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Major city · Cambodia

Poipetប៉ោយប៉ែត

Treat Poipet as a border crossing, not a destination: cross in the morning, or sleep one cheap night if your bus leaves at dawn.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Nov–Feb (cool, dry)
avoid Mar–May (hot, up to 35°C+), Sep–Oct (wettest)
Airport
none
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 5Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…
  • Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
  • Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
  • Cambodia ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal; lookalike sites charge extra. Some nationalities can also get a visa on arrival.
  • Cambodia ↗Angkor Wat and other active temples enforce a dress code: shoulders and knees covered, or you are turned away at the gate.
  • Cambodia ↗US dollars are used for most tourist prices; carry clean, undamaged small notes and some riel for change under one dollar.

Poipet is Cambodia's busiest land border with Thailand, facing Aranyaprathet about 6 km away. Almost nobody comes for the town itself: it is a transport hub of casinos, touts and a single main street running southeast from the immigration roundabout. Use it to cross, to sleep one night before an early bus, or to reach Siem Reap and Battambang by road.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Poipet, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Street or quick mealStreet meal (rice or noodle dish)US$1–3
  • Beercan at a shop / barUS$0.75–2
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi to Siem ReapMonopoly cartel asks US$25 per taxi; negotiate in dollars.about US$30
  • Metro or bus rideBus to Siem Reap (town office / monopoly terminal)US$5
  • Budget bedBudget guesthouse room, a night, per roomUS$7
  • Mid-range bedBudget guesthouse room, a night, per roomUS$12
  • High-end bedBudget guesthouse room, a night, per roomUS$20

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$20 · Mid US$35 · High US$70

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Cambodia–Thailand land border crossingRongkleu Market on the Thai sideCasino stripWestern railhead of Cambodia's rail network
Airports
none Poipet has no scheduled flights (Nearest practical airports: Siem Reap (REP) about 2.5–3 h by road, or fly into Bangkok and cross at Aranyaprathet.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Poipet: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

32°C

21°C

1 rd

Feb

34°C

23°C

2 rd

Mar

35°C

24°C

4 rd

Apr

36°C

25°C

7 rd

May

34°C

25°C

14 rd

Jun

33°C

25°C

16 rd

Jul

32°C

24°C

17 rd

Aug

32°C

24°C

18 rd

Sep

31°C

24°C

19 rd

Oct

31°C

24°C

15 rd

Nov

31°C

22°C

6 rd

Dec

31°C

20°C

2 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is walkable; a motodop anywhere in town costs 500–1,000 riel. Tuk-tuks and taxis to Siem Reap or Battambang are the main long-distance options, and the border area has a police-enforced transport cartel (see Watch out).

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Siem Reapgo

Door to door: 2.5–3 h

Bus from town offices (about US$5) or taxi (about US$30); the monopoly terminal charges US$9 by bus

The Angkor base; most travellers are heading here, not staying in Poipet.

Battambanggo

Door to door: 2–3 h

Bus from town offices, about US$4

Countryside temples and colonial streets; a natural next stop west.

Sisophon

go

Door to door: 1–1.5 h

Bus, shared taxi or pickup truck on National Hwy 5

Road junction where Hwy 5 meets Hwy 6; change here for Battambang or Siem Reap.

Banteay Chhmar

overnight

Door to door: 3–4 h

Via Sisophon, then onward by road

Remote temple complex; too far for a comfortable return day.

Anlong Veng

overnight

Door to door: 4 h+

Road via Sisophon and Samraong

Khmer Rouge history sites near the Thai border; sleep one night.

Koh Ker

overnight

Door to door: 5 h+

Long drive via Siem Reap or Samraong

Better done as a day trip from Siem Reap.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Main street near the border roundabout

Guesthouses and hotels within 1 km of immigration; walkable with bags, or 500–1,000 riel by motodop.

Casino strip

Hotel-casinos with pools and restaurants; a step up in comfort, still a short ride from the border.

