Stung Treng Border Crossing Station

Stung Treng Border Crossing Station

Stung Treng Border Crossing Station
2.5
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2.5
2.5 of 5 bubbles16 reviews
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SteveK
Los Angeles, CA168 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
June 2024 • Solo
Crossed as solo traveler 30 June 2024 approximately 4pm. No issues, no dodginess whatsoever.

Passport pic required for visa-on-arrival (available in Stung Treng for US$5). I am from USA, was in minibus with travelers from Netherlands and Canada. All charged US$40 for visa, all treated professionally by Laotian border agents.

After completing paperwork, wait time for visa for each of us was ten minutes. They required 50,000 kip "stamp fee" (approx. US$2.25) which I didn't see posted but it felt pro forma enough and not like a bribe so I was ok paying it (would be great if they POSTED that at the site).

THANK YOU to those that shared on this forum and others. Clearly your reports prompted action at least insofar as my own experience today. Much appreciated.
Written 30 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Teepa W
Wellington, New Zealand146 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We did this remote border crossing at Trapaing Kreal after taking a 40 minute car ride from Stung Treng. The crossing was uneventful on the Cambodian side. It took a little longer on the Laotian side because my friend who was traveling with me was born in Laos, and this was his first visit back to Laos, 40 years after leaving when he was a child. The officials wanted the addresses and contacts of his family we were planning to visit during our 10 day visit. And they rang them to check.
Written 22 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

joey262
Haberfield23 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019 • Solo
May 2019: Stung Treng cross Cambodia to Laos. Apply for on the spot Laos visa.

Following from the last contributor, I have added my own experience. Hopefully, as other travelers read these posts they can build up an idea of what happens at the crossing.

I bought my van transfer ticket from Stung Treng (Cambodia) to Pakse (Laos) at my hotel (Savet 1 Guesthouse) in Stung Treng. The guesthouse owner advised me that one van would pick me up from the hotel and take me to the Cambodian checkpoint. I would get my exit stamp, walk across no mans land, arrive at the Laos checkpoint where I could apply on the spot visa, receive it and then be picked up on the other side by a van. He warned me about the additional US$2 exit (Cambodian side) and US$2 entry (Laos side) and suggested I might just pay it for expediency. He told me that some travelers have been delayed for an hour or more when they refused to pay.

So, this is what actually happened:

Crossing the borders and applying for the Laos visa:
This pretty much followed what I had been told and therefore expected. A Tuk Tuk picked me up from the hotel and dropped me off at a restaurant/van stop. About half an hour later, the van picked us up. Two other backpackers were traveling with me across the border although they were going to Don Dhet.

Exiting Cambodia: The van eventually came and drove us about 2 hrs to the Cambodian checkpoint. The van driver pointed at a set of buildings in the distance (see photo attached with orange roof buildings) and told us to go there. This is the Cambodian border checkpoint. The procedure for the exit stamp was relatively expedient. We filled in our exit forms, processing us one at a time, they took our passport, took a picture of each is us and our finger/thumb prints. Then asked us to wait 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, name was called and went to the window to retrieve our passport(s). At this point, they asked for US$2, stamped the passport with exit stamp and returned them. Then, we walked across the no mans land (about 100 metres) to the Laos side. Note: don't expect too many instructions from the border control staff. You pretty much have to direct yourself and be proactive in working out what to do next.

Entering Laos border: We then walked across to and into the white building (see attached picture) which is the Laos Border Checkpoint. Here, we were given Laos entry forms to fill in. Entry was quite straightforward, forms were processed. Visa fees are differentiated based on what passport you hold (which is an international norm... not just particular to Laos). They had a large official poster listing all the key passports with associated via price. For my Australian passport, I was charged US$30 which matched the price on the poster. Other prices were: US$40 for Canadian, US$20 for Chinese, US$35 for UK. The visa pricing poster is right next to the visa processing windows. I'm not sure if complaints about extortionate pricing posted previously was because people were unaware of the passport differentiated visa fees. On the Laos side, they did charge an additional US$2 for passport entry stamp. Some people maintain that this is another extortionate fee. I remain undecided. They definitely did not provide a receipt for it. But when I have them a US$5 note (my smallest) to pay the $2, they gave me back my $3 change. If they were really cheating me, why not hold onto the entire $5. Controlled cheating? 😉 Total time for processing took about 15 minutes.

Exit/Entry Procedure: Conclusion.
Relatively straightforward. Myself and the other 2 travelers were a little nervous because of the stories we had heard about corruptions and scams at this border point. But aside from the US$2 on either side (a relatively small amount) everything was above the board and straight forward. No complaints here on my part. Immigration staff could be a little more helpful with their assistance.

