That changes the entire calculus of how you get into Cambodia overland. The good news is the Vietnam and Laos crossings are open, working normally, and honestly not that hard once you know what to expect. This guide walks through every crossing that matters, what it actually costs, which ones take an e-visa and which don’t, and the specific mistakes that trip people up — not the vague “watch out for scams” advice you’ll find everywhere else.
One quick note before we get into it: this guide only covers crossings open to foreign tourists. Cambodia shares land borders with three countries — Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos — and there are dozens of minor checkpoints along those borders that exist mainly for local trade and aren’t set up to process foreign passports at all. Stick to the official international checkpoints listed below.
Before any of the border-specific details, here’s the baseline paperwork every crossing requires, regardless of which one you use:
- A passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your entry date, with at least one blank visa page.
- A visa — either an e-visa arranged in advance (only valid at Bavet and Trapaeng Kreal for land entry), a visa-on-arrival obtained at the checkpoint itself, or a visa arranged through an embassy beforehand.
- The Cambodia e-Arrival Card — a separate, free digital form required for every entry method, including by land. This isn’t your visa; it’s an additional immigration/customs declaration. Fill it out online before you travel rather than trying to do it on spotty border wifi.
- Passport photos — some visa-on-arrival counters still ask for a physical photo, even though most have moved to digital capture. Carrying one or two passport photos as backup costs you nothing and can save a delay.
- Proof of onward travel — rarely checked in practice, but it exists as a requirement on paper, so having a return or onward ticket booked (even a flexible one) is worth doing.
Cambodia's Land Borders at a Glance
Here’s the quick-reference version. Details on each are below.
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| Border Country | Main Crossing | Status (2026) | E-Visa Accepted? | Typical Transit Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | Poipet / Aranyaprathet | Closed | N/A while closed | N/A |
| Thailand | Cham Yeam / Had Lek (Koh Kong) | Closed | N/A while closed | N/A |
| Thailand | O’Smach / Chong Jom | Closed | N/A while closed | N/A |
| Vietnam | Bavet / Moc Bai | Open | Yes | 30–60 min at the border itself |
| Vietnam | Prek Chak / Ha Tien | Open | No — VOA only | 30–45 min |
| Vietnam | Phnom Den / Tinh Bien | Open | No — VOA only | 30–45 min |
| Vietnam | Vinh Xuong (river, near Chau Doc) | Open | No — VOA only | Varies, boat-dependent |
| Laos | Trapaeng Kreal / Nong Nok Khiene | Open | Yes | 30–60 min |
Only two land crossings in the entire country reliably accept Cambodia’s e-visa: Bavet on the Vietnam side, and Trapaeng Kreal on the Laos side. Every other open crossing means visa-on-arrival or a visa you’ve already arranged in advance.
Thailand–Cambodia Border Status (Read This First)
Short answer: no, you cannot currently cross overland between Thailand and Cambodia. Every official crossing — Poipet, Cham Yeam, O’Smach, and the smaller checkpoints in Pailin and Battambang provinces — has been shut since late June 2025.
Why every land crossing is currently closed
The closure traces back to a long-running dispute over border temples, most notably Preah Vihear and Ta Muen Thom, which escalated into an actual armed conflict in mid-2025. A ceasefire was reached in 2025, broke down, and a second ceasefire signed on December 27, 2025 fell apart again in early January 2026. As of the latest available reporting, the situation is still unresolved and the borders remain closed, with cross-border bus services like Giant Ibis suspended on that route entirely.
What this means for your itinerary
If your plan was Bangkok → Siem Reap by bus through Poipet, or Bangkok → Phnom Penh via Aranyaprathet, that route doesn’t currently exist. The workaround is simple: fly instead. Both Phnom Penh’s Techo International Airport and Siem Reap Angkor International Airport have regular connections from Bangkok, and flight prices haven’t spiked dramatically despite the closure. Domestic travel within Thailand and within Cambodia continues normally — it’s only the border crossing itself that’s off the table. If you’re combining both countries in one trip, plan on a short flight to bridge them rather than a border bus.
One more thing worth flagging: Cambodia’s tourism sector has taken a real hit from this, with estimates of losses running into the billions from the drop in cross-border trade and Thai visitor arrivals specifically. Air arrivals from other markets have actually held up or grown, which tells you the country itself remains very much open and welcoming — it’s specifically the Thai land route that’s the problem.
