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Bangkok/Yaowarat and Phahurat

Yaowarat and Phahurat (Thai: เยาวราชและพาหุรัด) is Bangkok's multicultural district, located west of Silom and southeast of Rattanakosin. Yaowarat Road is the home of Bangkok's sizeable Chinese community, while those of Indian ethnicity have congregated around Phahurat Road. By day, Yaowarat doesn't look that much different from any other part of Bangkok, though the neighbourhood feels like a big street market and there are some hidden gems waiting to be explored. But at night, the neon signs blazing with Chinese characters are turned on and crowds from the restaurants spill out onto the streets, turning the area into a miniature Hong Kong (minus the skyscrapers). Phahurat is an excellent place for buying fabrics, accessories and religious paraphernalia. A visit to the area is not complete without having some of its amazing delicacies that sell for an absolute bargain — such as bird's nest soup or some Indian curries.

Understand
Compared to the rest of the city, this district is fairly compact and can best be explored in a full-day (and night) walking tour. You'll come across street markets, shophouses, gold shops, beautiful remnants of colonial-style architecture and some interesting temples. Instead of tramping from temple to temple, this neighbourhood is mostly about catching a brief peek into commercial Bangkok as it has been the last two centuries. Rushing through won't be rewarding—take your time instead, sitting at a plastic chair and watching local traders sell their wares. As the street markets are not targeted to foreigners, you will find a wide array of products: ceramics, fabrics, gold, tacky teenager ware, ant-killer chalk, Bollywood films, ginseng roots. Who knows what you'll end up with at the end of the day. It is best to come during weekdays, as many stores close during the weekends. Also keep in mind that most shops close at 17:00 after which most of the area gets pretty much deserted (Yaowarat Road being a noteworthy exception).

Orientation
Orientation in Yaowarat is even trickier than elsewhere in Bangkok. The area is filled with narrow alleys and obscure pedestrian-only routes, and is crossed by a few giant roads that feel like small highways. Finding your way around is difficult as road signs are blocked by the bulk of neon-signs and other merchandise that sellers hang up to attract customers. The perfect map for the district still has to be created, so adapt to the situation and expect to get lost often. Also take note that alleys often bear the name trok instead of the usual soi and that many have multiple names attached to them. For example, Trok Issaranuphap is often signposted as Soi Issaranuphap or as Soi 16, while Soi Phadung Dao is also known as Soi Texas.

Yaowarat is centred, as could be expected, around Yaowarat Road, a big road bursting with neon signs. North of it is Charoen Krung Road, which is also one of Bangkok's major traffic arteries. Running parallel to the south of Yaowarat Road is Sampheng Lane, which is also known as Soi Wanit 1, a narrow pedestrian-only lane with many small department stores. Crossing these three streets is the pedestrian-only Trok Issaranuphap, another interesting lane for shopping and having small snacks. Another small lane crossing Yaowarat Road is Soi Phadung Dao, the place to go when you're hungry.

Phahurat is centred around Phahurat Road, which starts immediately west of Sampheng Lane. It is crossed by Chakphet Road and Tri Phet Road, both major roads that have to cope with the immense traffic coming from the Memorial Bridge.

History
Yaowarat is one of the oldest Chinese communities in Thailand. The story of the Chinese in Bangkok starts in the late 1700s, when poor peasants from China's Chaoshan region moved to the Grand Palace area in Rattanakosin. They came to Siam to find work in Thonburi at the other side of the Chao Phraya River (which at that time was the capital of the country). The Chinese were requested to move outside the city walls when King Rama I set up his new capital in the Grand Palace area in 1782.

The new Chinese neighbourhood, nowadays named after Yaowarat Road, became Bangkok's main centre of commerce for the following two centuries. Formerly impoverished peasants worked their way up to become the backbone of trade in Siam. It also became known as a seedy area thriving on brothels, gambling houses and opium dens, though these activities are illegal nowadays and no longer to be found in the district. The business centre of the district moved from Sampheng Lane to Yaowarat Road and Charoen Krung Road in 1891, when those roads were built by a decree of King Rama V.

A few years later a fire broke out, which opened the way for the construction of Phahurat Road in 1898. King Rama V named it after his daughter Phahurat Maneemai, in remembrance of her early death at the age of ten. The area used to be an enclave of Vietnamese immigrants, who had lived here since the reign of King Taksin in the late eighteenth century. Construction of the road made way for the Indian community to move in and since then, this neighbourhood evolved its own South Asian character that persists today.

