POIPET

Poipet is a small town in western Cambodia, near the Thai border.

Poipet is the gateway to Cambodia for many overland travellers coming from Thailand. It does not provide a very warm welcome. Gordon Sharpless notes that "Poipet more or less rhymes with toilet" and this caustic observation is, sadly, true. Poipet is a miserable huddle of touts, beggars, thieves and dodgy casinos for day tripping Thais, and spending any more time than absolutely necessary is not recommended.

Getting there

To reach Aranyaprathet from elsewhere in Thailand, see the Aranyaprathet article. The border crossing opens at 07:00 and closes at 20:00 (there's no time difference between Cambodia and Thailand). Also, be warned if you take a tuk-tuk to the border he will likely take you to the Cambodian Consulate to get a visa first. He does this of course because he receives a portion of the corruption fee for your overpriced visa (1000 - 1300 baht). Do not waste your time here and tell the driver that you want to go to the border instead.

Once you do finally persuade a tuk-tuk to take you to the border he will likely drop you off just before the border, at a group of visa officials wearing fake laminated badges. These touts will tell you that you have to get a visa (for 1000 baht) before entering Cambodia. This is of course a untrue as you can get a visa on arrival after passing Thai immigration. There is also a corporate bank after immigration that offers decent exchange to USD which will be useful for obtaining a visa.

Cambodian visas on arrival are available here with varying degrees of hassle. Arrive early in the morning to avoid queues, particularly at mid-day, when the tourist buses arrive. The paperwork is very simple to fill out, and requires no assistance, regardless of what any touts may tell you. Forms are available at the counter to the left of the visa window, although it's likely that a tout, seeking to establish a relationship for later, will bring one to you as soon as you approach the office. These touts are probably connected with the border officials and they will reassure to you, if asked, about the official role of the tout.

A passport photo is required for the visa; that's the easy part. The hard part is the cost. A sign posted by the Cambodian government over the window of the visa counter states clearly and unambiguously that a tourist visa costs US$20, and that sign is the bane of the visa officer's existence. What he does when you hand over your $20 varies from day to day. He'll usually decline and ask for 1000 baht instead, which works out to almost US$30. If you agree to that, you'll have your visa within five minutes. If you hold him to the price on the sign over his head, though, he'll probably ask for anything from 100-300 baht as an expedite fee, and if you decline that, he'll angrily tell you the wait is "long time" and stare off into space or simply shut the window and go back to sleep. In that case, you can stand there for a while or claim that you have no Thailand baht to expedite the visa. After a while the officer will likely come back and tell you the price has miraculously dropped  to US$25 for a visa. After this quote you can either pay the fee and have the visa in a few minutes or continue your quest to pay the clearly posted price. In the latter case you can usually expect to finally obtain a visa within a few hours. This is another reason to arrive at the border early in the morning as in the late afternoon the official knows you want to get to your onward destination that same day, and therefore he has the leverage.

However, if you want to avoid these visa hassles, get yourself the e-Visa for US$25. This is an excellent service and you'll breeze past immigration.

Once you have your visa, brush off the touts and head down the street to get an entry stamp into Cambodia. Compared to the visa, this is a relatively straightforward procedure.

Free buses or shuttle vans should be waiting around the corner from the entry office. These travel to a transportation depot about 1km away, and deliver you into the hands of the Poipet travel monopoly. Tourists are no longer able to negotiate directly with drivers - the drivers know this, and travelers have reported being followed around Poipet by police officers to ensure they aren't able to strike up any deals away from the eye of the travel monopoly, who get a cut from every fare.

The guide in the minibus from the border to the bus station will explain that you should have riel (the local currency) to avoid paying inflated prices in US dollars. He will suggest changing money at the bus station at terrible rates. Don't fall for this: riel are only used as small change, all the prices in the country are in US$, and there are plenty of ATMs in Siem Reap.

Some tourists have reported they have been taken directly to a private travel agency instead of the proper depot, with the excuse that the station "is under construction". You can still refuse this obligation and walk away to negotiate directly to taxi drivers around. Another chance to evade the monopoly is simply to walk left or right after customs and say you want to spend the night in a hostel to visit casino or disco. Go inside one of  the hotels and ask if they can arrange a taxi. A taxi to Siem Riep normaly cost up to $25 USD, but without a proper negotiation you might be asked as much as $50-60 USD... (good luck).

Past scams here have included having to pay for a SARS form or for non-production of a vaccination certificate.

