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Poipet
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    Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta

    Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta

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    Located on the only beach in the region, Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta is our all-ages luxury oceanfront resort with its own private cove. Enjoy stunning ocean vistas from our sunset bar or sneak a peak of breaching whales from our beachfront restaurants.

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    • filter_dramaUnderstand
      If you read on the internet about Poipet, you will find many extremely negative opinions. What the people who write these are not telling you is that they are likely either inexperienced travelers who didn't even leave the main road, or came here specifically to find a terrible place and just reinforced their opinion. The English speaking world has seemingly written this city off, yet doesn't even know its name correctly. The city's name is Poi-pite (pite as in kite) not Poi-pet. Given the fact that the city has great potential to be a nice little border location in the future, it's an unfortunate state of affairs that its reputation is scaring people off from exploring it, and bringing in the tourism which the locals badly need.

      Realistically, Poipet is 99% just a Cambodian city where ordinary people go about their daily lives and smiling children say hello truly excited to meet a foreigner. It is very undeveloped even compared to other Cambodian cities, so you basically experience the state Cambodia was in 20 years ago when foreigners visiting was still a big deal. 1% of it is the seedy grothole that people seem fixated on, and if you come here looking for that 1%, that is what you will see.

      However, if you come here without preconceptions, you can experience how Cambodia was 20 years ago and consider it an adventure.

      The city is actually quite large, with about 100,000 inhabitants, despite description on the Internet of it being a small town. Most visitors never get past the main road, so they form their impression without entering the city. The main road is busy, polluted and seedy, so a place to leave as fast as possible.

      While most travellers only pass through, the city can provide the savvy and curious with some fascinating insights into normal Cambodian people's lives. Ever a transport hub, Poipet hosts the western railhead of Cambodia's defunct but regenerating network which once connected to the functioning Thai network.

      ====Border location====

      The nearest Thai town is [wiki=af482b0ec472f1903cc158f738718d7b]Aranyaprathet[/wiki], about 6 km from the border. The border is in central Poipet. The border is open 07:00 - 22:00. There is no time difference between Cambodia and Thailand.

      Immediately next to the Thai immigration facilities is Rongkleu Market, which host banks, cafes, a convenience store, money exchangers and buses.
    • filter_dramaGet In
      • From elsewhere in Cambodia

        Poipet is a medium-sized city that is well connected with reasonably priced buses to various points in the country. The three major cities of [wiki=0d021d5b6d6f7424119928cbb5ed257c]Phnom Penh[/wiki], [wiki=b945d981e0006cc167ae7e15eb42ff61]Battambang[/wiki] and [wiki=a39fc88e2386ddaeebb5872da6a83ee6]Siem Reap[/wiki] ($3.75 to Poipet/$5 from Poipet) are each directly connected to Poipet. The bus station is located in the city center near the southwest end of Pub Street. Note, if on a bus to Poipet with a view to leaving Cambodia, the bus will stop at its company's Poipet offices first. Do not get off unnecessarily as it will likely continue as far as immigration, which will save you a walk or motorbike taxi fare.

        Taxis to Poipet should be cheaper than those from Poipet, if you can keep middle men out of it. Your guesthouse may help arrange one but will inflate the price for you. A taxi from Siem Reap should be about US$30 and take about 2.5 hrs.

        Leaving Cambodia at this border is generally unproblematic. The porters that swarm over your luggage as soon as it's out off the bus are only trying to get a fare for carrying it to the Thai side. They will generally not steal from it (but it's best to have your cash and electricons on you). Their services (US$1) can be appreciated on a hot day if the queues are long.

      • From Thailand

        Rongkleu Market has buses to Bangkok's Victory Monument, Mo Chit bus station and Suvarnabhumi airport. There are also buses from the market to other Thai towns, such as [wiki=6e4de336e5285d14ce91ff961be7dbb5]Nakhon Ratchasima[/wiki] and [wiki=c57ab59aed3039b5acc9019a26983a31]Chachoengsao[/wiki]. Such buses allow travellers to avoid [wiki=af482b0ec472f1903cc158f738718d7b]Aranyaprathet[/wiki] town, though [wiki=af482b0ec472f1903cc158f738718d7b]Aran[/wiki] is better connected.