As Thailand became one of Asia's emerging economies, the commercial core moved from Yaowarat and Phahurat to the Siam Square area. However, this multicultural district still shows what commercial Bangkok has been like for almost two decades.

Talk
Although everybody speaks Thai as well, many older residents of Yaowarat speak Teochew as their mother tongue.

By boat
Due to its location at the Chao Phraya River, most visitors enter Yaowarat and Phahurat using the Chao Phraya Express Boat service. A single trip from Rattanakosin or Silom takes about 20 minutes and costs around 18 baht. The most important stops are the Rachawongse and Si Phraya piers, both of which are served by all lines. Rachawongse is an ideal stop for central Yaowarat, while Si Phraya is close to the southeastern part of the district. Phahurat can best be reached using the Memorial Bridge pier (Saphan Phut), which is only attended by no-flag and orange flag lines. Other piers that could be useful are Rachini and Marine Department, both of which are only served by no-flag lines.

If you're coming from Thonburi, you can cross the river by taking a ferry. There is a ferry service from Kanlayanamit to Pak Khlong Talat, from Dindaeng to Rachawongse and from Klongsan to Si Phraya. Ferries leave about every 15 minutes for just 3 baht.

By public transit
Yaowarat and Phahurat can directly be reached by metro if you are coming from Silom, Sukhumvit or Ratchadaphisek. The MRT's Hua Lamphong, Wat Mangkon and Sam Yot stations are all lined along Charoen Krung Road, one of the area's two main arteries, and provide convenient access.

By bus
The bus system in Bangkok is complex, but it is actually one of the cheapest ways to travel around the city. Many lines run through the district, but let's start with a warning: as Yaowarat Road is a one-way road, bus lines only use it in westwards direction (to Rattanakosin). Buses going east use Charoen Krung Road instead!

Ordinary and air-conditioned bus 25 is the most important bus route. It starts in the far southeast of Sukhumvit Road, then follows that road northwest before heading through Ratchaprasong intersection (for Siam Square), Ratchadamri Road, Silom intersection, Rama IV Road, Hualamphong Train Station and then runs right through Yaowarat Road and Phahurat Road. This route can also be taken from the other direction, then it comes from Tha Chang pier (near the Grand Palace in Rattanakosin) and takes Charoen Krung Road instead of Yaowarat Road.

From Khao San Road, catch ordinary (circular) bus 56 which runs along Tanao Road at the eastern tip of Khao San Road and then goes south through Maha Chai Road and Chakphet Road (get off after the Merry King department store for Phahurat Road and Sampheng Lane; don't miss it, as it will cross the bridge to Thonburi right after). Ordinary bus 4 comes from Silom intersection along Rama IV Road and passes Hualamphong Train Station through Yaowarat Road and then goes southwest over the Phra Pok Klao bridge to Thonburi (as with all routes, in eastwards direction Yaowarat Road is skipped in favour of Charoen Krung Road).

By train
Yaowarat and Phahurat can easily be reached from Hualamphong Train Station, which is on the eastern border of the district. However, more and more long-distance services are being relocated to the new central station at Bang Sue on the northern outskirts of the city.

See
Sights abound around Yaowarat and Phahurat, but if you're looking for "must-sees", you might want to visit Rattanakosin first. While enjoying a relaxed walk through this district, you should at least incorporate a visit to Wat Mangkon Kamalawat and Wat Traimit. Other sights could be considered optional or more interesting for adventurous travellers.

Temples

Museums and monuments

European-style buildings

Do
Take the Yaowarat and Phahurat Tour, a full day walking tour around the most interesting sights, markets and restaurants of the area.

Street markets

Typical of Yaowarat are its small crowded lanes filled with markets, that sell... well, anything you could possibly imagine. You'll stumble on items for sale as diverse as Chinese medicine, snake blood, Buddhist paraphernalia, toys, ant-killer chalk, car spare parts, typical teenager stuff and more.

