Hello,

I'm here in Pattaya and just rented a car.

Planning on leaving shortly for the the trip to the Aranyaprathet/Poipet border.

Probably arrive there around 6pm. I assume I will just cross into Cambodia and after paying for my Cambodian Visa.

My questions.....

Will I be able to bring my rental car into Poipet? I do not have a thai driver's license but do have the agencies papers for the rental car and my passport.

I'd like to gamble a bit in Poipet. Possibly until the late hours of the night and then make my way back to Pattaya during the wee hours of the night. Is it possible to come back and get stamped into Thailand at say 2am in the morning?

Thanks in advance.

Thai immigration closes at 8 PM. So you will have to spend the night in Cambodia. They open a 7 AM.
I think you will need to park the car on the Thai side of the border.

Source: http://aran.immigration.go.th/eng/main.htm

Go to ban laem.that poi pet border is HORRIBLE !

No you can't drive your car across the border.

There are places to park safely in Arun for small fee , but you will probably need to speak Thai or have a Thai speaking person with you to read the signs and find them.

I have never done a visa run, but I have travelled over that border to go to Seam Reap by road (track more like).

I found Arun and PP fascinating places - full of life at a busy border crossing. You will need to get a visa into Cambodia, which you do by walking across the border into "no- man's land", filling in some forms and paying a fee.

The casinos are quite plush and you can walk to them. They all have hotels, so suggest you stay over night.

Enjoy

You can only take the car across the border if it is registered in your name.

Avoid Aran

Go to Koh Kong, just a few km south of Trat.

From Trat, follow route 318, heading for Klong Yai. It is about 100km to the border crossing and the road winds along the narrow strip of land between the hills that form the border with Cambodia, and the sea. Along the way there are many un-spoilt beaches with white sands, where basic accommodation is available in beach side huts.

Pass through the village of Klong Yai, and after a few more kilometres you will reach the border post at Had Lek.

It is a quiet place, without the crowds and hassles of Aran

According to Google maps the travel time is quite different:
Pattaya to Koh Kong...........4:40 map
Pattaya to Aranya Prathet...3:40 map

I've been to Koh Kong only once, but have been to Aranya Prathet several times. Aran is notorious for its buzzing atmosphere and adventurous experience. The border market is huge, and the armada of Khmer workers flooding the border area, many of them pulling wooden carts to deliver goods, give a fascinating sight. The touts are annoying but can be ignored. The adventurous part is getting the Cambodian Visa without paying 'tea money', but if you bring US dollars and with a bit of reading here you can easily get away with 5$ extra or less. Also checkout the e-visa option described there which avoids all of the hassles.

The real adventure though comes after the border if you intend to go to Siam Reap/Angkor Wat. There is a taxi mafia controlling the transport from PoiPet to Siam Reap and these guys are pretty hard to shake off. If you just do a border run or go to the casino you will not have to deal with them (just tell the touts you do a border run).

If you don't plan to stay overnight at one of the casino hotels you can park your car at the market area, there is plenty of parking space, no need to pay anything. Never heard of any car theft since too crowded. People usually even leave their shoppings on the pickup trunk unattended. Don't know about overnight parking though.

welo