        From Aranyaprathet, songthaews (pickup trucks that act as buses) run between the 7-Eleven in Rongkleu Market and the out-of-town Tesco Lotus hypermarket, passing through central [wiki=af482b0ec472f1903cc158f738718d7b]Aran[/wiki] on the main road. A ride costs 15 baht. A tuk-tuk should cost 60 Baht after haggling and a motorbike taxi should be 40 Baht after a haggle.

        On the Thai side, entry to the Thai immigration facillities is to the left of the main road which approaches the border. Travellers therefore must head towards the busy Rongkleu Market for about 2 or 3 meters before seeing the lines for immigration.

        When in line for Thai immigration, both arrivals and departures, there are vats of cool drinking water that travelers can avail of, if they have a bottle to fill.

      • Cambodian Immigration

        Cambodian visas are available on arrival. The official building is just after the bridge, to the right of the Traditional Style Arch (see map). Tourist visas cost $30 and permit one stay of up to 30 days.

        * Queues are greatest at around midday when many buses arrive. Arriving earlier or later will let you sail through.
        * The paperwork is very simple. It requires no assistance, regardless of what touts may say.
        * Forms should be available at the counter to the left of the visa window, although a "helpful" tout will likely offer you one as soon as you approach the office. Take the form and otherwise ignore the tout.
        * A passport photo is required for the visa. A 200 baht fee (read bribe) applies if you don't have a 4x6 photo.
        * You can also pay in Thai Baht, but the visa fee of US$30 will translate to 1000 Baht. Better stock up in US$ before the border or change money outside the building, where you’ll get slightly better rates.

        Alternatively, you can obtain an [url=http://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh]e-Visa[/url] for US$30 plus $7 processing fee, which is the same visa as the one for $30 but obtained online in advance. Having an e-Visa saves time at the border but that's all the extra $ gets you.

        $30 tourist visas (T class) are extendable for one month only ; anyone wanting longer stays and multiple entries in Cambodia will need a $35 business visa (E class, valid for 30 days and extendable once in Cambodia). Confusingly, E class visas are unrelated to the online visas. They costs $35 and require no extra documents or fees. Make sure the officials know that you know this.

        Once you have your visa, brush off the touts and head down the street to get an entry stamp into Cambodia. The arrivals office is on the right (south) side of the street, after the last casino. Some lurkers may tell you otherwise. You will need to fill in an Arrival /Departure card which will be offered to you by touts for a fastback fee of 200Baht to avoid waiting in the stifling got

    • filter_dramaGet Around
      The town is relatively easily covered on foot, for those who wish to explore it. Hotels are within walking distance of customs; though on a hot day, you and your luggage may appreciate a motodop (motorbike taxi), which for 500-1000 riel will take you to any part of Poipet. One could also be useful for escaping the transport monopoly hot zone of immediately outside immigration and finding a non scam taxi.
      There is also the free bus to the transportation depot, which is perhaps a false friend.

      Spending time in Poipet involves being hassled, scammed and frustrated. Though these problems mainly fall on the post-border, bag-carrying weary. Check in, dump the bags, and shower - the town then looses many of its teeth.
    • filter_dramaSee
      Poipet is a border town typical of where shocking development disparities exist between two nations, not unlike [wiki=f8abf41bf5d4f0064441e43046f7010f]Tijuana[/wiki] or [wiki=d3e50e3b77ae6b0e2a8eafec714b81fe]Ciudad del Este[/wiki] or less famously, impoverished [wiki=e0a78769cfb53bbeb76a4bb37dcbcb86]Sungai Kolok[/wiki] in southern Thailand, which borders more prosperous [wiki=3f0e49c46cbde0c7adf5ea04a97ab261]Malaysia[/wiki]. The town offer the usual Khmer mix of markets, stalls, coffee shops and beer gardens.

