From Siem Reap to the Thai Border Poipet

For our journey from Siem Reap to Koh Chang via the Thai border in Poipet, we have booked a car, in order to see something of the country.

Via the National Highway 6, that is lined with a number of renowned hotels in the urban area , we leave Siem Reap. Afterward, the highway leads straight through villages and paddy fields.

The driver tells us that the highway has been recently extended. Now it is much better to drive, however, since the people drive much faster, more accidents happen than in the past. But in the meantime, we have got used to the traffic in the southeast Asia, so that this statement cannot frighten us. In the villages, the driver draws our attention to a lot of small stalls that offer bottles with a brownish liquid. These are no soft drinks, but special gasoline that is smuggled.

After about three hours we reach the Thai border Poipet. After 180 km our driver leaves us before the border crossing on the Cambodian side. Taxis and private passenger are not allowed to cross the border. Another guide awaits us.

Immediately, he tells us to hurry up and leads us to the Cambodian border control. Quickly we had to fill out a form and queue up at the counter. In front is a device with a glass plate. The officer indicates us, to place the fingers on the glass plate. Several green lights and a red one light up. The officer scowls until we move the fingers and all the lights shine green; The fingerprints are scanned. This process only lasted for about 30 seconds.

A few weeks ago, we saw the refugee control at the German border on television at home. An official with rubber gloves takes every single finger of a refugee, pushes this into ink and makes an imprint on the paper. We have a consensus view that the German border control should be given some extra tuition by the Cambodians. But why the Cambodians take fingerprints when departing and not when entering, remains a mystery.

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But that’s not all! Our new guide drives us again to hurry up and runs 10 m ahead before we can react. I had to follow with 35kg baggage. In front of a building where a staircase leads to the first floor, he indicated only upwards, but then carries at least the suitcase of my wife.

There he explains to us that we would be picked up on the other side and disappears. We enter the building and are in the terminal of Thailand. Railings in snake form channel the people. Six custom clearance counter can be seen in the foreground but only two are occupied. As we finally moved forward for clearance, another two counters are staffed. Applause echoes through the hall.

A young woman expects us at the exit of the hall, with our names on a signpost. She brings us to a coffee shop, where another car is waiting to take us to Ko Chang. Completely exhausted by the rush, although we have traveled only about 350 meters, we enjoy an iced coffee. We are still angry with the guide, who has driven us so that we did not even have the opportunity to take some photos or a video clip from the border area.

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