By bus

Seats on the official bus service from the depot to Siem Reap cost $5 a pop, although departures are not frequent - you may have to wait a few hours, the ride will take around six hours, and you'll probably be delivered to a commission-paying guesthouse for a fresh round of hassles.

As of mid-April 2009, the road between Poipet and Siem Reap is almost completely finished, bus traveling time is between 3 and 6 hours.

By taxi
 

Road near Poipet

Currently Toyota Camry taxis to Siem Reap will take you from Poipet for a fixed price of 2400 baht however this price is over inflated and you can get a ride for 1000 Baht(but this takes a lot of negotiating effort). This incredibly inflated fare is primarily caused by the police-enforced travel monopoly that prevents competing taxi fares and takes the majority of the profit ($25 per taxi trip) away from anyone involved. The police will "ticket" drivers who are seen offering rides to tourists outside of the corrupt system (the fare might only be $30 if the police are not paid off). The taxis seat up to four people, so don't be shy about introducing yourself to fellow travelers at the visa office and joining up for the ride.

Paving of the infamous Poipet-Sisophon-Siem Reap road was finally completed in April 2009 and, for time being, it's a very smooth ride that can be covered in under three hours. How well the road will stand up, especially once the monsoon hits, is another story. After arriving in Siem Reap your taxi driver will likely drop you off at a stand of overly happy tuk-tuks just a couple kilometers outside the city center. While to the experienced traveler this situation may set off some very serious alarm bells you will soon be informed that the tuk-tuk drivers are paid by the travel monopoly and will take you to whichever guesthouse you request free of charge. Additionally, the drivers and guides speak very good English and provided surprisingly accurate information about different guesthouses in town. The slightly minor catch is that after you decide on a place the driver and co-pilot will mention that they can be hired for the day for Angkor Wat tours if you so desire.

Taxis going the opposite direction may be cheaper, if you can keep the middle men out of it. Ask your guesthouse. Since far fewer people head to Poipet than away, you have a better bargaining position.

By pickup truck

If you can find them - they're persona non grata near the border these days - pickup trucks connect from Siem Reap and Battambang, although you will more likely than not have to change at Sisophon. Seats inside/outside the truck 5000/3000 riel to Sisophon, plus 10000/5000 onward to either Siem Reap or Battambang.

Things to see & do

The most rewarding part of any tourist's visit to Poipet is leaving the city, whether it's towards the appropriate destination in Cambodia, or towards Thailand. With gambling being illegal in Thailand, Poipet's location has made it a popular destination for Thais longing to risk their money on roulette and poker. Poipet's gambling industry is growing fast and there are several large, opulent casinos in town, in rather disgusting contrast to the begging children near the border. Other than gambling, whoring and lowering one's opinion of humanity, there are no sights or activities in Poipet.

Eating & drinking

There is a convenience store not far from the border in Poipet, although you'll incur some suspicion by heading into town instead of taking the bus to the transportation depot. There are cold drinks and some snacks available near the depot while you're waiting, and some (overpriced) beer and soft drinks next to the window at the visa office.

Some of the casinos offer buffets, if you care to venture inside. They have dress codes, though, so you may have to spruce up a bit.

Capitol Restaurant (2km from the border) - Restaurant with A/C. Meals cost $2-4.

Places to stay

If at all possible, overnight in Aranyaprathet instead.

Poipet Phnom Pich Guest House (On the main street, about 1.5km from the border office). Cheap, acceptable. Fan rooms with small windows for 150 baht.

Nita Guest House (near the casinos and the Cambodian customs office) Tel. 012-832026. Clean rooms with A/C for 500 baht.

Liv Hov Guest House (On a nameless side street, but taxi and moto drivers will know it by name) Clean rooms for 200-250 baht (fan) or 350 baht (with AC).

Holiday Palace Resort, No.1 & 2 Kbal Spean Village, Poipet Tel:+66(01)9841935. Room from 1100 bath. Facilities: Laundry, Cafe, Internet, Restaurant (Chinese, Japanese, Indonesia and Korea), gym, saloon, spa, etc

Caution

Poipet is not safe, particularly at night. Watch out for pickpockets and snatch thieves, including the adorable little children who swarm you and cheer at the border. If you've managed to arrange a taxi away from the monopoly, don't pay up front, and do not let anybody you don't know into the car. The small upside to the travel monopoly is that, once the exorbitant price for the taxi has been paid, they're reliable, and the driver will take you anywhere you like once you've reached your destination.