Cambodia–Vietnam Border Crossings
With Thailand off the table, Vietnam is now the easiest and most common way to enter Cambodia by land. There are seven official crossing points between the two countries, though only four accept the e-visa — I’ll flag which is which below.
Bavet – Moc Bai (the main crossing)
This is the one almost everyone uses. It sits on the direct road link between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh, roughly 70km from HCMC and about 170km from Phnom Penh, and it’s the busiest and best-equipped crossing on this border by a wide margin.
The process itself is straightforward:
- Get off the bus (or arrive by private car) at the Vietnamese side.
- Go through Vietnamese exit immigration — present your passport, get your exit stamp.
- Walk (or ride the bus) across the roughly 150–300 meter no-man’s-land between the two checkpoints.
- Arrive at the Cambodian side. If you don’t already have an e-visa, this is where you’d get a visa-on-arrival, at the official window only.
- Clear Cambodian immigration, collect your passport, and continue to your onward transport.
A few practical notes: if you’re doing this on a through-bus (Giant Ibis, Mekong Express, and similar operators run this route), the bus company handles a lot of the logistics and will usually wait for the whole group to clear both sides. If you’re doing it independently, budget more buffer time. Most people report the whole crossing — bus stop to bus stop — takes somewhere between 30 minutes and just over an hour, depending on how busy it is.
Because Bavet accepts the e-visa, this is genuinely the crossing I’d recommend getting your visa sorted for in advance if your route allows it — it skips the visa-on-arrival window and the (very avoidable) hassle around it entirely.
Getting onward from Bavet. Once you clear Cambodian immigration, you’ve got a few options for the roughly 170km stretch to Phnom Penh. Most travelers stick with the through-bus they arrived on — companies running the HCMC–Phnom Penh route handle the border crossing as part of the ticket, so you’re not left figuring out onward transport yourself. If you crossed independently, shared taxis and private cars wait on the Cambodian side, though prices can run high if you don’t negotiate before getting in. Budget roughly 3–4 hours from the border to central Phnom Penh depending on traffic.
What Bavet town itself looks like. Don’t expect much beyond the crossing itself — Bavet has grown around casino and hotel development aimed largely at Vietnamese day-trippers rather than backpackers passing through, so the immediate area feels more like a gambling strip than a town you’d want to linger in. Most travelers clear immigration and keep moving.
Prek Chak – Ha Tien (for Kampot, Kep, and Phu Quoc)
If your route is coming from Phu Quoc Island or you’re headed toward Kampot and Kep rather than Phnom Penh, this coastal crossing is the one to use. It’s quieter than Bavet, which some travelers actually prefer, though it means visa-on-arrival only — no e-visa acceptance here. Budget a similar 30–45 minutes for the crossing itself. If Kampot and Kep are your destination, this route saves you a long backtrack through Phnom Penh.
Phnom Den – Tinh Bien, and the Vinh Xuong River Route
These are the lesser-known options, and most guides skip them entirely — which is a gap, because they matter if you’re doing the Mekong Delta route rather than the direct highway. Phnom Den/Tinh Bien is a standard road crossing. Vinh Xuong, near Chau Doc, is a river crossing, often used by slow-boat and Mekong cruise operators running between Chau Doc and Phnom Penh along the river itself. Neither accepts the e-visa, so plan on visa-on-arrival or a pre-arranged visa if you’re routing this way. One historical note worth being aware of: Cambodian visas have not always been issued at every single checkpoint along this stretch, so if you’re going somewhere obscure, double-check current visa availability at that specific post before you commit to the route.
Cambodia–Laos Border Crossing: Trapaeng Kreal
Unlike the Vietnam side, there’s no choice to make here — Trapaeng Kreal (on the Cambodian side) / Nong Nok Khiene (on the Laos side) is the only official overland crossing between the two countries. If you’re doing the classic 4000 Islands (Si Phan Don) to Stung Treng route, this is the border you’ll use.
It used to have a rough reputation — the old version of this crossing involved a river section by speedboat that was notorious for scams and overcharging. That’s changed. The standard route today runs by van on both the Laos and Cambodia legs, with no boat segment involved, which has made the whole thing considerably more predictable and a lot less prone to the classic “you’re stuck, pay up” tactics that gave it a bad name.
