Pattaya to Sihanoukville - same day

[sagitarius123]

Apologies if this info is already out here. I couldn't find it and was pleasantly surprised.

 

You can now get straight through to Snooky, by road, in a day from Pattaya. Virak Buntham have an afternoon service now from Had Lek, leaving at 1.45pm. The ticket cost me 600 bht but I'm not sure what the correct price is because everybody is a scammer at that border.

 

I got a condo pick up from Pattaya @ 7.30am to Had Lek ( change van at Trat ). Cost was 800 bht......You can do it cheaper if you take public transport but it takes forever and it's unlikely that you would meet the connection. Any money you save would be used on overnight accommodation at Koh Kong.

 

Total cost out was 1400 bht arriving Snooky around 7pm.

 

Coming back you can buy the full ticket for both trips for 850bht, from any travel agent, ending at Pattaya North bus station.

 

I went to Serendipity Beach. 15-30 bht beer, 20 bht cigarettes, ladies from 300 bht.

 

I didn't take a lady when I was there because I was having a break, with family....The girls were, in general, slimmer, more friendly, and not constantly on the phones.

 

[LeyesHombre]

Thanks for the info.

 

That's one helluva long day. I once did the mini-bus trip from Koh Chang to Pattaya and swore i'd never do it again. We stopped three times between Trat and Pattaya, and it ended being about an 8 hour trip.

 

I spent a few days in Snooky last year and enjoyed the hell out of it. Took the Giant Ibis bus from PP down and back. About 4.5 hours each way.

 

BHP

[Edge]

Apologies if this info is already out here. I couldn't find it and was pleasantly surprised.

 

You can now get straight through to Snooky, by road, in a day from Pattaya. Virak Buntham have an afternoon service now from Had Lek, leaving at 1.45pm. The ticket cost me 600 bht but I'm not sure what the correct price is because everybody is a scammer at that border.

 

I got a condo pick up from Pattaya @ 7.30am to Had Lek ( change van at Trat ). Cost was 800 bht......

 

Total cost out was 1400 bht arriving Snooky around 7pm.

.....................................................

 

The info' is definitely there...lots of times.

 

Could you just clarify the procedure please.

 

The minibus pick up from condo/hotel for 800 Baht to the Cham Yeam border crossing has been available for at least 8 years.

There is another ticket option at 950 Baht which gets you into Koh Kong itself.

 

The part which sounds new is the ongoing Virak Buntham bus to SV.

They are presumably incoming buses from SV backloading, only the timing sounds a bit tight.

 

My Qs are:-

1. Where did you buy the 600 Baht ticket for the VB bus - in Pattaya or at the border or in KK or ?

2. Where exactly did you board the VB bus - Cambodia side where?

 

Since the bridges were built it's always been possible to do Pattaya - SV (or PP) in a (long) day but the second leg had to be in a shared taxi which costs at least 1000, so the saving is 400 Baht or so.

[Kenjataimu]

I am with Edge on this, more info.

 

 In the past I have bussed to Had Lek, via Trat, then hired a private taxi (after a bit of fuss) to Snooky after going through the border.  Left  7am, got in about 7pm.  No stops except at the Trat bus depot (fuck all their) while awaiting the change over.  That was all a few years ago and based on Edge's recommendation at the time

[Edge]

........................ Left  7am, got in about 7pm.  No stops except at the Trat bus depot (fuck all their) while awaiting the change over. ...............................

 

A friend just did the 800 Baht minibus part of the trip.

He was going to PP, but the principles of taxi sharing the other side of the border are the same, or you might meet someone on your minibus.

The new part is the bit about the big buses backloading.

 

Here's his account of the relevant part of the trip.

. 

..................................... I decided Saturday was departure day. On the Friday I did a big shop for my friend, so he was going to be ok for a while. Mick kindly sussed out the return options. Again, I specifically wanted to go via KK so he gave me the address where to get tickets.. I spoke to the agent, even showed her a picture of our luggage .. no problem.. and that I wanted a bus that went straight to the border as I'd managed to pull my right calf muscle the day before so could hardly walk let alone carry large bags and the mattress overlay my friend had given me. This was a major thing for me as my mattress is getting a bit old so was considering buying a new one. The price was 800 baht each.

 

We were to be picked up at 7am near Micks place. Yan luckily had nearly everything packed when she went to sleep, I ended up not being able to sleep at all so was pretty tired when I woke Yan up at 5.30. We both showered and she was doing the final pack around 6.15 when the phone rings. The driver is having trouble finding us. Mick had woken up and was dressed so we quickly got everything in the car and at 6.20 a moto driver was guiding our driver to where we were. 5 mins later he was there and just rolled his eyes when he saw our luggage. The van had zero luggage area, having an extra set of seats. Anyway, he finally got going and did  pick ups here and there.. everyone had some luggage but there were only 6 or 7 of us so it didn't become an issue (yet).

