shezasdad
Junior Member
I’m re-posting this after the server crash as it may help those considering a trip to Cambodia and have never done it before, just like me.
I left Chiang Mai on the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] April 2014. On 11[SUP]th[/SUP]April a mate and myself crossed into Cambodia at the Chong Chom/O’smach border crossing. On the Thai side things went smoothly, Customs prepared the Temporary Export documentation for the bikes for us. They wanted copies of every page of the green book that had any entry on it. I was minus a copy of one page but the officer after asking for it didn’t worry about it. He then gave me a copy of each of the two documents for me to use when re-entering Thailand. Exiting Thailand was easy, just remember after the first officer does something (not sure what he did) you then have to go backwards to another office to be stamped out of Thailand.
On the Cambodian side we got our visa on arrival for 800 baht. Possibly we were ripped off because I think it is supposed to be $US20 but who cares, just let me in! Then we went to the Cambodian Customs who, as has been commented on here before, were in their hammocks and just waved us in.One more stop to show our visa then off we went to Siem Reap.
Highways 68 then 6 were good roads. After two nights in Siem Reap – which is a nicer but smaller Chiang Mai – it was off to Phnom Penh. Highway 6 started off well, very narrow with lots of traffic coming towards us due to the holidays. But then after maybe 100 kms it turned to blinding choking dirt all the way to Phnom Penh. With several smoke breaks I think it took us about 7 hrs to do the 320 kms. This included Highways 6A and 5. It also included a disaster when my friend’s nylon saddle bags fell apart and slipped to one side –the exhaust side naturally – because of the rough goat track and destroyed a few thousand dollars worth of electrical gear. As I had pulled the headlight fuse I turned my driving lights on in the dust and kept them on the whole week I was in Cambodia without any dramas.
After 3 nights we left Phnom Penh and took Highway 5 to Sisaphon. It is a good road all the way to Battambang. After Battambang there were several dirt sections. It was also where the locals have discovered the ‘wonderful’ Thai habit of throwing water. I guess over the next few years the rest of Cambodia will discover this ‘wonderful’ experience but I hope not. At the guesthouse in Sisaphon the owner told us of a road about 40 kms before Sisaphon which would take us on a good road to O’smach, but we had decided to try our luck exiting at Poi Pet.
Next day we went to Poi Pet arriving there at 6.30am. The Cambodians had no interest in our bikes. It then took us more than an hour to get through Thai Immigration. Then we had to show our Temporary Export forms to the Thai Customs and you sign a big book they put in front of you. That’s it.
A few side notes. ATMs tend to spit out $US50 and $US100 notes. Changing a $50 note is hard let alone a $100 note, especially when it’s public holidays and the banks are closed. Don’t give away your smaller notes if you don’t have to. Most of the petrol stations have different numbers allocated to their fuel. I just went for the most expensive figuring it must have a higher octane rating. It seemed to work. The Garmin GPS map that Nightrider provided was excellent – a big thank you to him. My 2011 Versys performed fantastically as did the Givi side bags. The bags didn’t let in one little bit of dust. Also Cambodians drive like Thais, just on the other side of the road! At my first roundabout I stopped, looked at it and seeing there was little traffic around I went around it from the left. But I got better at it as we went on. When I put this report up last week before the server crash someone commented about the need for insurance. At no time did I see anywhere you could get it. And seeing as I was given no paperwork to enter Cambodia I assume I wouldn’t have been able to get any anyway. I was happy to ride around at my own risk. Having said that I was clipped once as I was slowly overtaking a car and he decided to overtake the bike in front of him. As I said my choice my risk.
Lastly if you are like me and have never crossed out of Thailand before and are ‘nervous’ about doing it, just do it. Cambodia is excellent. We just took it slow and steady, smiled a lot especially around the Immigration and Customs officials and everyone was very helpful. I’ll be going back again – soon. Just don’t tell the missus!
I left Chiang Mai on the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] April 2014. On 11[SUP]th[/SUP]April a mate and myself crossed into Cambodia at the Chong Chom/O’smach border crossing. On the Thai side things went smoothly, Customs prepared the Temporary Export documentation for the bikes for us. They wanted copies of every page of the green book that had any entry on it. I was minus a copy of one page but the officer after asking for it didn’t worry about it. He then gave me a copy of each of the two documents for me to use when re-entering Thailand. Exiting Thailand was easy, just remember after the first officer does something (not sure what he did) you then have to go backwards to another office to be stamped out of Thailand.
On the Cambodian side we got our visa on arrival for 800 baht. Possibly we were ripped off because I think it is supposed to be $US20 but who cares, just let me in! Then we went to the Cambodian Customs who, as has been commented on here before, were in their hammocks and just waved us in.One more stop to show our visa then off we went to Siem Reap.
Highways 68 then 6 were good roads. After two nights in Siem Reap – which is a nicer but smaller Chiang Mai – it was off to Phnom Penh. Highway 6 started off well, very narrow with lots of traffic coming towards us due to the holidays. But then after maybe 100 kms it turned to blinding choking dirt all the way to Phnom Penh. With several smoke breaks I think it took us about 7 hrs to do the 320 kms. This included Highways 6A and 5. It also included a disaster when my friend’s nylon saddle bags fell apart and slipped to one side –the exhaust side naturally – because of the rough goat track and destroyed a few thousand dollars worth of electrical gear. As I had pulled the headlight fuse I turned my driving lights on in the dust and kept them on the whole week I was in Cambodia without any dramas.
After 3 nights we left Phnom Penh and took Highway 5 to Sisaphon. It is a good road all the way to Battambang. After Battambang there were several dirt sections. It was also where the locals have discovered the ‘wonderful’ Thai habit of throwing water. I guess over the next few years the rest of Cambodia will discover this ‘wonderful’ experience but I hope not. At the guesthouse in Sisaphon the owner told us of a road about 40 kms before Sisaphon which would take us on a good road to O’smach, but we had decided to try our luck exiting at Poi Pet.
Next day we went to Poi Pet arriving there at 6.30am. The Cambodians had no interest in our bikes. It then took us more than an hour to get through Thai Immigration. Then we had to show our Temporary Export forms to the Thai Customs and you sign a big book they put in front of you. That’s it.
A few side notes. ATMs tend to spit out $US50 and $US100 notes. Changing a $50 note is hard let alone a $100 note, especially when it’s public holidays and the banks are closed. Don’t give away your smaller notes if you don’t have to. Most of the petrol stations have different numbers allocated to their fuel. I just went for the most expensive figuring it must have a higher octane rating. It seemed to work. The Garmin GPS map that Nightrider provided was excellent – a big thank you to him. My 2011 Versys performed fantastically as did the Givi side bags. The bags didn’t let in one little bit of dust. Also Cambodians drive like Thais, just on the other side of the road! At my first roundabout I stopped, looked at it and seeing there was little traffic around I went around it from the left. But I got better at it as we went on. When I put this report up last week before the server crash someone commented about the need for insurance. At no time did I see anywhere you could get it. And seeing as I was given no paperwork to enter Cambodia I assume I wouldn’t have been able to get any anyway. I was happy to ride around at my own risk. Having said that I was clipped once as I was slowly overtaking a car and he decided to overtake the bike in front of him. As I said my choice my risk.
Lastly if you are like me and have never crossed out of Thailand before and are ‘nervous’ about doing it, just do it. Cambodia is excellent. We just took it slow and steady, smiled a lot especially around the Immigration and Customs officials and everyone was very helpful. I’ll be going back again – soon. Just don’t tell the missus!