Cambodia Day 1: Border Crossing

Originally, my summer plan was to fly straight to Cambodia and spend a week there. However, when I saw that the price of round-trip plane tickets from Seoul to Cambodia averaged around $800, I decided to get a little creative and see if I couldn't shave that cost down. A one-way ticket from Seoul to a major travel hub like Hong Kong was ridiculously cheaper, and flying from Hong Kong to Bangkok was also incredibly inexpensive. Since Thailand borders Cambodia, I figured there must be a land route between the two, and after doing a little research I found a website to purchase bus tickets online. For the flight home, I got a special deal on a one-way plane ticket out of Cambodia, taking me back to Seoul just in time for summer classes. All in all, when the dust settled and my ticket invoices were tallied I had spent barely $700, and as a bonus my travel itinerary had just tripled in size. Not too shabby!

That was how I came to be in Bangkok's northern Mochit bus station early on a Sunday morning. I had arrived by taxi from my hostel, and I would be traveling by bus across Thailand's eastern half and Cambodia's western tip for the next eight hours. Before getting on the bus I stopped by a 7-11 to stock up on snacks: a couple of sandwiches, some bananas, a bag of chips and a pack of cookies, all of which cost me under $5. The bus itself was comfortable enough, and the ride was pleasantly uneventful. On board, all of the passengers were backpackers and travelers like myself, all headed to Cambodia or parts further east. Most were from America or Europe, and the fellow I sat next to was French. He had spent his summer working on a farm in Australia saving money, and was now enjoying an odyssey through Asia on his way back home. We had a lot of time on our hands, so we chatted quite a bit. The bus stopped once, at a small station in the Thai countryside, and didn't stop again until we reached the border crossing.

I had done a lot of research about the Thai-Cambodia crossing at Poipet in the weeks leading up to my trip. Namely, I had read to be wary of scammers who try to double charge you for an entry visa into the country. To prepare for that I purchased a visa online before my arrival. I thought I was ready, but when I got off my bus I didn't expect the scene I found. If you've watched Star Wars, maybe you're familiar with the space port Mos Eisley: old, beat up and run-down, full of colorful characters in transit from one place to another, everybody doing what they want with security added as an afterthought. Now I'm not saying there weren't any military or police present in Poipet, but they seemed awfully laid-back in comparison to other borders I've been to. The police I did see just idly watched as throngs of people, many piled onto scooters, others packed into massive tour buses, came and went.

Getting into Cambodia was a tricky thing, not because of security, but because I had no idea where to go. The bus staff gave us no instructions; they just kicked us off with barely a word spoken. I had purchased a ticket for a direct ride from Bangkok to my final destination, but I would have to get my passport stamped before I'd be allowed back on the bus. Unsure of what to do next, I followed the crowds. Eventually I arrived at the customs office on the Thai side, and after showing my passport and my plane ticket stubs, I was allowed to move on. Upon exiting the office I was in front of the gate to Cambodia, wide open and waiting for me to step through. The novelty of it all was wonderful to me; without having to undergo a thorough pat-down, with no Ramboesque super guards scrutinizing my every move, I was able to just casually walk into another country. The same went for everyone around me. Backpackers, Thais and Cambodians were constantly shuffling by in a constant stream, all going about their own business without any kind of anxiety.

Once on the Cambodian side, I wandered around a bit before I found where I could have my passport stamped and my visa verified. I had to wait in line for about an hour, but I was fine with that. It was interesting to watch the variety of people who scooted through the border. In front of me was a young Japanese man traveling with his mother. I know enough Japanese to engage in small conversation, and of course seeing their reaction to finding a non-Japanese person speaking their language, in Poipet of all places, was the most amusing thing to me.

With my newly stamped passport in hand I went looking for my bus. A different bus driver mistook me for one of his passengers and almost whisked me away to parts unknown, but after the misunderstanding was cleared up he told me my bus was waiting on the Thai side of the crossing. So, I simply walked across the border and back into Thailand, and after everyone had boarded the bus we drove for a few more hours until we reached the Cambodian city of Siem Reap.

The bus arrived in the early evening. I had dinner with my new French friend and a German, and then took a scooter taxi, or tuk tuk, to my hostel. That night was spent just trying to gradually acclimate myself to my new surroundings so that I could be ready for the next morning. I had come a long way for a very specific reason, and finally I was within reach of my goal: the ancient temple city of Angkor Wat.