      Poipet's growing gambling industry has spawned several large, opulent casinos, in rather sharp contrast to general squalor of the town. Gambling is illegal in Thailand and in Cambodia, though this has not prevented some well connected somebodies from putting up casinos before Cambodian immigration. Thais use the casinos to circumvent their own country's interdictions, though Khmer are not allowed at the tables.

      The amateur anthropologist can watch Asian businessmen entertain themselves at the casinos or at the karaoke joints throughout town that double as brothels. Watching the coachloads of package tourists being shepherded through customs may also count as a valid pastime.

      The area around the old railway station is particularly interesting. This slum backs onto the filthy trickle of a river that demarks the Thailand-Cambodia border. There formerly was a rickety, bamboo bridgere there, and at around dusk tuk-tuks brimming with people could be seen making their way to the unofficial border crossing The path ends at a small Cambodian Border Patrol station. The bridge is no longer there, but given one could cross this creek and not even get your knees wet, it may still be the site of some of the undocumented immigration from Cambodia to Thailand. The Thai side is a minefield, but the well trodden path can be followed. It leads to a road. '
    • filter_dramaDo
      People with a desire to help others can find opportunities in Poipet. Any assistance or conscious effort to speak Khmer or interact with local people on their own level will be highly appreciated. A man called Trip (+855 77945100) is a friendly English speaker. He will act as a guide to Poipet and tell you some interesting stories about the area. Cost: buying him lunch and a beer.
    • filter_dramaBuy
      In Rongkleu Market, just before Thai immigration, banks sell USD at decent rates (USD being the main currency of Cambodia). There are also ATMs dispensing Baht. For exchange, the banks don't open until 10:00 AM, and after a weekend or holiday they may be short on USD. Do not worry, baht can be exchanged in Cambodia without problem, some large stores even accept baht at rates better than they do Cambodia's own toy currency, the riel.

      In Poipet, just about anyone will exchange USD and THB to Riel. Look for the traders with glass cabinets full of money, it's their way of advertizing. There's banks and ATMs close to the border but Canadia Bank, a little further away, is worth the journey as its ATM doesn't add a surcharge to foreign cards, while ANZ charges US$5. A warning: Canadia bank ATMs display a "Time per limit exceeded!" error if you try to withdraw more than 150 USD and don't pay out. The 150 dollar limit is for any cards with the Maestro and Mastercard logo's, VISA cards have a limit of 1000 USD.

      On the main road near the Poi Pet Main Market, on the southern side of the ride there's a good convenient store named Star Supermarket which sells products that are usually found in Thai stores, except at far lower prices. Especially great if you're looking for the cheapest booze in the world. All of the items list the Thai Baht price, but you can pay in USD after they've scanned the products' bar codes.
    • filter_dramaEat & Drink
      If you're a sucker for the minibus to the Poipet Tourist International Terminal, you'll probably also be a sucker for the expensive snacks next to where it goes from.

      Very close to immigration, on the northside of the roundabout, Long Sen Guesthouse has a convenience store. In front of the post office is a little street stall does reasonable meals and coffee and doesn't rip off tourists, which is a pleasant break from the border stress.

      In the duty free zone, in front of the Poipet Resort Casino is a laid back coffee shop (i.e. True Cafe). Also, some of the casinos offer buffets. Though they have dress codes, so you may have to spruce up a bit. Holiday Palace and Diamond serve good coffee and even frappes and have airconditioning, although in Diamond you need to explore a bit to find it, an interesting experience in itself. Food in the casinos is good and a welcome change from the standard restaurants in town.

      Beyond the immidiate border area, the markets probably offer the most atmospheric dining. Also Capitol Restaurant (2km from the border) has A/C. Meals cost $2-4.