Trapaeng Kreal is one of only two land crossings in the country that accepts Cambodia’s e-visa (Bavet being the other), so if you’re coming from Laos and want to skip the visa-on-arrival line, arrange your e-visa in advance and you’re set.
This crossing is also genuinely remote compared to Bavet. There’s very little infrastructure directly at the border itself — no real town, limited food options, and services are thin on both sides. Most operators running this route sell it as a single through-ticket from Si Phan Don (or Pakse) all the way to Stung Treng, which is the right way to do it; trying to piece the journey together crossing by crossing on local transport is possible but adds a lot of unpredictable waiting time in a spot with very little to do while you wait.
From Stung Treng, onward connections to Phnom Penh or Siem Reap run by bus and take most of a day, so plan on this being a two-leg travel day rather than a quick hop.
Budget & Cost Breakdown by Crossing
Here’s what to actually budget, beyond the bus ticket itself:
| Item | Typical Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cambodia e-Visa (Bavet / Trapaeng Kreal only) | ~$36 | Arrange online before you travel |
| Cambodia Visa on Arrival | ~$30–36 | Cash only, exact bill helps |
| “Overtime” fee (weekends / after-hours) | ~$1–5 | Unofficial, no receipt given — this is real and widely reported, budget for it and don’t argue over a dollar or two |
| Porter / luggage help (if offered) | Negotiate first | Agree on price before they touch your bag |
| Onward transport from border to city | Varies by route | Shared taxi, moto, or included in through-bus ticket |
Land Border vs. Flying: Which Actually Makes Sense?
This is worth thinking through honestly rather than defaulting to “overland is more authentic.” A few things to weigh:
Time. A land crossing plus onward bus travel typically eats a full day, sometimes more with a Laos entry. A flight is a couple of hours, door to door closer to half a day once you include airport time. If your trip is short, that difference matters.
Cost. Budget buses on the Vietnam and Laos routes are usually cheaper than a flight, sometimes significantly so, especially if you book flights last-minute. But once you add visa fees, the “overtime” charge, onward transport from the border, and a possible overnight stop, the gap narrows more than people expect.
Reliability. Flights get delayed too, but they’re far less exposed to the kind of unpredictable disruption we’re currently seeing on the Thailand route. If your schedule is tight — a flight connection to catch, a tour booking with a fixed start date — I’d lean toward flying and treating the border crossing as something to do when you have slack in your schedule, not when you’re racing a deadline.
The experience itself. This is the genuine upside of overland travel — you see the transition between countries, the changing landscape, small towns you’d never otherwise pass through. If that’s part of why you’re traveling in the first place, the extra hours are worth it. If you just need to get from A to B, don’t romanticize it more than it deserves.
Best Time to Cross
Mornings are your friend. The unofficial “golden hour” for a smooth crossing at busier posts like Bavet is roughly 8:30–10:30am — most of the large international sleeper and day buses either arrive very early or hit the border in the mid-afternoon, both of which mean longer queues. If you’re traveling independently by private car or taxi, arriving mid-morning tends to land you in a quieter immigration hall.
Avoid crossing around major Cambodian, Vietnamese, or Thai public holidays if you can help it — Vietnamese Tết in particular causes real backups, and staffing and hours can shift without much notice around holiday periods.
Pros and Cons of Crossing Cambodia by Land
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Usually cheaper than flying | Slower — budget a full travel day for most routes |
| You see the actual countryside, not just an airport | Scam exposure is real, especially around visa-on-arrival windows |
| Flexible — stop en route if you want | Not every crossing accepts the e-visa |
| Some routes (Trapaeng Kreal, Prek Chak) skip a long detour through a capital city | Thailand routes are currently unavailable entirely |
Common Mistakes to Avoid at Cambodian Land Borders
Buying your visa at the wrong window. This is the single most persistent scam at Cambodian border crossings, historically most associated with Poipet but not limited to it: unofficial “visa service” desks set up before you actually reach the real immigration checkpoint, charging well above the real fee. The real visa-on-arrival window is always at the official immigration building itself — if someone in a booth before that building is offering to “help” you get your visa, that’s your signal to walk past, not stop.
