Aranyaprathet

Central Aranyaprathet, border not shown Aranyaprathet (อรัญประเทศ, also Aran Yaprathet, Aranya Prathet, or just Aran) is a border town in Sa Kaew Province, Eastern Thailand. Nearby is the busiest land crossing into Cambodia, and most popular tourist route for travel between Bangkok and Siem Reap and the Angkor Archaeological Park. Understand The border is 6km to the southeast of the town. It is open 08:00 to 20:00 and there is no time difference between the two countries. Immediately next to the Thai immigration facilities is Rongkleu Market, which host banks, cafes, a convenience store, money exchangers and buses. Immediately the Cambodian side of the border is Poipet, a much maligned grot hole that appeals to those with a warped aesthetic. For the traveller, Aran's focus is the crossroads near the train station (see map). Clockwise the roads go to the train staion (NE), to the border (SE), to the clock tower and the town centre (SW) and to the bus station (NW). The town can serve as a staging point for journeys to various points in both Thailand and Cambodia, though the Bangkok-Siem Reap trip is the one that most travellers will undertake. Get in By bus There are two bus stations in Aran, the main one is in the town about 200m northwest of the crossroad and a less busy one is in Rongkleu Market. In and around Rongkleu Market touts offer taxis (1900฿/taxi) to Bangkok, and slightly more for other Thai cities. Sharing a taxi might be a good idea. A few meters beyond this, in the market, there are air-con minibuses to Bangkok (250-300฿/person). The drop-off point may range from exactly where one wishes to in front of a skytrain station (Victory Monument is popular). The market bus station also has buses to Bangkok's Mo Chit bus station and Suvarnabhumi airport. There are also buses from the market to other Thai towns, such as Nakhon Ratchasima and Chachoengsao (which is useful for Pattaya and other destinations on that coast). Such buses allow travellers to avoid Aranyaprathet town, though the main bus station is better connected. From the bus staion in town, there are reliable and inexpensive government bus services to many destinations, including Bangkok (frequent), Buriram (frequent), Chachoengsao (frequent), Chanthaburi (frequent), Mukdahan, Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat) (frequent), Pattaya, Rayong, Surin, and Udon Thani. For Trat, go via Chanthaburi. Bangkok's Northern Bus Station (Mo Chit) is the best choice for buses to Aran. First class and second class buses leave from the ground floor of the terminal approximately every half hour (4-5hrs, 207 Baht and 160 Baht respectively). A first class may include a snack and drink. The last bus to Bangkok leaves Aranyaprathet at around 6:00 pm. Bangkok's Eastern Bus Station (Ekamai) also has buses to Aran leaving every hour or two (4.5-5.5hrs). Ekamai service: 06.15, 08.30, 10.30, 12.30, & 16.30. 200 baht, not a vip, but ok aircon bus. Phone: 0 2713 5335. Online ticket: www.airaran.co.th Ekamai can also be reached by going via the Suvarnabhumi Airport bus terminal. The roads to Aranyaprathet have checkpoints and most buses will be boarded at least once by uniformed military/immigration personnel looking primarily for illegal immigrants from Cambodia. Westerners are rarely bothered, but keep your passport handy. If you've overstayed your visa it may be worth using a less busy crossing like Ban Pakard/Phsar Prom. Suvarnabhumi Airport Buses run between Aran and Bangkokg's Suvarnabhumi Airport bus terminal (about 10 minutes drive, free of charge) regularly throughout the day but not the night. The Suvarnabhumi Airport bus terminal can also be a good way to connect with other destinations, including Ekamai and many other points in Bangkok served by Suvarnabhumi's extensive and frequent local bus services. Don Muang Airport To reachDon Muang take a bus to Moh Chit and ask to get off when as it passes the airport. When going to Aranyaprathet, it may be possible to save time by boarding the bus at Rangsit; though the 1st class buses won't stop there if all seats are already taken. Khao San Road Khao San Road tourist buses are more expensive and less comfortable than government services; those to destinations in Cambodia always involve a change of vehicle at the border, and are usually full of irritating people. By train Two trains a day in each direction connect Aranyaprathet with Bangkok's Hualamphong Train Station. To Aranyaprathet (i.e. to Cambodia), trains depart at 05:55 and 13:05, arriving at 11:20 and 18:05 respectively. To Hualamphong direction (i.e. to Bangkok), trains leave at 06:40 and 13:55, arriving at 12:05 and 19:55, respectively. The fare is 48 baht; the surcharge for a bicycle is 80 baht. WARNING: The official Thai railroad site (railway.co.th) had been a virus host for months as of Feb 2010. All trains are 3rd-class, which means no air-con (windows open for a substantial breeze). There are toilets and sinks. Seats are a mixture of padded benches, padded bucket seats, and wooden benches. If taking the afternoon train try to sit on the shady (north) side of the train (i.e. left from BKK, right to BKK). The morning sun isn't so bad and doesn't so greatly affect the early departures. The train is a great opportunity to watch people, countryside and wildlife. During the dry season, smoke and ash can blow through the windows from the burning rice fields. Food and drink vendors work the cars, provinding cheap sustenance and refreshment. Many of the things wrapped in banana leaf are fish/chili based and peculiar to Western palettes; Khao San Road pad thai it ain't. If you're faint hearted, stick to the grilled chicken that can be found close to the station at either end. The thick bamboo tubes contain the imaginatively named "bamboo rice", a mildly sweet and savory sticky rice, most easily eaten with chopsticks. The train can provide cheap and scenic but slow and often late connections with Suvarnabhumi airport. Go to Lat Krabang (ลาดกระบัง, about 