 

We finally hit Sukumvit Road a bit after 7.30 and this guy had attitude on the road. Anyway we finally get near Trat and he stopped for gas. That gave me the opportunity to talk to 2 guys I hadn't spoken to during our couple of pee stops. 2 were going to S'ville, one couldn't speak english but the other guy, who turned out to be Dutch, was heading to PP. I asked if he had a car arranged and he said yes but wasn't sure if the driver had any other passengers. He also had a bit of luggage so 3 in the car with the luggage would have been perfect. He tried to ring him from Trat but couldn't get through and I lost him at the border as we lingered as I wanted to observe the customs area. Well we may as well have been invisible they took no notice as our luggage cart got wheeled between trucks to the immigration area. Yan had spoken to the 2 guys on the cart, who were Cambodian and said I wanted to go slowly to observe things.. beside the fact I could hardly walk. They actually offered to put me in cart for the 500 odd metres to Thai Immigration. I declined but maybe should have accepted. Yan had asked how much, they said 100 baht, but I said 10000 riel and they were happy with that. 2 nice guys  I actually tipped them an extra $ when they dropped our luggage off.

 

I forgot one important point just as I was about to press post...

 

We got to Trat and I was somewhat surprised when the driver turned into the bus station. He stopped near the normal Trat to Hat Lek mini bus and sure enough, we got offloaded onto it. I was pissed as I didn't want to handle the luggage. When I struggled to get it into the back of the van (thank you to the young British guy who helped me), the driver came over and said that would be an extra 100 baht. Well I can blow up sometimes but didn't...took out my ticket that clearly said Pattaya to Had Lek and said not my problem we get shafted and trans shipped at Trat. No baht. 3 times they asked, 3 times i just said no, finally they conceded and we were off. 

 

No issues at the Thai immigration, there were trucks everywhere to the point it made getting around them difficult.  Waltzed past Cambodian customs and then scam 1. Health check. They pointed something at me, gave me a yellow form, did the same to Yan and said 20 baht each. I said.. nope and walked off. Scam 2.. this didn't apply to me but one guy on the bus from Pattaya had flown into Siem Reap 3 weeks earlier and had a $30 tourist visa. I'd said to him and a couple of other guys that they will gouge you and expect to pay probably $40. Good guess as that is exactly what they got charged despite the Belgian guy showing them he'd paid $30 3 weeks earlier. They had been charged a $ each for the "health check" they must have scaled it down for me given I was with a Cambodian. Just refuse to pay and walk away.

 

As we finished at Cambodian immigration, that was quick and efficient, the dutch guy waved at us and said his car would be here in 20 mins and we had the whole car for $75. My only reservation about this was when I initially spoke to him I'd learnt he was an NGO, had been in Cambodia since 1989 and had a boyfriend (shudder!!). But we lived about 4 streets from each other so it was a win win situation, I paid $50 he paid $25 and any tip if he gives it, we got dropped off first and all was good. 

 

We had discussed the driving and had told the driver, who was well known by the poofy guy, we were in no hurry and to just take it easy. And that's exactly what he did. Going to Koh Kong the road was in good condition, a week later they had dug up 2 sections of it around 40 kms from Srey Amble.. didn't hold us up much but the road conditions are in flux. 

 

We walked in our door at 7.30pm, ................................................

Ross

[sagitarius123]

I bought the ticket for the onward journey about 50 metres from the visa desk at Cham Yeam, on the same side. There's a gazebo thingy that you can sit in. Tickets range from 600-900' depending on your negotiating skills..... The bus is parked about 50 metres further away.

 

It is indeed the return bus from Snooky which arrives at Cham Yeam around 12.30.' so plenty of time to turn around at 1.45.

 

I know the minivan pickup has been available for ages from Pattaya. I was making the point that it is the fastest way to get to Had Lek to catch the same day connection. ( or taxi at 3500 bht.........Not much in it if there are 3 of you ).

 

Remember, coming back to Pattaya VB do the full trip for 850 bht.

[LeyesHombre]

In the alternative, you can fly from BKK to Trat for B2500 (BKK Airways) and catch a transport from there. One hour flight. Of course, you have to add in the travel time and expense in getting from Patts to BKK.

 

BHP

[Edge]

In the alternative, you can fly from BKK to Trat for B2500 (BKK Airways) and catch a transport from there. One hour flight. Of course, you have to add in the travel time and expense in getting from Patts to BKK.

 

BHP

 

Surely you didn't do that? 555

[LeyesHombre]

Surely you didn't do that? 555

 

Actually, I did take that flight but I was already in BKK at the time. Saved a helluva lot of time getting to Koh Chang, that's for sure. Then I took a mini bus from Trat to Patts and hated every minute of it.

 

BHP