I live in Ha Tien, way down on the bottom left-hand corner of the map of Vietnam. We are the terminal for the massive ferry that sails people off to Phu Quoc resorts. (It can carry people,
motorcycles, cars and trucks.)
I operate two fishing boats as a living for tourists.
Occasionally I cross the border in to Cambodia and always hear of stories of travellers getting stuck, ripped off and so forth.
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BRIEF
Ha Tien is 5 kilometres from the border or Dong105,000.
The border is about 50 kilometres from Kampot, Cambodia - a small town by anyone's ruler.
Taxi fares are about $30-40 to Kempot; $50-60 to Sihanoukville and $60-70 for Phnom Penh - if there is anyone to take you.
THERE IS NO PUBLIC BUS SERVICE IN CAMBODIA AT THE BORDER.
NEVER CROSS THE BORDER WITHOUT TRANSPORT ARRANGED.
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VISAS
Only $5, 2-week Tourist visas can be bought at the Vietnam border. Note you have to pay another $5 when you exit. They are only legal for travel in Ha Tien and Phu Quoc. Leave this area and you will be arrested.
The Cambodian visa is $25 for 30 days and available at the border. Bring another dollar for the health check!!!
For border runners you can get 6-month visas at the Vietnamese Consulate in Sihanoukville. See later.
NEVER pay someone to do the border visas for you. Most all officials on both sides speak half-decent English. The Vietnam side is fully computerised so if someone is thinking of escaping from Vietnam (foreign people do crime here in Vietnam).
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BORDER POST HOURS: 07:00-18:00 hours, daily - both sides. (Just because Vietnamese and Cambodian citizens can cross at night - this doesn't include foreign people.)
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PROCESS-VIETNAM
Approach first gate, then walk to Border Post. The counter is on the left-hand side. NO SMART*RSE REMARKS (like joking about drugs, etc), they know English well enough, some fluently.
Hand passport in. Processing takes up to 10-minutes for tourists, quicker for border runners. Then walk to next Perimeter Post.
Show passport, after inspection walk through ceremonial gateway.
Continue on over temporary bridge - which is the legal border - and on to Cambodian Immigration.
The first hut is where you buy visas for $25 - not $30. Fill in Arrivals card.
Then you walk to the next hut (5 feet away) where they legally stamp you into Cambodia and complete your Arrivals card. They will hand you the Exit portion.
Some more footsteps and there is the Health Inspector. You fill in the form, pay him a dollar and he will let you pass through the next barrier.
Walk further, through another barrier and on the right side is a Immigration check point building where they make sure you have a passport in your hand!
One more barrier and you arrive at a market area and a mud road that goes for 20 kilometres through rice paddies. It then turns into a paved road that goes to Kompot.
AGAIN, DO NOT CROSS BORDER IN TO CAMBODIA UNLESS YOU HAVE ARRANGED TRANSPORT.
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PROCESS-CAMBODIA
Walk through market; walk past Cambodian officials hut on right side, wave your passport.
Proceed through the first and second barriers, past the casino's, past Dr. Health, to the Cambodian Immigration office. The official will process your exit and then you walk across the bridge.
Walk under the ceremonial arch, past the first VietNam hut on your right side, then all the way to VietNam Immigration.
If you have a Vietnam visa it will take 5-10 minutes, tourist visas take a little longer.
Exit and on the left side in a VietNam immigration check stand, next to the barrier. You have to show your passport and visa to them. They will let you enter into Vietnam.
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BORDER-NOTES
- Your Vietnam cell will work just in to the market area in Cambodia.
- Bury your passport deep in your clothing, do not leave anything, like bags, sitting around.
- Have small US dollar amounts handy - no one has change (they say). Don't let anyone 'help you' - it will cost.
- At the Vietnam final gate, on the left side, is a restaurant. He will call for VietNam taxi for you. $6, or Dong 105,000 gets you to the Ha Tien market place.
The walk between the first Vietnam gate and the last Cambodian gate is about 1 kilometre - ON FOOT!
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NO ONE WILL GIVE YOU A RIDE between the border and Ha Tien. You can beg, plead, offer money, a warm night tonight - the hassle with a police check and drugs in your bags are not worth the most voluptuous woman.
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TRANSPORT-BORDER-ARRANGED
There is only one tour operator crossing the border. This is a monopoly and therefore this is not an advertisement!
Ha Tien Mekong Travel (in VietNam)
07 Tran Dau, KP1, Phuong Binh San
Ha Tien, Kieng Giang Province, VietNam
Tel: 0773-952-963, Cell: 0982-952-963
Email: [email protected] (correct address)
Web site: hatienmekongtravel.com/gt001/default.aspx
They speak Vinglish. Even though the woman appears to know English, it's not very much. She gets things confused.