1hr from Bangkok). The staion there abuts the airport and is directly under the planes' flight paths. Then either walk upstairs to the Airport Rail Link train which will take you to the terminal (15 baht) or take a taxi (50 baht). If you miss Lat Krabang, Tab Chang, Hua Mak, and Makkasan also connect with the Airport Rail Link For Don Muang, you'll have to switch trains at Hualamphong, which given the congestion on the lines in Bangkok is only for serious train freaks. Crossing the border Entering Thailand from Poipet is straightforward for travellers that do not need a visa or have obtained one in advance. Visa-free entry is for only 15 days, consider getting visa in advance if longer is requierd. Nationals of countries not permitted visa-free entry but who are entitled to a visa on arrival require proof of onward transport out of Thailand and a 1000 baht fee. The visa is likely to be valid for 14 days (not 15 as sometimes stated). Many Thais cross the border in the morning on one-day trips to gamble at the casinos in Poipet. However there's a separate line for non-Thais which moves quickly, except during the midday log-jam of tourist bus arrivals. On the Thai side near the queues for immigration (both arrivals and departures) are vats of cool drinking water for anyone with a bottle to fill. Heading to Cambodia, the formalities of leaving Thailand are simple enough. Those of entering Cambodia are another matter and are dealt with on the Poipet#Cambodian Immigration page. Get around The town is fairly small and easily covered on foot. 20 baht for a tuk-tuk ride within the town may be slightly generous. 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 Aran on the main road. A ride costs 15 baht. A tuk-tuk should cost 60 Baht to the border after haggling and a motorbike taxi should be 40 Baht after a haggle. See Rongkleu market, a market a located next to the immigration office at the border. Traders are mainly Khmer from neighbouring Poipet. Cement reservoir, a central focal point where people gather to drink and eat at food stalls. Train Station, never a dull moment trainspotting. Each of the station's two daily departures have different rolling stock: a diesel railcar in the morning and an engine hauled train in the afternoon. Bus Station, watch the departures to far and wide. There is also a market. Do Buy Rongkleu Market has a surprising range of goods that will interest those who like buying stuff and things. Eat If you're looking for breakfast in the morning, you'll find most restaurants closed, but there are fruit sellers in the market, and some convenience stores. Numerous restaurants are open in the afternoon and evening. Night market - located two blocks straight ahead from the Aran Garden 2 Hotel, by the cement reservoir, and offering the usual range of Thai eats Drink Real coffee (at least to farangs) can be found at Coffee Break on the road heading southeast from the clocktower. Free WiFi. Aran's solitary Western-run nightspot, Farang Bar, is now closed. Sleep Near the train station there are some expensive but basic guesthouses aimed at people who don't know what their doing. However, cheaper basic accommodation and better quality hotels can be found . Aran Garden 1 Hotel. Rooms start at 150 baht for a single bed with fan. Free WiFi. Aran Garden 2 Hotel. Not bad considering the price. Tuk-tuk drivers know it by name, but agree on a price in writing or in Thai before you go - they know who stays here, so they're enthusiastic purveyors of the "you misheard me" scam. The reception can provide maps of the town; food is generally unavailable. 230 baht for fan rooms, 370 baht for air-con. Some rooms only have squat toilets. Aran Mermaid Hotel, 33 Tanavitee Rd. A new "luxury" hotel catering to tourists on a higher budget - prices vary by how and when you make a reservation, but you can expect to pay about 900 baht for a single, 1550 for a double and 1950 for a triple, which may or may not include breakfast. Sintawee Hotel. Easy walk from the bus depot and easy to find. Motel-style, clean. Fan rooms 300 baht, air-con rooms 400 baht. Air-con rooms are spartan but roomy and clean; they appear newly built or newly renovated. Two free bottles of water, western-style bathroom with hot shower, and cable TV (don't expect any Western language channels, though). From bus depot, turn left onto the main road (348) toward Ban Mai Nong Sai - if you pass the Aran Mermaid Hotel on the left, you are on the right track. After about 10-15 minutes, follow the big pink sign on the right side of the street (even at night, the sign is hard to miss, as it's lit up brightly) into the alley about 50 metres. Free, fast wifi but no food on-site - don't expect free breakfasts here. Inter-hotel is a little east of the bus terminal past the Mermaid. The clean rooms are roughly western 3 star standard. Has pool. The food is pretty good. Suite 1500 baht, standard room 550 - 750 baht. Air conditioning. Indochina Hotel is a quality option a little outside of town: 5 minutes by tuk-tuk. Clean & comfortable rooms has inviting pool surrounded by palm trees. Contact There are more than 6 internet cafés in the centre of (0.5 kilometre radius) Aranyaprathet. They have broadband and are reliably fast. 20baht/hour, or 40baht /3 hours. Get out A not so well known diversion (it will add about 24hrs to the trip) on the Bangkok-Aran route is Nang Rong, which is near some rather groovy Angkorian temples. From Aran, take any north bound bus e.g. to Buriram, Khorat, Si Saket or Ubon Ratchathani-all of which have train stations (roughly 100 and something baht to Nang Rong). Fortunately, Nang Rong is easy to pronounce so the bus people will know where you're heading and tell you when it's time to get off. Nang Rong is well connected by bus to Bangkok's Mo Chit terminal (5hrs); or for train connections, head to one of the above towns. Routes through Aranyaprathet Bangkok ← Prachinburi ←  W  E  → END → Poipet in Cambodia This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!