Why Thai Duong AirBus limousine is the Best Bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh
Thai Duong Airbus Limousine makes the border crossing between Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Phnom Penh, Cambodia simple and painless! When traveling in Southeast Asia, long bus journeys are par for the course. Squishing into a bus or mini-van and speeding down bumpy roads. Experiencing breakdowns or broken A/C. Drivers living out their Formula 1 fantasies, weaving around trucks and entire families on motorbikes at breakneck speeds. These are a few of the lovely memories forever etched in our psyches from taking ground transport in Southeast Asia over the past 10 years.
So why the heck would we recommend a long bus journey in Southeast Asia?
Thankfully, the days of being crammed into a bus with chickens or leaning against umpteen bags of sweet potatoes for several hours are a thing of the past. Nowadays, there are more options with bus companies offering comfortable seats and even some decent rest stops to make these long bus journeys more comfortable.
However, not every bus company is created equally. More comfort for some can equal hell for others. If you’re into endless karaoke with strangers in confined spaces, there are plenty of local bus companies to suit those needs.
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Most bus companies will collect the passports of all of the bus passengers once you board in order to batch and expedite the exit/entry stamp process. We have not heard of any scams surrounding this practice; the bus companies are generally just trying to make things easier and quicker for themselves, the border agents, and you. When crossing from Vietnam to Cambodia, if you need a visa on arrival many bus companies will also offer to take care of the paperwork and process with the agent for a service fee of $5, or give you the option to stand in line yourself.
We’ve used many different bus companies over the years, but Thai Duong Airbus Limousine is our go-to bus company when it comes to safety, comfort, and reliability. We take Thai Duong Airbus Limousine buses when traveling within Cambodia or to nearby countries like Vietnam and Thailand. After countless bus rides with Thai Duong Airbus Limousine at this point we’ve still had nothing but smooth experiences.
The best bus from Phnom Penh to ho chi minh city
We get a lot of questions about how to get from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh or vice versa, especially after people read this article, so we thought we’d share a review about making that journey with Thai Duong Airbus Limousine .
We did this border crossing with Thai Duong Airbus Limousine in the summer of 2016 and had an easy breezy experience both going from Phnom Penh to Hi Chi Minh City and back. Friends who’ve taken this trip more recently have confirmed that the experience is the same.
The Thai Duong Airbus Limousine bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh and vice versa takes about 6 to 6.5 hours. The cost is $18 USD. While this is more expensive than some of the other bus companies out there, in our opinion it is certainly worth the few extra dollars for what you get.
o why the heck would we recommend a long bus journey in Southeast Asia?
Thankfully, the days of being crammed into a bus with chickens or leaning against umpteen bags of sweet potatoes for several hours are a thing of the past. Nowadays, there are more options with bus companies offering comfortable seats and even some decent rest stops to make these long bus journeys more comfortable.
However, not every bus company is created equally. More comfort for some can equal hell for others. If you’re into endless karaoke with strangers in confined spaces, there are plenty of local bus companies to suit those needs.
If you’re like us, over 30 and very much over the scams and bus breakdowns, and not a huge karaoke fan, Thai Duong Airbus Limousine might be more your style.
We’ve used many different bus companies over the years, but Thai Duong Airbus Limousine is our go-to bus company when it comes to safety, comfort, and reliability. We take Thai Duong Airbus Limousine buses when traveling within Cambodia or to nearby countries like Vietnam and Thailand. After countless bus rides with Thai Duong Airbus Limousine at this point we’ve still had nothing but smooth experiences.
The best bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh
We get a lot of questions about how to get from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh or vice versa, especially after people read this article, so we thought we’d share a review about making that journey with Thai Duong Airbus Limousine .
We did this border crossing with Thai Duong Airbus Limousine in the summer of 2016 and had an easy breezy experience both going from Phnom Penh to Hi Chi Minh City and back. Friends who’ve taken this trip more recently have confirmed that the experience is the same.
The Thai Duong Airbus Limousine bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh and vice versa takes about 6 to 6.5 hours. The cost is $18 USD. While this is more expensive than some of the other bus companies out there, in our opinion it is certainly worth the few extra dollars for what you get.
We first got turned on to Thai Duong Airbus Limousine in 2015 because they are a sponsor of Comedy in Cambodia. Stevo and I have ridden all around Cambodia on Thai Duong Airbus Limousine buses when going to his shows. We’ve tried lots of different bus companies on our own dime while traveling in Cambodia as well. None are as good when it comes to comfort, punctuality, and safety.