Parallel to the big Yaowarat Road lies (sometimes signposted as Soi Wanit 1, 08:00-18:00 daily) which is probably the most characteristic (if tacky) shopping lane of the area. This narrow lane, at some places having a width of less than one metre, used to be a shady area thriving on brothels, gambling houses and opium dens, but has now turned into a crowded lane of endless ramshackle department stores. The lane can roughly be divided into three sections, all of them selling different kind of products at bargain rates. The lower eastern part of Sampheng Lane focuses on cheap teenager accessories, such as cheap jewellery, toys, and hair products. In the middle part, there is more of a focus on shoes, Chinese ceramics and lanterns. Indian merchants have mostly taken over the part west of Rachawongse Road, where you can find fabrics, silk and other clothing. Don't expect any quality here, just shop for fun.

Crossing Sampheng in the middle is Trok Issaranuphap, the most exotic of Yaowarat's shopping lanes. The part south of Yaowarat Road is known as (04:00-11:00 daily) or "Old Market", which is not an understatement as it has been up and running since the late 18th century. This market is a more down-to-earth than Sampheng and more authentic, but get here early as it closes in the early afternoon. It is largely a food market with fresh meat, fish, vegetables, fruits and other food ingredients for sale. But there are also plenty of non-food products like ant-killer chalk, Chinese medicines and ginseng roots. The part north of Yaowarat Road is known as (04:00-18:00 daily), which means "New Market" despite it being about one hundred years old. It has similar products as elsewhere on Trok Issaranuphap, but it has an even more exotic aura to it. Unlike Talat Kao, this market stays open till the early evening. As it is fully covered, it's a good place to sneak into if it starts raining.

Some of the smaller markets include:

Gold shops
Yaowarat has been the home of gold and gem trading for a couple of centuries, and it is no wonder that some of the oldest buildings in the district are gold shops. Originally, the four "tycoon" gold shops were Seng Heng Li, Hua Seng Heng, Tung Jin Aeng, and Tang To Kang. Now there are more than 130 gold shops along Yaowarat Road alone, which is why it is known as the Golden Road. Generally, the gold is of high standard (approximately 23 karat) and most shops are a member of the Gold Merchants Association. As this district is out of the tourist eye, it is a lot safer to buy gems here than in other districts, but still be on the lookout for the gem scam. See the Stay safe section of the Bangkok page for more information about the scam and what to do once you've fallen for it. Some of the better trusted gem stores include:

Phahurat
Shopping in Phahurat is not rewarding for the average traveller, unless you are into Bollywood DVDs, betel nut leaves (paan) or Punjabi sweets. If you're looking for fabrics, however, Phahurat is definitely the place to be. And even if you're not specifically looking for fabrics, it is still a great adventure to visit the Phahurat Market. Besides fabrics, Phahurat is also an excellent place for buying accessories, such as bracelets, trinkets, and sandals. There are thousands of different kinds for sale, and all at a bargain, so mix and match as you wish. You'll also notice many stores selling religious paraphernalia like statues and pictures of Indian deities.

Eat
Yaowarat is a haven for foodies. It has the city's best selection of Chinese restaurants, many of which specialise in expensive delicacies like shark fin, bird's nest or fresh seafood (often still swimming in tanks near the entrance). Gather the biggest group you can, preferably with a Teochew speaker or two, and head down for some renao ("hot and noisy") banqueting.

Bird's nest and the controversial shark fin soup are two of the finest ways to flaunt your wealth. Bird's nest has been a delicacy in Chinese cooking for over 400 years. It is made from the solidified saliva of swifts found deep inside limestone caves across Southeast Asia. Climbers used to risk their lives on networks of bamboo scaffolding to extract it from the highest reaches of the caves, but because of increasing demand nesting houses are now purposefully built for it. Due to its scarcity and dubious health benefits associated with it, it has gained a following among the ultra-rich in Asia, but tasting it as a newcomer it's difficult to understand what the fuss is all about. If you do want to give it a try, you can buy it (cooked into a sort of soup) from lots of street carts at 100 baht for a small paper cup. Many of the carts don't have English, so look for the Chinese characters 燕窝.

It's better to go for the high-end seafood. While pricey, it can be enjoyed here for relatively affordable prices compared with other large cities in the world. Most seafood dishes cost around 300-500 baht per head, but crab costs more than 1,000 baht. Seafood is best ordered in the large restaurants around Yaowarat Road and Soi Phadung Dao (often known as Soi Texas). These restaurants specialise mainly in Southern Chinese fare. Dim sum is a staple and some of the restaurants are fully specialised in it. Other popular dishes are Cantonese-style roasted duck, Peking duck and abalone in oyster sauce. Forget about any sort of ambience as these restaurants serve in very noisy rooms with overly bright lighting.

