Pattaya Visa Run to Daung Cambodia

With the price of petrol the way it is it is cheaper to go on an orgainised visa run to Cambodia, I think using my car an all in cost would be just under 4,000baht :(
Pattaya has many visa run companies with starting prices of around 1,800baht all in, well, sort of all in anyway, Witherspoons Pub and Restaurant charges 2,400baht, this place is a right pig to park at even if you go by bike and is quite hard to find due to lack of noticeable signage, it is on Soi Bua Khao opposite Soi Diana Inn, next door to Oasis agogo, so why do they charge so much?

It is actually a pretty good deal, they call themselves 1st class visa run service, the initial good bit about it is their minibuses only have 6 seats, yep a nice big seat with loads of leg room, most mini buses seat 9 in the back, one time is enough if you have ever been on a full bus :(

The bad point about all these visa run services is the no smoking and the ridiculous hour you have to get up, yes, there are two 5 oclocks every 24 hours and one of them it is still dark, so it's a difficult decision whether to stay up all night, or, get pissed up the previous afternoon and pass out about 8pm, I went for the passing out at 8pm.

Another way of recognising the restaurant is by the 2 English style telephone boxes outside.

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The bar inside Witherspoons Restaurant.

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This 2,400baht fee includes a full English Breakfast, I just had bacon and beans though as by rights people shouldn't even be awake at that time of morning let alone eating.

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And the VIP mini bus, nice and clean, leaves at 6.45am sharp, has remote headphones if you want to watch the movies, the first movie was Hitman, got to admit I preferred the game myself, although I did watch the James Bond movie Casino Royal, as you get on the bus you also get a free bottle of water which was a nice gesture.

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3 and a 1/2 hours later you are at the Ban Laem Daung border crossing point, they did do a stop half way so desperate smokers could have a smoke.

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So first off you need to check out of Thailand, a pretty painless experience, and then you are met by your Cambodian guide, he fills out all the forms for you, go and gets your Cambodian visa and gets you stamped into Cambodia, then if you haven't got a ticket out of Thailand, for those going for the 30 day entry you need to buy a bus ticket for 200baht, this is in the duty free area on the right hand side about 3 rooms down.

Looking back into Thailand from Daung.

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This building is on the Cambodian side, this is where you leave your passport if you actually want to go into Daung itself, most people don't bother and it is a pretty crappy village.

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The original wooden bridge that crosses from Ban Laem to Daung, they have a proper concrete road now that you can see in the first picture.

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Looking from Thailand into Cambodia, if you was getting your own visa then the visa office is on the right hand side, first building/shack, the duty free area and casino is a bit further down on the right, and to leave and check into Cambodia is on the left, quite a nice modern building that one, although doing a visa run yourself you will also need to pay a 100baht fine for not spending a night in Cambodia.

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Thai side and durian for sale.

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The Thai side is mainly a market, loads of low end junk for sale.

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Cambodian smugglers?

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The first building you come to in Daung.

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Another 3 1/2 hours and your back at Witherspoons restaurant for a free meal, there was a choice of about 8 items including spagetthi and chicken kiev, I went for the scampy and fries, probably would have been dissappointed if this was classed as a main meal due to the small portion, but all in all pretty good.

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Another beggar on the bridge.

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If you are going into the duty free area at Daung they also have a casino, so make sure to hand in your guns at the entrance.

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Scotch starts around 250baht a bottle, Texas cigerettes at 100baht per carton.

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nice one DD, grat pics
Last week I drove to Poi Pet from Minburi Time 3 hours drove at 90KPH used up 1.4k bht of diesel.
Took the family and left them shopping in the (Thai side) market
L and M 120 bht per carton
1k for the visa
then back to Minburi
I left at my own time 9.30 am back by 6.30 pm
stopped for smoke breaks
Total cost 2.4k bht no early morning start and no Taxis into and back from central BKK
A cheaper option for me but tiring. The bus would have been more relaxing but can't stand early mornings

Was there myself on Tuesday after my mates fiasco, there is another border that is about 20kms closer though if driving yourself, no where to buy an onward ticket though if you are just a 30 dayer hence the visa run companies don't use it. But if on a non-imm or already have an onward ticket (just print yourself up an e-ticket) i would use that border as there is no fooker there the 3 times i've been there, straight in and out in a few mins. (can't remember the name of it though to save my life, and looked in my passport and all it says is Pong Nam Ron, which is the same as it says for Bang Lam the one you went too).

Edit - the Cambodian side is called 'Prum'

Pong Nam Ron and Prum is the one you went to first, you may recognise it here.

I was in Pruem once, never again. It took the driver (private) more than one houre to find the last 5 kilometers to the border

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dirtydog

A plate full of beans...

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Followed by 3 1/2 hours in an airtight aluminum compartment.

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They did do a stop half way so desperate smokers could have a smoke.

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Very good idea.

I'd take my car for the sheer convenience and put up with the extra cost.

Haven't done a land visa run for over four years now as I fly out somewhere nearly every month these days.

BB Lets does a cheap visa run service for TeakDoor members, yep, TD'ers get a discount :) it's a 9 seater bus though and no breakfast, this sets out at 6am :( picks you up if you are on the route, ie Jomtien, for people in Pattaya they pick up, but if your down some small crappy Soi you are asked to make your way to places like the Petronas Petrol garage on Sukhumvit Road opposite Soi Nern Plub Wan.

Mini buses are new, got the old dvd player and films but no personal headphones, the trip all in costs TeakDoorers 1,850baht so is real cheap, I got lucky and sat up front with the driver and the guide, she was a bit of alright, same 3 hours odd each way, the guide does all your paper work, also phones you the night before you go just to confirm and also 10 minutes before pick up time, so pretty efficient.

Once you get to Cambodia just go through the Thai immigration, there is a guy there waiting and you give him your papers and passport etc, if you need the non existent bus ticket just give him the 200baht and he gets it for you, and off you go for a free buffet meal at the casino in Daung, after that pick up your fags and scotch from the duty free and back to Pattaya you go.

Another beggar at the border of Ban Laem and Daung.

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