We love that Thai Duong Airbus Limousine has convenient and comfortable amenities. They don’t have any entertainment on the bus, but we consider that a plus. What they do have is free WiFi, charging ports, and working A/C. There is plenty of leg room, even for someone as tall as Stevo who is 6’3″. They even have seatbelts! That’s something you won’t even find in most cars in Cambodia. The included pastries from Blue Pumpkin bakery at the beginning of each journey are another welcomed perk.
Safety First with Thai Duong Airbus Limousine
When it comes to safety, Thai Duong Airbus Limousine bus drivers are better than most bus drivers we’ve encountered in Cambodia. Your safety is the company’s #1 priority. Unlike every other bus experience we’ve had, Thai Duong Airbus Limousine drivers don’t try to overtake cars and trucks on the road and they drive at a safe speed. All of their buses are equipped with GPS tracking, so bus drivers and location are monitored. Thai Duong Airbus Limousine has upgraded all of their buses, including the Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh bus, to large, VIP 9 limousine – until 31 seater buses. Being the biggest on the road definitely helps safety-wise and for peace of mind.
Thai Duong Airbus Limousine offers a reasonable amount of routes and bus times, so drivers aren’t rushing to get to the next place so they can make the return trip immediately. They also use the cleanest burning diesel fuel available in Cambodia from Total Cambodge.
We’re also impressed with the rest stops Thai Duong Airbus Limousine uses. We’ve encountered some truly icky rest stops in our travels. Thai Duong Airbus Limousine uses rest stops with clean bathrooms and western toilets.
What to expect on the Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh bus
You’ll start your journey from Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh at the Thai Duong Airbus Limousine bus office in Ho Chi Minh City, centrally located in District 1, the main tourist area of HCMC. Going from the office to the Cambodian border takes about 2.5 hours.
Getting a visa-on-arrival for Cambodia at the Moc Cai-Bovet border is a fairly simple process. At the border, you’ll go into the immigration building. You can get a 1-month Tourist (T) Visa for $30 that can be extended for 1 more month or a 1-month Orindary (E) Visa for $35 which can be extended for 3 to 12 months.
lternatively, Thai Duong Airbus Limousine gives the option to handle the visa processing for you for an additional $5 if you don’t want to deal with immigration.
To get a Cambodia visa-on-arrival you’ll need these 5 things:
1. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the arrival date.
2. Two free pages in your passport (visa takes up a whole page).
3. An application form (provided at the border crossing)
4. One recent passport photograph (4 x 6). You can have a photo taken there for an additional fee.
5. Visa Fee: A cash payment of $30 USD for a TOURIST (T) VISA or $35 USD for Ordinary (E) VISA.
It’s best to avoid changing your Vietnamese Dong at the border as rates will be higher. Try to do it before you board the Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh bus. That way you’ll save money by paying for your Cambodia visa in USD instead of Dong or other currency.
The lunch stop at the border is in a building with both local and western food options. There are some shops and a duty-free store you can browse there too.
From the Cambodia border, it takes about four more hours to reach Phnom Penh. There is one more bathroom break on the way to break up the Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh journey.
The Thai Duong Airbus Limousine bus office in Phnom Penh is next to the Olympic Market by the riverside, another major tourist area. From there you can get a tuk-tuk to your hotel or pop into the Thai Duong Airbus Limousine office to use their WiFi to call a Grab or PassApp taxi.
Going from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh
The bus from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh is basically the same but in reverse. The main difference is getting your Vietnamese visa.
The bus attendant will check everyone’s passport when you get on the bus. If you’re an American you’ll need to get a Vietnam visa ahead of time. Some nationalities are eligible for 15 to 30 days of travel visa-free in Vietnam. Read these two articles to find out what you need and how to get a visa for Vietnam at the Vietnam Embassy in Phnom Penh or how to get a Vietnam eVisa online. When you reach the Vietnam border, the bus attendant will take everyone’s passport to get processed at immigration while you have your lunch at the rest stop. When it’s time to cross the border, they are there with you throughout the process. Then you get back on the same bus to continue your trip to Ho Chi Minh City.Why Thai Duong AirBus limousine is the Bus from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City 2024
Go with Thai Duong Airbus Limousine 2024
Thai Duong Airbus Limousine is by far the best bus company we have used in Cambodia, especially when it comes to making a land border crossing to Vietnam or Thailand. They help you through the process every step of the way and make your life easier so you don’t need to worry about scams or other hassles. If it’s your first time traveling in Southeast Asia or you are tired of gambling with random cheap buses then we definitely recommend you book with them.