Travellers on a budget might want to venture into the little side-streets and take a bite at one of the numerous hawker stalls and street restaurants. The hawker stalls here have been internationally acclaimed among food enthusiasts. The street food here is very authentic as original recipes from Chinese immigrants have been passed on for three generations. Each street restaurant specialises in one particular dish and the owners have been fine-tuning it to perfection for decades. The street food scene lights up at sunset as queues of people line up on the road waiting to be seated. Simple meals are around 50 baht per dish, which are best shared in a group. Visit a couple of these, or ask a local for advice as everyone seems to have a particular hidden favourite.

Indian curries are served in restaurants around Phahurat Road and Chakphet Road. These roads tend to be deserted after dark, so you might want to head off by taxi when dinner time is over. If all this sounds too exotic or adventurous for you, there are some tourist-friendly Western and Thai restaurants in the Old Siam Plaza. It also has some fast-food outlets and a food court for those on a budget.

Mid-range

Drink
The daily life of the locals can best be observed at the area's remaining coffeeshops. Some of these have been passed on for generations and still have a similar noisy atmosphere as they had one hundred years ago. The Chaozhou coffee at Eiah Sae is locally famous as it is made from a secret recipe that has been in the family for four generations. If you want to go out in style, you can't go wrong with the live jazz sessions at Cotton Bar.

Sleep
Not many people spend the night in Yaowarat or Phahurat, but there are some hotels available for those who would like to explore the area in more than just one day. Yaowarat is an interesting medium-cost alternative for Khao San Road as the atmosphere is much more authentic. Many of the hotels have the same ramshackle feel as those found in the average Chinese city.

Budget
If you need to catch one of the early trains (to Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi or beyond), it can pay to spend the night in the area around Hualamphong Station. Its location is at the meeting point of three interesting districts (Siam Square, Silom and Yaowarat) and it is served by an MRT station. There are plenty of places here that want to store your luggage for a fee.

Connect
Despite the crush of people on the street, there are not many options for public Internet access. Cotton Bar has Wi-Fi available for customers. Some of the hotels have Internet, so you could visit one of them and hope they allow non-guests to use it for a fee. There are a few Internet cafes near Hualamphong Station. Or you could just hail a taxi and surf the web in Khao San Road or Siam Square.

Go next
If you liked the street markets in Yaowarat and Phahurat, you should visit the much-larger Chatuchak Weekend Market in Phahonyothin. It is a vast market with more than 8,000 vendors under one roof. Another option is Pratunam, which has street markets all over the district. It is especially interesting for clothing.

title: Bangkok/Yaowarat and Phahurat


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Bangkok Metropolitan Area

The Bangkok Metropolitan Area is the area consisiting of greater Bangkok.

Cities

 * — the second largest city of Thailand in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region
 * — home to the Erawan Museum and Ancient Siam
 * — home to the tallest stupa in the world
 * — known for its fresh seafood and fruit
 * — home to the Erawan Museum and Ancient Siam
 * — home to the tallest stupa in the world
 * — known for its fresh seafood and fruit

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Bangkok Metropolitan Area


text:
Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City overland

This is a suggested itinerary for a trip from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City, in Southeast Asia. This itinerary takes you through the core of former French Indochina, and through the fields of the Vietnam War, starting and ending in the two largest cities in continental Southeast Asia.

Understand
Cambodia and Vietnam gained final independence from French rule in 1954. You will even today find many signs of French influence. Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country that was never colonised, though European influences can also be seen in Thailand's cities, as the kings of Thailand were keen to modernise the country based on European models.

Allied with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a U.S. ally following the war, and became an island of stability in what was otherwise a turbulent era for much of the region. Although Thailand also had to deal with its own communist insurgency, the insurgents for the most part had little success in gaining public support, due in large part to the immense popularity of then-king Bhumibol Adulyadej among the Thai people, and ended their struggle peacefully in 1983. Thailand would play host to U.S. troops deployed to Vietnam during the Vietnam War, which eventually led to the development of its tourism industry. However, it also led to the once-idyllic beach town of Pattaya becoming overdeveloped, and the town is now better known for its sex tourism industry than as a beach getaway destination. Nevertheless, Thailand has emerged as one of Southeast Asia's economic powerhouses, second only to Indonesia, and today attracts many migrant workers from its much poorer neighbours Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