Ha Tien to Border to Kampot is $10; Ha Tien to Border to Sihanoukville is $14. (Present) Note this is $4 cheaper than buying through a hotel or "agent".
The ONLY mini-bus leaves Ha Tien at 12.00 hours, daily. Depending on holes in the road, it will take one hour to Kep resort area, another hour to Kempot and 3-4 more hours to Sihanoukville.
Other contacts for tour company are:
Kampot Tours (aka Ha Tien Mekong Travel)(Head Office)
Kampot, Cambodia
Tel: +855-888-125-556
Cell: 0979-828-996
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: KampotTours-travel.com
If you are on border run buy a return. See more later.
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TRANSPORTATION-VIETNAM (Domestic)
There is a bus station in Ha Tien. They are all on the make. 'No
speak English'. Even Mai Linh office says 'No speak English' when people ask for taxi.
Taxi Ha Tien market to bus station or reverse is Dong 25,000.
There are old buses and Mai Linh buses. The first Mai Linh leaves for Rach Gia at 07.45 hours in the morning (get there around 07.15 hours). After that the local rust buckets leave all day for Rach Gia, about 2.5 hours away, plus time for fixing the buses.
Mai Linh Dong 65,000, others wjatever they can rip you for. Not over Dong 55,000 (usual price is Dong 45,000)
Rach Gia is another world. If you want a seat to SaiGon, use Mai Linh (green) at Dong 125,000. If you want a sleeper (not for tall people) use Futa-Phuong Trng (orange) at Dong 140,000. They both give water and wipes.
They both say FIVE HOURS and take six or seven - you have to use the ferry!
NEVER use an AGENCY for buying tickets. They stick on 30-40%.
You can buy bus tickets at the bus station - or at the ferry terminal for normal prices.
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HA TIEN HOTEL
There are many hotels. If you want a clean, new hotel use:
Phuong Thao Hotel
22 Nguyen Trai, TT TM TX
Ha Tien, VietNam
Tel: 0773-965-555
Email: PhuongThao-HTKG@ Yahoo.com
Web site: None
$10/night single; $14/double.
I don't own this hotel, don't even know them, but they are next to the market and have free WiFi.
You can EAT great food at the market for dinner, banh me for breakfast. You choose your own fresh caught fish and choose the style and you can feast like a king for Dong 30,000-40,000. Note:
The man from the People's Committee will charge you Dong 5,000 if you sit at the Western sized stainless tables (better than free plastic chairs for short people).
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VISA-BORDER RUNS
IF you can get to Sihanoukville by the evening on Sunday to Friday (the Consulate is open Saturday morning!!!) you can get a visa and still make the 11.00 hours mini-bus back to civilisation.
6-month tourism single entry is $90; 6-month business multi-entry is $125. There are no one year visas. 30 and 90 day visas are available as well.
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SIHANOUKVILLE
I know of two clean hotels for border runners.
Sihanoukville TimeShare Hotel
Tel: +855-34-675-4999
Cell: 097-666-8503
$12/night double room with window
-or-
The Small Hotel (Henrik and Mom Olsson) (downtown-close to Consulate)
(opposite the rear of the Sihanoukville TimeShare Hotel)
Tel: +855-34-934-330
Cell: 034 934 330
Email: [email protected]
Web site: thesmallhotel.info
$12/night/double room with NO window; $15/night/double room with window.
No need to pre-book as there is always a room at one of the hotels.
Whether you stay at either hotel you eat or booze at The Small Hotel. Note food is more expensive than in Vietnam.
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Motorcycle ride to Vietnam Consulate is $1 each way; $5 if he waits for you (recommended).
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There is a tour bus run each day at 11.00 hours back to Vietnam, book in Ha Tien and you are guaranteed a seat; book in Sihanoukville subject to spare space.
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TOUR BACK TO VIETNAM
Sometimes if there are only one or two people going back in to Vietnam the tour bus driver will try to leave you next to the health check hut.
Refuse to get out - except for immigration - but KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR HIM.
Make sure he drives you all the way to Vietnam Immigration.
He must then walk with you, through immigration and when you reach the last Vietnam check point make sure he orders a PREPAID TAXI and waits with you.
When the taxi arrives, say to the driver MIEN PHEE (free) and when the driver says Yes, then the tour driver can leave.
NOT BEFORE!
(When the driver leaves his bus in what I call No Man's Land it avoids all the hassles with Vietnam customs and immigration)
Finally, Mr. England with the guitar, no one will pay you $5 for a poor version of Elvis because you are broke; and American lady, with her wimp of a boyfriend, accusing the only Cambodian taxi driver of being a crook is not a smart idea. Why you started swearing at me might make you feel good for screwing up, but I nearly left you there.
Hopefully these notes will make things easier.