travel from bangkok to seam reap how to

Hello we are travelling from bangkok to seam reap on the 9th April and need some advice on the best overland route.
I have heard it can be a night mare so some advice would be great
Thanks Trev and Lynds

Trev,
The best source for info is here. Read very carefully what Gordon has to say on this route. He really is against using the KSR travel agents. Do it on your own.

You do have another option if you want to see Phnom Penh. Fly Air Asia into PNH, bus up to Siem Reap, $10, tour Angkor and go back to BKK via road. Not so many scams and ripoffs
going back to BKK.Good luck.

[ Edit: Edited on 20-Jan-2009, at 10:30 by vegasmike6 ]

Trevor,

The most convenient way to get to the Thai-Cambodian border from Bangkok, per me, is the train from Hualamphong station at 5:30/5:55 am. You reach Aranyaprateth at around 11:30 am. You'll find a plethora of tuk-tuks waiting outside the station to take you to the border. Shared tuk-tuks are also available and cheaper. I'd advise that you have your visa processed from the Cambodian Embassy in your country rather than at the border, to avoid rip-offs. Once on the Cambodian side (Popet), there's just one travel company that operates buses/taxis to Siem Reap (at least that's what I found). They charge you $10 per person for bus and $15 per person for taxi. The road isn't bumpy but isn't comfortable either. There are numerous diversions and the dust almost suffocates you despite the glasses being rolled-up. The journey from Popet to Siem Reap is between 2.5 - 3.5 hrs.

Another option for travelling by road is to take one of the private buses that go upto Siem Reap. These are rip-offs for people who apply for visa on arrival. These can be slow but at the end of the day you might end up saving a few bucks. I do not know the exact cost of this one. They generally quote a figure inclusive of Visa charges. So you might have to negotiate.
On the way back from Siem Reap to Bangkok by road - these buses cost you as low as $10.

Also, there are frequent buses plying to Aranyaprathet. And once you get there, you know what to do.

Have a good trip,

Apurva

can't beat the ass-numbing bouncy bumpy 12 hour+ bus ride where the bus might get stuck in the mud for a bit

great fun and character building

No contesting that Joey!

yeah, i heard many horror stories too....! And they're all different! I'd say, be prepared to be very patient!!!!