The French would return to Vietnam following the war, though they would face stiff resistance from pro-independence forces. Following a humiliating defeat by communist forces led by Ho Chi Minh at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, the French agreed to grant Vietnam independence, though it would also result in a divided nation. Ho Chi Minh would set up a communist regime with the support of the Soviet Union in the North, while Ngo Dinh Diem would set up a capitalist regime with the support of the United States in the South. The Vietnam War between both states would rage from 1955-1975, ending with victory for the communists when they successfully took the southern capital of Saigon. The subsequent crackdown on capitalism by the victorious communists would result in a massive refugee crisis, with many of the wealthy Vietnamese elites and ethnic Chinese fleeing by boat, many of them drowning at sea. The survivors would mostly settle in Western countries, with the United States, Canada and Australia being the top destinations. The state-run economy would eventually collapse, leading the government to initiate market-oriented reforms in 1986 and introduce capitalist elements back to Vietnam. This policy has proved highly successful, with the Vietnamese economy recording stellar growth rates since then, and achieving a much higher level of development than neighbouring Laos and Cambodia.

The Cold War shaped Cambodian history from 1954 onwards. In 1970, General Lon Nol, with backing from the United States, overthrew Prince Sihanouk's Beijing-backed government. Civil war broke out between 1970-1975. The Khmer Rouge won the civil war in 1975 and seized control of Phnom Penh. Saloth Sar (known in the West as Pol Pot) killed between 500,000 and 2 million countrymen between 1975-1979, estimates vary. While most died of starvation, thousands were also killed in concentration camps and outright genocide. Both the "killing fields" and the Tuol Sleng interrogation center have today been converted into museums and are must-sees for any visitor to Phnom Penh. Stability was only restored in 1993 with the restoration of the monarchy, albeit as a constitutional monarchy, and the successful conduct of elections under the supervision of the United Nations. Despite the tragedy of modern Cambodian history, the country is today a vibrant and exciting country, full of history, architecture and monuments, at the core of Southeast Asia. In the 21st century, Cambodia has developed close ties with China, and is rapidly modernising through Chinese investment in numerous infrastructure projects.

Prepare
Citizens of most Western countries can visit Thailand without a visa.

Visas for Vietnam need to be arranged in advance. You can obtain one from the Vietnamese embassies in Bangkok or Phnom Penh, or a Vietnamese embassy or consulate in your home country. Allow two-four days for processing in Bangkok, and a fee of US$45–60. Alternatively, citizens of most Western countries can obtain an eVisa, which takes about 3 days to process, but you will need to print out two paper copies of your visa, and you must enter Vietnam on the exact date, and at the port of entry stipulated on your visa. You will also need to pay a US$2 bribe to the immigration officer at the land border if you are entering or exiting Vietnam on an eVisa.

For Cambodia, a 30-day tourist visa-on-arrival is available for citizens of most Western countries at most border crossings; the official price is US$30, but it usually costs more after factoring in the bribes that are usually demanded by Cambodian immigration officers. Alternatively, you may apply for an eVisa, which costs more at US$36 and takes about 3 days to process, but saves you the hassle of having to deal with the visa office at the border.

Each country has its own currency, with Thailand having the Thai baht, Cambodia having the Cambodian riel, and Vietnam having the Vietnamese dong. The U.S. dollar is the official second currency in Cambodia, and is the preferred currency for larger transactions; the local currency is generally limited to small transactions below US$1 in value. You will need to obtain the respective local currencies for Thailand and Vietnam, as foreign currencies are generally not accepted outside major tourist establishments.

ATMs are limited in Cambodia, where they are available in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, and on the beach in Sihanoukville, and typically dispense US dollars. Thailand and Vietnam have well-developed banking systems with ATMs widely available across the country, and dispensing the local currency. Thai ATMS generally have a maximum withdrawal limit of 20,000 baht, while Vietnamese ATMs generally have a maximum withdrawal of 2,000,000 dong, sometimes less. Citibank branches in Bangkok have a withdrawal limit of 50,000 baht, while ANZ Bank branches in HCMC allow withdrawals up to 10,000,000 dong.

