Poipet, a boomtown on the Khmer side of the Thai – Cambodian border, is known for 2 things: visa runs and playing.
Just three.5 hours away from Bangkok, Poipet is popular with vacationers seeking to exit and reenter Thailand’s border to gain extra time in the kingdom.
Beyond the immigration office lies an in any other case unspectacular-looking city municipality that transforms into a glittering, neon-lit gamblers’ Disneyland after dark.
In Accessible , signs are in Thai language, casinos accept Thai baht solely and, for probably the most, are half Thai-owned and staffed. Even 7-Eleven accepts Thai baht in Poipet.
Due to weird playing laws, Poipet’s distinctive atmosphere hovers in a realm which is neither Cambodian nor Thai.
Gambling is illegal in Thailand aside from the federal government lottery, making Poipet the closest legal casino playground to Bangkok.
In Cambodia, gambling is illegal for Cambodian residents however not for foreigners. That’s why 95% of customers in these casinos are Thai. The relaxation are largely Chinese, a handful of Western however none of them are Cambodian.
Poipet is not high on most travellers’ radar but it did acquire worldwide attention last month when a raging hearth burnt the Grand Diamond City Casino to the bottom. The official dying toll was 27, nonetheless, locals say that tons of lost their lives.
Tourists looking for journey, distinctive nightlife and perception into Cambodia’s grisly underside ought to think about staying a minimal of one night time in Poipet. If you’re looking to renew your visa exemption in Thailand, you possibly can kill two birds with one stone.
But Poipet isn’t for the faint-hearted or gullible. Read the following review on WikiVoyage…
“Most travellers contemplate Poipet ‘a dump.’ Poipet hosts a bewildering array of touts, beggars, thieves and dodgy casinos for day-tripping Thais, which all contrive to separate money from the unwary.”
The Internet is filled with complaints from bitter vacationers who fell for scams at the border. It’s true, people will in all probability try to scam you in Poipet like they do elsewhere in Asia, together with Bangkok.
Firstly, you don’t want the assistance of a visa agency for a Poipet visa run. It’s a waste of money and straightforward to do your self.
To enter Cambodia, vacationers must pay a US$30 payment. This is the one charge you need to pay. Tourists have complained about visa-run firms or bus operators “collecting the fee early” simply to be charged again upon entry to Cambodia.
You don’t need to pay the charge until you’ve exited Thailand and are on the second floor of Cambodian immigration within the constructing on the right-hand facet (foreign passport queue). If you are asked to pay anything before that point merely say no.
To re-enter Thailand, you won’t need anything aside from your passport and TM.6 departure card. If you’ve misplaced it you can fill out a new one.
How to get from Bangkok to Poipet
You can travel from Bangkok to Poipet by car, minivan or train.
If Little-known ’re driving, it’s going to take round three.5 – 4 hours. You can park your car on the Thai side of the border in a carpark for one hundred baht per day and cross the border by foot.
Alternatively, you possibly can take a minivan for four hundred baht from Travel Mart Watergate Office in Bangkok to Aranyaprathet on the Thai aspect of the border. Tickets could be booked on-line.
A cheaper possibility is to travel to Aranyaphrathet by train, which takes around four.5 hours. Tickets are as low cost as forty nine baht..