Assuming the e-visa works everywhere. It doesn’t. Outside of Bavet and Trapaeng Kreal (plus the international airports), you need visa-on-arrival or a pre-arranged visa. Double-check your specific crossing before you rely on a printed e-visa getting you through.
Not carrying small USD bills. Between the visa fee itself and the informal “overtime” charge on weekends and after hours, you want exact or close-to-exact cash on hand. Cards generally aren’t an option at the checkpoint itself.
Carrying anything for someone else. This applies specifically at the Vietnam side crossings: do not agree to carry bags, packages, documents, or anything else for a stranger, no matter how friendly or rushed they seem. Border areas are tightly controlled, and this kind of “favor” can create real legal problems that have nothing to do with you personally.
Skipping the printed backup. Phone battery dies, signal drops, screens crack. Print your e-visa and any other key documents before you travel — it’s a two-minute problem to solve at home and a genuinely stressful one to solve at a border.
Forgetting the e-Arrival Card entirely. This one’s easy to miss because it’s separate from your visa and free, so it doesn’t feel as “official” as something you paid for. It’s still required. Fill it out before you arrive rather than trying to do it in a queue with one bar of signal.
Wandering into restricted areas near the checkpoint. Border zones — especially cargo and customs-processing areas — are usually clearly marked but easy to accidentally drift into if you’re following a crowd or a tout rather than the official signage. Stick to the marked passenger route and follow officer instructions directly rather than the person next to you.
Not accounting for closing times. Most crossings operate on set hours and processing can slow to a crawl as closing time nears, even if the gate itself is technically still open. Don’t plan to arrive in the last hour of the day if you can avoid it.
How the Border-Area Scams Actually Work
It’s worth understanding the mechanics here rather than just being told “watch out for scams,” because the specific setup is what makes it effective.
The classic version — historically most associated with Poipet, though the pattern shows up elsewhere too — works like this: before you reach the real Cambodian immigration building, you’ll pass buildings or booths designed to look official, sometimes staffed by people in uniform-adjacent clothing, offering to process your visa “right here” for a price well above the real fee (sometimes double or more). They’re banking on tourists not knowing exactly where the real checkpoint is, especially after a long overnight bus ride when you’re tired and just want the process over with. The real fix is simple: know that the legitimate visa-on-arrival window is always inside the actual immigration building, and if anyone tries to intercept you before that point, keep walking.
A smaller-scale version of the same idea shows up around currency exchange and transport at the border — informal money changers offering rates well below market, or transport touts quoting inflated prices before you’ve even cleared immigration. Neither is dangerous, just costly if you don’t push back. Get your rate or price confirmed clearly before handing over cash, and don’t be afraid to walk toward an ATM or the next taxi stand if the first quote feels off.
None of this should scare you off crossing by land. These patterns are well known precisely because so many travelers cross these borders safely every day — knowing what to expect is what keeps it a non-event instead of a problem.
Pro Travel Tips
- Negotiate porter or luggage-carrying prices before anyone touches your bag, not after.
- Keep a stash of small-denomination USD specifically for border fees — don’t rely on breaking a $50 at the checkpoint.
- Screenshot your e-visa confirmation as a backup to the printed copy, in case you need to show it digitally.
- If you’re routing through one of the smaller Vietnam crossings (Phnom Den, Vinh Xuong), confirm current visa issuance at that specific post before you build your whole day around it.
- Build in buffer time — even a “fast” crossing can run long if a tour bus arrives ahead of you.
Which Border Should You Use? Verdict by Traveler Type
If you’re coming from Ho Chi Minh City or anywhere in southern Vietnam heading to Phnom Penh: use Bavet. It’s the best-equipped, fastest, and the one crossing where getting an e-visa in advance genuinely pays off.
If you’re coming from Laos, via the 4000 Islands or Stung Treng: Trapaeng Kreal is your only option, and it’s a solid one now that the old speedboat scam route is gone.
If you’re headed to Kampot, Kep, or coming from Phu Quoc: Prek Chak saves you a long detour and skips Phnom Penh entirely.
If your plan involved Thailand: don’t. Fly Bangkok to Phnom Penh or Siem Reap instead until the border situation resolves — there’s currently no working overland alternative, and the border-adjacent zones are areas you genuinely want to avoid regardless of the official crossing status.