Talk
Each country has its own language, with Thai being the main language in Thailand, Khmer being the main language in Cambodia, and Vietnamese being the main language in Vietnam. Despite the legacy of French colonial rule, French is not widely spoken in either Cambodia or Vietnam, and is largely confined to a few educated elderly elites. English is now the main foreign language studied in all three countries, though proficiency is generally poor. That said, service staff in the tourism industry, as well as young upper and upper middle class adults locals, are usually able to communicate in at least basic English.

Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City are both home to vibrant Chinatown districts with substantial ethnic Chinese communities, some of whom are able to speak various Chinese dialects. The main Chinese dialect spoken in Bangkok is Teochew, while in Ho Chi Minh City, it is Cantonese, though with a significant Teochew minority. Although there is no dedicated Chinatown district in Phnom Penh, there is significant number of ethnic Chinese scattered around the downtown area, most of whom speak Teochew. Mandarin is also increasingly being learnt by tourist personnel due to the growing importance of China's tourism industry.

Bangkok to Siem Reap
Time: From 9–14 hours, depending on the season

 * Cambodian bus company Giant Ibis runs direct buses from their office in Phra Nakhon. If you are not planning to sightsee along the way, this is the most hassle-free way of travelling the route. That said, you will have to get off the bus to clear customs and immigration at the border, and the main Aranyaprathet-Poipet border crossing is known for being a hotbed of scams, especially on the Cambodian side.

 * Starts with a 4-5 hour bus ride from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet ("Aran"), the town on the Thai side near the border. Both public buses and private tour buses are available; tickets can be bought from nearly any travel agent in Bangkok and at any of Bangkok's four bus terminals. Make sure you get the right terminal for your bus. Public buses are the cheapest option and are of reasonable standard.

 * From Aranyaprathet, get a tuk-tuk the last 6 km to the border crossing. Touts will approach you at the border. Ignore them as they will expect a whopping tip at the other end for not really helping you much at all. Beware of scams; the border police sometimes try to make an extra buck on various fees and fines they more or less make up on the spot. You do not need to pay a fine for not bringing your yellow fever certificate. You should only have to pay the visa fee with the price stamped in your passport, although in reality you'll probably have to pay at least 1,000 baht.

 * From Poipet on the Cambodian side, it’s a further 3-6 hour bus or taxi to Siem Reap, in the dry season; in the rainy season the trip may sometimes take as much as 9–10 hours as the road gets flooded. You may get a bus or hire a taxi, and it may be a good idea to share one if you come across fellow travelers. Approach drivers directly and agree on a price to Siem Reap. Northern Cambodia is still one of the most heavily mined areas in the world; if you need to take a leak, you are well advised to choose safety before dignity and do what you need on the road itself.

 * Particularly the Poipet to Siem Reap leg can be an exhausting journey, but it's also a fantastic experience, and you should be completely safe.

 * As the road is paved, this part from the border to Seam Reap is faster and a much better ride. There are buses from the border that have air-con and are rather nice.

Siem Reap to Phnom Penh
Time: 4–9 hours

You have two options; road or boat. Which is more comfortable depends on the state of the road. When good, buses are excellent and fast, and boats deteriorate from lack of custom. When bad, boats become the preferred option. The road is steadily gaining the upper hand in terms of convenience, but taking the boat gives you the opportunity to travel across Southeast Asia's largest inland lake, the Tonle Sap, and see the people living around and (literally) on the lake.

 * Boat: A daily catamaran service from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh may be in operation, depending on the season and the state of the road. Older diesel boats limp across the Tonle Sap the rest of the time. These boats' safety record is rather patchy, and in dry season they may not be able to pass beneath Kampong Chnang at the foot of the lake (in which case you'll end up on another bus) -- but you won't see the Tonle Sap another way. Most hotels can sell you tickets and it will include minibus transfer from your hotel to the port of departure (90 min). The price for anyone with a white face is a whopping US$25.

 * Bus/taxi: from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, modern air-con coaches do the trip in 5-7 hours with lunch included. As with any road in Cambodia, however, maintenance is patchy and the situation can deteriorate after only a few seasons. Check with your hotel or a travel agency in Siem Reap for up-to-date information. There are many bus companies making the journey including Giant Ibis, Mekong Express, Capitol, and Virak Buntham. Prices are US$7–15 (2020).

Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City
Time: 6–8 hours

 * There are several bus companies operating directly between the two cities, including The Sinh Tourist, Giant Ibis and Mekong Express, which use the same bus across the border all the way to HCMC but you will have to get off to go through immigration and customs. If you're not sightseeing along the way, going with one of these companies is the most hassle-free way of completing this journey.