Aranyaprathet (Thai side)

About 6 km away; better food and rooms if you are heading into Thailand, but you must clear Thai immigration.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
US$15–25 excl. bed
Mid
US$25–45 excl. bed
High
US$45+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Budget guesthouse room1 × 1 night × US$7US$7
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$20US$40
Cambodian visa on arrival2 × US$30 · e-Visa US$36 online; 100-baht fee sometimes demandedUS$60
Bus Poipet → Siem Reap (town office)2 × US$5US$10
Taxi Poipet → Siem Reap1 × US$30 · Monopoly cartel asks US$25 per taxi; negotiate in dollarsUS$30
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$10US$20
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$17
Trip total≈ US$92 per person per day, bed includedUS$184

2026 estimate in US dollars; riel is used for change at about 4,000 per US$1. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Guesthouse room (fan / air-con)Prices vary; ask before you take the room.US$6–15
Street meal (rice or noodle dish)US$1–3
Beer: can at a shop / barUS$0.75–2
Motodop within town500–1,000 riel
Bus to Siem Reap (town office / monopoly terminal)US$5
Taxi to Siem ReapMonopoly cartel asks US$25 per taxi; negotiate in dollars.about US$30
Cambodian tourist visa on arrivale-Visa US$36 online; a 100-baht fee is sometimes demanded.US$30
ATM withdrawal feeCanadia about US$4, ANZ about US$5 (check).US$4–5

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Poipet is a border town built on separating travellers from their money. The scams are predictable rather than violent: visa touts, the transport monopoly and money-changing tricks. Keep valuables on you, agree prices first, and check your government's advice for the border area.
  • The transport monopoly: free 'government' shuttles from immigration run to an out-of-town terminal where buses and taxis are overpriced. Walk away from the roundabout and arrange your own ride.
  • Visa touts on the Thai side may send you to a fake 'consulate' charging 1,000–1,400 baht; the Cambodian visa on arrival is US$30 (e-Visa US$36 online).
  • Anyone offering to change your money to riel is likely scamming; use the fixed street rate of about 4,000 riel per US$1.
  • Do not start negotiating with a driver while a policeman is standing next to you; police intervene to take a cut.
  • Casinos and late-night bars: keep valuables on you and agree the total before you sit down.
  • Check your government's current travel advice for the Cambodian–Thai border area before you travel.

Emergency numbers

Police
117
Fire
118
Ambulance
119

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Poipetប៉ោយប៉ែត

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

ទៅអាសយដ្ឋាននេះTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police117
  • Fire118
  • Ambulance119

Embassy

No embassies in Poipet; the US and most countries have embassies in Phnom Penh (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Motodop in town: 500–1,000 riel
  • Bus Poipet → Siem Reap (town office): about US$5, 2.5–3 h
  • Taxi Poipet → Siem Reap: about US$30; cartel asks US$25 per taxi
  • Pickup to Sisophon: 10,000 riel inside / 5,000 riel outside

Say or show

  • សួស្តី — Hello (sue-saw-day)
  • អរគុណ — Thank you (awkunh)
  • ថ្លៃប៉ុន្មាន? — How much is it? (thlai ponman)
  • ថ្លៃពេក — Too expensive (thlai pek)
  • ខ្ញុំមានទិដ្ឋាការ — I have a visa (khnhom mean tidtheakar)
  • ស្ថានីយឡានក្រុងនៅឯណា? — Where is the bus station? (sthaney lan krong nov ae na)

Border hours are 07:00–20:00; there is no time difference between Cambodia and Thailand.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Poipet. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Nov–Feb (cool, dry) · avoid Mar–May (hot, up to 35°C+), Sep–Oct (wettest) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Border-crossing contract: Thai immigration, Cambodian visa room, arrival card, and the walk past the tout zone, field-checked.
  2. Transport rungs: monopoly terminal vs town bus offices vs shared taxi vs pickup truck, with prices and cut-off times.
  3. Sleep pages with verified rates for the main-street guesthouses and the casino hotels.
  4. Money and SIM fixtures: ATM fees, riel rate, and where to buy an eSIM before you cross.

Meanwhile

Back to Cambodia

Sources