Crossing Borders in SE Asia via Bus [What you NEED to Know]

7/25/2023

I'll be honest, crossing the border in Southeast Asia via a sleeper bus is an experience in itself. Not only did we cross the border from Bangkok, Thailand, to Vientiane, Laos - we also crossed via sleeper bus from Vientiane to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Although it can be stressful and sketchy (and VERY long), we don't want you to experience it in the way we did (watch our video below for context). We've created this post filled with all our best tips and things you might want to know so that you can hopefully have a better and smoother transfer than we did.

Our Essential Travel Resources :
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Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my packing list for your international or domestic travels.

What You NEED to Know

You Might Get Left - Yes, seriously. We met multiple people during our 24 hour bus ride that were left at different "stops" and transfer points during our 24 hour journey from Laos to Cambodia - some people were left for hours, some people were left overnight. It can really be all over the board - we were even almost kicked off a minivan because we refused to move to the back of the bus for locals. (And when we did decide to move, they only allowed Tyler to move to the back and we were separated the rest of the journey.)
You Will NOT Be Brought Over the Border - Even if you pay for an extra transfer to take you over the border, you will NOT be physically brought over the border or escorted across or guided across. When we paid extra to be brought over the border from Thailand to Laos, we were dropped off at the border to figure out our own way across - when we showed them our bus tickets they laughed at us and told us there was nothing picking us up on the other side of the border either.
Expect Transfers - Transfers, transfers, and more transfers. When we booked our sleeper bus from Laos to Cambodia, we expected one sleeper bus and maybe another mode of transportation to pick us up on the Cambodia side of the border. Instead, we got one sleeper bus, one mini van, one tuk tuk, another minivan - then walked across the border - then 3 more minivans before we got to our destination in Cambodia. So, expect transfers and you'll be just fine.
Extra Fees - Chances are there will be extra fees for crossing the border, whether it's for your visa, or a random health check questionnaire, or who knows what else. We recommend having US Dollars on you, cash from the country you're leaving, and some cash from the country you're going to - as long as you can get a good exchange rate.

Best Tips for an Easy (ier) Border Crossings

Know the Exchange Rate - We recommend knowing the current exchange rate both from your home country and the country you're visiting. There will be multiple places along your journey (transfer stops and border crossings) where you will have the opportunity to exchange currencies - however we don't recommend. Often times the exchange rate will be terrible, for example at the Laos/Cambodia border crossing we were offered 400 Riel per USD, when the actual exchange rate would be about 4,000 Riel per USD. Either exchange it beforehand or wait until you get to your destination.
...and Visa Prices - It's important to note the estimate of visa prices as well, although these can vary (we were with a small group of people at the Laos/Cambodia border and although we were charged $34 USD per visa, each person in our group was charged something different) - it's important to at least have an idea of how much a visa would cost. It's also worth noting that if you do get your visa ahead of time, chances are there will be some other fee at the border (like a health survey/questionnaire) that was waved for people getting their visas on the spot.
Carry Photos - We recommend having extra visa photos with you in the appropriate size. For Vietnam and Thailand this is 4cm by 6cm, for Cambodia and Laos this is 4.5cm by 3.5cm. We were able to stop in a shop in Bangkok that did passport photos and received 6 visa size photos for cheap - and although they ended up being a little too big for our Laos visas it didn't seem to matter.
...and Proof of Purchase - Because there will be multiple transfers, and the chance of you getting left behind or kicked off, we recommend always having full proof of your bus tickets on you. This could be in the form of a receipt, a bus ticket, or a written note from the bus' ticketing office. We recommend always having this on you in a safe place in case you need it to fight for your spot on the bus.
...and Extra Cash - Extra fees, charges, and increased visa prices are all a possibility. With terrible exchange rates at the border and most places not accepting credit cards, we recommend having cash for what you need and then a little extra.
...and Snacks - Most journeys can take an entire day, and if it's anything like ours there weren't many stops at places for food. (Well, there were a few stops at transfer points, but not any food we were comfortable with eating.) We recommend stocking up before your journey with some comfort items, snacks, and drinks.
Read Reviews - If you find a good deal, read reviews - about each company. From what we've heard most bus companies are pretty similar, but you might be able to find some that are better than others. And on that note, we recommend that you
Stay Away From... - Thai Sriram & Virak Buntham Express are two bus lines we would NOT recommend. You can see our experience with Virak Buntham in our video below, and Thai Sriram is who we used to journey from Thailand to Laos - a.k.a. the ones who left us at the border and laughed. So maybe try to stay away from those two ;)

In closing, we just want to say that the entire process can feel a bit sketchy, especially when you get transferred from a group in a minivan to being the only ones on a Tuk-Tuk with a random man while another local drives by with a rifle slung across his back - however, we hope that this post at least helped to prepare you and your expectations of what a sleeper bus journey in Southeast Asia will be like. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments!

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