 * Another option is to buy a tour with a travel agency in Phnom Penh, as a public bus will only get you to the Vietnam border, which is a no man's land. Organized trips will bus you to the border where you cross on foot, before another bus picks you up on the other side for the 3-4 hour drive into Ho Chi Minh City.

 * Alternatively, tour operators in Phnom Penh organize boats down the Mekong to the border near Chau Doc. Again, you cross on foot and transfer to a Vietnamese boat waiting on the other side. Speedboats (US$15–20) operate directly from Phnom Penh whilst for the slower boats (US$6–8) a minibus takes you to landings downstream of the ferry across the Mekong on Highway 1. From Chau Doc regular buses make the connection to Ho Chi Minh City.

Highlights

 * Bangkok, Asia's most visited city and the main economic hub of mainland Southeast Asia, known for its vibrant nightlife, shopping, street markets and great food.
 * The Angkor Wat, an enormous temple complex on the outskirts of Siem Reap.
 * Boating the vast Tonle Sap.
 * Phnom Penh, with its vibrant markets, and the Tuol Sleng and Killing Fields museums.
 * Ho Chi Minh City, a vibrant, busy, beautiful city, full of French colonial history and architecture, and with a great nightlife and fantastic food.

Bangkok

 * Visit Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Thailand's royal temple and a popular pilgrimage destination for Thais from all over the country. The temple is within the complex of the Grand Palace, the official residence of the King of Thailand, and you are free to walk through part of the palace grounds and view the buildings from the outside.

 * Shop in one of Bangkok's numerous shopping malls, such as Siam Paragon, EmQuartier and IconSiam, just to name a few.

 * Visit one of Bangkok's numerous night markets and have some beer, along with Bangkok's famed street food.

 * Try your bargaining skills at the Chatuchak Weekend Market, but be aware that it is a tourist trap, and you will get ripped off if you don't know what you are doing.

 * Take a walk through Yaowarat, Bangkok's Chinatown, explore its Chinese temples and sample some Thai-Chinese food.

 * If your budget allows for it, Bangkok is arguably the best city in Southeast Asia to try some fine dining.

 * Take a day trip to Ayutthaya, one of Thailand's former capitals, or spend the night there if you have time. It is still home to the ruins of numerous ancient temples. It is also the best place to try some classic Thai street dishes like boat noodles and roti sai mai.

Siem Reap

 * Visit Angkor Wat. Depending on your level of interest, you should spend between 2–7 days sightseeing Angkor Wat. Because of its size, it is not really possible to see all of it in one, or even two days.

 * See the separate Siem Reap page for tips on restaurants and bars. You may notice how many of the restaurants have similar names, only differentiated by number 1, 2, 3, etc. This is due to the fact that when a particular named restaurant receives positive mention in any major guide book, surrounding restaurants will change their name to the same. Restaurant "No #1" of any particular name is not necessarily the one that received positive mention; food is generally good and cheap however, just be vigilant and ask to see the menu first.

 * Get the speedboat across the Tonle Sap to Phnom Penh. Tonle Sap is one of the biggest freshwater lakes in the world. The slow boats trafficking the lake are slow and unsafe.

Phnom Penh

 * The first thing you should do is to hire a moto driver! It looks crazy, but it really is the only way to get around. Be prepared to pay around US$5 for a moto driver for the entire day.

 * Visit the Tuol Sleng museum, also known as S-21. Saloth Sar (better known as Pol Pot) used to be a teacher at this former high school. As Pot grasped power in 1975, he turned the school into an "interrogation center." Several thousand people were interrogated and killed here. Only a very few left Tuol Sleng alive. Upon entrance to the Tuol Sleng museum, you will be approached by guides who will tour the grounds with you for a US$3–5 fee.
 * The Choeung Ek museum gives another chilling account of the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge. Located just outside the city center, you can still find human remains if you dig with your shoe just beneath the ground surface. Get your moto driver to take you there.

 * Visit the beautiful Royal Palace, and the Silver Temple within the grounds of the Royal Palace.

