worth it, said they would look into obtaining a permit via a travel agency in future and they had limited time so they thanked me, turned around and started to make the long journey back to Beijing! Yes, they drove that far!

The consensus seems to be to enter Laos from Cambodia, not the other way round. When I entered Cambodia the following day, I went via O'Smach (as usual). Chong Sa-ngam would have been slightly closer and I've heard they are now letting bikes/cars in this way, but I didn't want to waste time on this and would rather go somewhere I know I won't encounter any issues.

This time, i was told to go to the old customs hut (for the first time ever) but I received a small piece of paper (a customs form) with my vehicle details written on it and a "admitted until" date. I think that's a good move because now you have something to show if you're ever asked. I asked whether I would need to hand in this paper if exiting at another border as that was my intention. Although the official at first seemed to speak quite good English i think he misunderstood me, stating that this paper only needs to be handed back to O'Smach customs, but in the end it became clear I was free to exit at any crossing. I exited at Phsar Prum (Pong Nam Ron, Ban Pakkard) by handing back the paper to customs there. No questions asked, the guy looked at it and said I was done. Perfect.