Hi everyone, I'm Katie and I'm a newbie. I'm planning a backpacking trip later this year. From Surin, Thailand, I plan to pass through the Kap Choeng - O'Smach border, then travel on to Siem Reap. I have some questions.
Are there buses, tuktuks or minivans on the Camb side of the border? Can I get some sort of public transport once I reach the Camb side, or only taxis or hitchhiking are available? My aim is to go to Siem Reap, where I will be meeting with friends. For the border pass, I'll be doing it alone. I saw a thread of Mr. Bangyai wherein he did a visa run from this KC-OS border. On the Thai side there are lots of minivans from Surin, but the pic on the Camb side just showed private motorbikes and rural lands, which worried me. If there are public transport options, where do they go to and how much do they cost (approx)?
Another question is about visas. As a Filipino, I know that I don't need a visa for Thailand, Laos or Cambodia (ASEAN stuff). Will the Camb border officials just stamp my passport easily, or will they ask some bribe from me and threaten that I need a visa anyway? I never had problems travelling through SEA and passing immigration visa-free, but those were through airports. I've heard and read about the notoriety of land border officials.
Thank you and all help and suggestions will be greatly appreciated.