 * Make sure to pay a visit to the Foreign Correspondent's Club, the legendary FCC, overlooking the river and central Phnom Penh. This place serves the best burgers in Phnom Penh, and they have regular happy-hour deals on gin & tonics. Burgers and drinks are priced accordingly, but still comparatively cheap (around US$3 for your gin) Perhaps one of the few places in Asia where full colonial gear (black boots/white uniform) still today wouldn't feel out of place.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

 * Use one of the many travel cafés to organize your excursions, found on the main backpacker street in District 1, the Phạm Ngũ Lão. The quality of these trips are generally good, and the prices are low. The Sinh Cafe organizes trips both to Mui Ne, the Mekong Delta and Cu Chi tunnels at reasonable prices, but there are a multitude of offers and options, and competition is fierce.

 * You should spend some time to see the architectural highlights of central Ho Chi Minh City, many of which were built by the French. The Opera House, the Central Post Office, the People's Committee Hall and the almost perfect miniature replica of the Notre Dame church are all worth a visit.

 * Ho Chi Minh City has a vibrant nightlife. However, to combat a rising drug use problem, the authorities have imposed a midnight curfew for all clubs and bars. This is not to say that you can't party till early morning—you simply have to find out which clubs run an after hour on the particular night. Apocalypse Now! is a usual suspect (yes, it's the name of a club). Don't worry, the police quietly condone after hour parties as they know it is needed to attract tourists, and although drinking after hours is illegal, it is very widespread.

 * The War Remnants Museum is a must-see, particularly if you're into browsing some captured old American military hardware. The museum has a large collection of captured tanks, helicopters, bombs and planes. Formerly known as the American War Atrocities Museum, the name was changed after normalization of US-Vietnamese relations in the 1990s.

 * The former presidential palace of South Vietnam is a marvel of modernist architecture. Some U.S. military equipment have been left in place for viewing.

 * The Cu Chi tunnels just outside town offer an exciting glimpse into the secret tactics of the Viet Cong during the war.

 * A trip to the Mekong Delta is absolutely worthwhile, and a three-day trip including hotel, guide, transportation and food is usually around US $150!

 * The Mui Ne resort town is a good choice for some beach life if you don't want to travel too far from the city. There is a public bus to Mui Ne every day, or you can simply hire a driver.

 * Try your bargaining skills at the famous Ben Thanh Market, but it is a tourist trap these days, and you are virtually guaranteed to get ripped off if you don't know what you are doing.

 * Visit Tay Ninh, and marvel at the Cao Dai Holy See.

 * Visit the numerous historically significant temples, including the Jade Emperor Pagoda, Xa Loi Pagoda, Giac Lam Pagoda and An Quang Pagoda.

 * Explore Cholon, Ho Chi Minh City's Chinatown, see some Chinese temples, and sample some local Chinese food. Within Cholon is the Binh Tay Market, which is much less touristy than Ben Thanh, and thus a better place to observe local life and buy some local products.

Stay safe
While generally safe, particularly Cambodia can be an exhausting country in which to travel. Because of the widespread and extreme poverty, foreigners may sometimes feel as if they were walking cash points. Simply leaving your hotel and walking down the street is likely to attract a mixed crowd of cyclo drivers, postcard sellers, water and ice-cream merchants and anyone else out to get their hands on a dollar. Learn to say "no" (or "ot tay" in the Khmer language) and remain polite, but determined. Thailand and Vietnam are economically somewhat better off, meaning that for the most part, you will be left alone when visiting tourist spots and will not be constantly hassled to buy stuff, though overcharging remains a major issue.

Border crossing scams are common at the land borders, much more so than at airports. It is common for immigration officers to demand bribes before they process your entry or exit, and you risk getting delayed and being left behind by your bus company if you refuse to pay the bribe. Some luxury bus companies charge a border crossing service fee so staff will process you through immigration while you sit in a cafe and wait. They will usually give you the option of not paying the fee and processing yourself through immigration instead, but this means that the bus will leave without you should immigration officers decide to hold you up.

Landmines and exploded ordnance remain a problem in the rural parts of Cambodia and Vietnam. Be sure to stick only to official roads, and avoid going off the beaten track unless you have a guide who knows the area well.

Go next
One option to carefully consider for this itinerary is to book your tickets inbound to Bangkok, but outbound from Ho Chi Minh City. Alternatively, you will probably want to fly back to Bangkok rather than backtrack your journey through Cambodia. Ho Chi Minh City is well connected, though you are advised to book and buy your tickets well in advance as last-minute air fares can be rather expensive.

title: Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City overland