      Destiny Cafe (7am-7pm) - An NGO supported cafe with a range of breakfast options as well as lunch items such as Stir Fried Chicken with Cashews (80 baht). The onsite bakery also bakes a nice slice of banana bread for 15 baht. They also sell a variety of fruit or coffee drinks. Nice and clean environment with aircon and free wifi. About 2km from the border and roundabout.
    • filter_dramaSleep
      While many choose [wiki=af482b0ec472f1903cc158f738718d7b]Aranyaprathet[/wiki] to spend the night, Poipet does have a resonable selection of accommodation. For the budget conscious, it is a cheaper option.

      * Poipet Phnom Pich Guest House (On the main street, about 500m from the border office, opposite the old train station). A good budget option, well placed for exploring the slum behind the station. Cheap, acceptable, with free Wi-Fi. Single room with fan, small window for $5 (150 baht). Twin room with fan $7. Aircon room $10.
      * Nita Guest House (near the casinos and the Cambodian customs office) Tel. 012-832026. Clean rooms with A/C for 500 baht.
      *
      *About 1Km from the border, on the left side of the main road in the direction of Siam Reap. Newly opened hotel, clean and quite cheap. For sure the best option if obliged to sleep in Poipet 12$ for a big aircon room with hot water shower. The restaurant next door from this hotel sells the most incredible pork, cooked right on the street. Excellent choice for breakfast when heading off to work hard for the day!
      *Closest guesthouse to the immigration offices, unfriendly owner. Aircon room US$9
      * Free WiFi. Clean. All rooms have AC, $11 for basic double bed.
      * Aircon, guady, pretentious, no internet
      * Airconn, guady, pretentious, no internet
      *(Next door to Phnom Pich Guest House) Standard room with double bed, big Panasonic Air-Con, LCD TV & Cable, 2 free waters and 1MB Wifi for $11/$12 (Single/Double)
      *AirCon, windowless rooms, hot water, very fast & free Wifi. Can be booked online via Agoda.
      *Air con rooms, cable TV with about 10 English channels including HBO and Fox movie channels, free Wi-Fi included. Safest guesthouse in the area as it near the protection of the casinos and well-lit at night. The alley has cheap food and can be ordered in Thai if you can speak Thai. Daytime staff Kun Thea 0806599510 is lovely.
    • filter_dramaStay Safe
      Like most of South East Asia, unprovoked violent crime is not rife. However, being foreign and out at night could be construed as sufficient provocation. During the day, one can wander through the town and its slums without fear of a beating. Being robbed more subtly via scams and pickpockets is a different matter. Any visitor should explore Poipet with the expectation of spending more than reasonable and also of losing the contents of his pockets. Wear a money belt and stand your ground if you think you are being scammed. Watch out for [wiki=3b2847685fe39e2c971c38b97b52b5de]pickpockets[/wiki] and snatch thieves, including the adorable little children who swarm you and cheer at the border. If you've managed to arrange a taxi away from the monopoly, don't pay up front, and do not let anybody you don't know into the car. The small upside to the travel monopoly is that, once the exorbitant price for the taxi has been paid, they're reliable, and the driver will take you anywhere you like once you've reached your destination.
    • filter_dramaContact
      On the south side of the roundabout, in front of the cluster of radio masts, is a post office. Postcards not available but it's your last chance to get a Cambodian stamp on those Angkor postcards.
    • filter_dramaGet Out
      [wiki=3d147c6ba113929f5a004a5e9dcc832e]Bangkok[/wiki]

      [wiki_table=29ba3129]

      [wiki=65ee13c1e81cb6229b27ff03ae4726b2]de:Poipet[/wiki]
      [wiki=eeb6b474cd57792b26713be0bce4909d]it:Poipet[/wiki]
      [wiki=36c59bf4b2b016d75ac044a38d684222]nl:Poipet[/wiki]

      [wiki=e2fc5eb6978486dba9684ccae65bbe32]wts:Category:Poipet[/wiki]
      [[Wikipedia:Poipet]]
    Points of Interestkeyboard_arrow_rightCamboya
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