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Mine is full with a double TV from Vientiane, a triple from Penang (these were the good times) and several non-B so I decided to play safe and get the visa inCambodia.
There would have been several options for me:
1. Going with a visa run company to the Aranyaprathet, stay there for a night while they get the visa. The company I had in mind doesn't offer this service on their website anymore, don't know if others are still doing it.
2. Next would be to fly with Air Asia to Phnom Penh, stay in a hotel for 2 or 3 nightsand let an agent handle everything for you.
3. I chose a third option: a visit to Sihanoukville for a couple of days together with GF, have a bit of a clean beach holiday and let the travel agent down there take care of the visa.
Pricewise it is not much different to flying and if you don't go alone it is even cheaper. Will do the numbers later.
Let's start the trip first:
We left Pattaya at 7 am by car. A friend brought us to the border in Hat Lek, a trip of 4 hours if you are going fast, or 4,5 hours normal. Distance is 330 km. We arrived at the border at 11 am and had some lunch till 11:40h. I paid him 2000Baht for gas and his time, don't know what a regular taxi would charge. If you know anybody who would be interested in dropping/picking up people at this border more often, please let me know.
The restaurants and shops at the Thai border:
The border crossing took about 20 minutes.
Procedure:
Check outof TH on the left side (GF needs to get the arrival/departure card), the other side is for arrivals.
Walk over into Cambodia and you will be greeted by touts who want to earn some tips. Ifyou want you can do it on your own, otherwise agree on a tip if you don't want to get pestered later on, as they want double of whatever you pay.
The Cambodian visa costs usually 20 US$ (25 for the e-visa) but the border point is known for not accepting US$ and/or e-visa or making things difficult for you. Iwas recommended to pay the 1000 or 1200 Baht they ask for and keep the guys there happy.
I had to pay 1000 and GF 200, next time she will need to pay 100 only if she can show a previous Cambodian stamp in her PP. Well, that's what I was told by the touts.
The dutyfree shops are sparse and there is not much to buy. Alcohol and Ciggies are cheap in Cambodias shops anyway (LM 10US$ for 10 packs, Winston 5 US$, Jack Daniels 1 liter 19 US$).
The hotel I booked arranged the transport from the border (Koh Kong) to Sihanoukville which is a 3,5 hours drive for about 200 km. Cost for the car (a Toyota Camry with plenty of miles on the clock) was 55 US$ but it might go up to 60 soon, so the driver told me on the way back.
Just ashort distance after entering Cambodia you have to stop at a checkpoint, getout of the car and show your visa to the guy sitting in a wooden shack.
I had booked a room at the BeachClub resort in Sihanoukville which was recommended by many and is run by Luna, a great Danish girl who helped me to sort out the visa and answered all the thousands of questions I had. She is also known as SnookyGirl on the boards.
Rooms are starting from 25 US$ (see website), board members will receive a 10 % discount!
Food is excellent. We enjoyed several times the BBQ, here the spare ribs for 7 $ andthe Tiger prawns for 8.5 $.
Then it was off to the beach for a bit of nap for tilac and a sunburn for me.
A niceclean beach with clean water and a lot of hawkers.
The Beach Club is just a short walk from the beach (or take one of the motorbike taxi or tuktuk that are waiting in front of the resort) and not far away from the Lions roundabout.
There you will find Ana Travel as well who arrange the double entry TV for the 70 US$ visa fee plus 25 US$ handling fee when using the 1 day service. The longer service is just a tad cheaper. For the exact location have a look at the map in the info booklets available in the Beach Club and other hotels.
I dropped my PP on Sunday afternoon and could pick it up on Tuesday morning around 9 am.As the Embassy in Phnom Penh might not issue the visa every day, calculate a spare day or ask the travel agent to make sure when you get your Passport back.
The GoldenLion Plaza is a small Street with 10 Bars, just a few 100 meters from thehotel. They are pretty much simple but I loved them.
They reminded me of the good old times.
A Jack Daniels Coke was 2,75 or 3 US$, sometimes the price includes mixers or it doesn't.
Beers are usually 1 US$, sometimes you get a draft for 50 Cents.
My expenses (I stayed a bit longer but lets compare the minimum time required):
Taxi Pattaya – Hat Lek and return 4000 Baht (don't know how much it really would cost)
Visa for Cambodia 1000 Baht
Taxi from Hat Lek to Snooky and return 2*55 US$ or 3400 Baht
(the drivers at the border are asking for 2500 one way, don't know how low one could get them, I think it is better and safer to book it through the Beach Club which doesn't take any commission on it).
Double entry tourist visa incl. handling fee 95 US$ or 3000 Baht
3 nights at the Beach Club at 30 US$ a night = 2850 Baht
Total 14250 Baht plus food etc. and a one way travel time of 8-9 hours
Alternative: you could make the same trip by bus which would come cheaper (would cost around 10.000 Baht total) but takes longer and is not as comfortable as in a car. Here the time table for mini busses leaving from Hat Lek to Trat.
If you fly it would look like this:
Taxi to airport and return 2000 Baht
Flight BKK to Phnom Penh with Air Asia between 7440 and 8290 Baht (depends on the travelday)
VisaCambodia at the Phnom Penh airport 600 Baht??
Double entry tourist visa incl. handling fee 85 US$ or 2700 Baht (there is an agent recommended here on Thaivisa)
Hotel 2 or 3 nights 1800 Baht or 2700 Baht (depends on the travel day)
Total: between 14540 to 16290 Baht, plus transport from airport to hotel and return (no idea how much it is).
Travel timeshould be around 5 hours (1 h to AP, 2 h check in, 1 h flight, 1 h AP clearance and travel to hotel)
If you want to do this trip with your own car, here the procedure to take it over theborder.
Be reminded that you need a Cambodian drivers license or an intl. one.
The Thai DLis not accepted and they are doing currently plenty of checks . The driver who brought us back to the Thai border got caught and had to pay 10 US$ for whatever.
I enjoyed the trip and will be doing it definately again.
The Thai gf had to pay 200B for an entry stamp into Cambodia, for what I don't know. (The brand new Lexus's parked in front of the Immigration offices gives me an idea though) Met a Swede guy in Trat that crossed with us. They tried to tell him he had to pay for his visa with 1000 baht. (33USD) Others have reported being asked for 1300 baht. Lexus's, after all, are not cheap. The visa is of course only 20USD. Says right on it. Be polite but firm and say "I only have $20" while putting it down on the desk in front of them. They will eventually give in. If you need a taxi, walk though all the touts and to the taxi's and ask for the driver. If you can deal directly you can cut out the touts commission. 