OTHER BORDER SCAMS: TRANSFER VAN/BUS
The more unsettling ("possible") scam that I came across, was my "transfer van ticket from Stung Treng (Cambodia) to Pakse (Laos). As I mentioned earlier, I bought the transfer ticket from my guesthouse, Savet 1 at Stung Treng for US$15. I don't believe the guesthouse was involved in the scam but I have written to them about it earlier today and am awaiting a response.
Anyway, this is what happened:
After passing the Laos checkpoint, we emerged on the other side to look for our "transfer vans". We didn't see any signage, there were no cars, buses or even people waiting. Just saw a very large, modern 2 storey Duty Free shop on the left hand side and further up the road a very local restaurant on the right. We ended up going to both. The Duty Free store has an air conditioned coffee shop where you can wait. The local restaurant has seating with a verandah; fan and much cheaper prices The restaurant owner was proactive in watching out for our van. It was one of the only vehicles that showed up in the hour that we waited. Finally, the van came and we all boarded. The 2 other backpackers traveling to Don Dhet were dropped off at a pier for their connecting boat.
The van driver then took me about another 15 minutes up the main road, stopped the van in front of another very local restaurant with an old Tuk Tuk driver waiting in front. He then told me in limited English that I should wait here for the next bus/van.
THE VAN SCAM(??): so, to this point, I'm not actually sure whether this is a organised scam or was it just people taking advantage of the situation.
Anyway, it's about 3pm and I'm stuck waiting at this local restaurant somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Not in a town, just at this small shack restaurant with about 6 Tuk Tuk drivers. After about 15 minutes, the old man that I was left with, sits with me at the table and starts to talk in halting English. He says something along the lines of, "3 o'clock, late, late. no bus. bus gone. you take taxi to Pakse. US$80, you take" I questioned him. I bought my ticket already to take me to Pakse. Why should I pay anymore? No, I won't pay. I'll wait for the van/bus. At this stage he shrugged, left me to converse with the other Tuk Tuk drivers and I took a lie down on the bench to wait.
After about 40 min, the old driver called out to me and pointed at a van about 200 metres away and indicated that it will take me to Pakse. He takes me up to the van. The van is not a proper passenger van. Its a goods van delivering sacks of fruit to Pakse. The driver moves some bags and makes space for me. At this point, the old man tells me that the driver will take me to Pakse and that I will need to pay him Laos 50,000 Kip (US$6). I was pretty frustrated by this point, politely declined once again pointing out that I had paid US$15 already to be transported to Pakse. On principle, I was unwilling to pay. Then I started to walk back to the restaurant shack to wait for MY van. Mid way on the way back, the drivers called me back to the van. At this point, I saw the old man pay the driver. He then told me that he had paid and that I should go with him. Not wanting to spend the night sleeping on the bench at the shack, I was pragmatic and jumped in. 2 hours later, I was in Pakse and hadn't paid anymore but had probably lost an extra hour and a half in waiting time.

To this point, I'm still not sure whether this was really a scam or who was complicit in it. The only thing that makes me extra wary is several previous posts (like the last one) where they said their van had abandoned them at the Laos end of the checkpoint. So, it has definitely happened before.

In my case, I'm wondering if because I was the only traveler going to Pakse that day, did my van driver decide to abandon the ride, why drive 2 hours each way to deliver just one person? instead, he could drop me off with somebody who will find alternative transport there (and maybe make extra money in the process). To me, this seems like the most likely scenario.

Anyway, the reason I'm documenting this is so that other travelers are aware that it happens. Also, so that you can be prepared:
1. suggest you take photos of your tickets. along the way, as you're transferred, they will exchange tickets for new ones. good to have photo copies of them all so that you have proof and can hold groups 2. make sure you have a contact number for the agency where you originally buy your ticket. They should sort things out for you. (note: I didn't have a Laos SIM card so couldn't call the Cambodian hotel where I had booked the ticket.). Only problem is that your roaming charges may cost you as much as the additional "extortion" amounts.

Final suggestion: Please record your own good or bad experiences of this trip. Hopefully future travelers will have a more informed view for their own travel.

Good luck with your travels!

(Note: final photo is of the Tuk Tuk drivers circling me.... 😁)

Written 18 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claire&Jim
26 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019 • Couples
This border has a very bad press, so we expected the worst. However, once you accept that, even with a visa, you will need to pay $2 to leave Cambodia and another $2 to enter Laos, it was absolutely fine. All the officials were polite and friendly and our mini van was waiting the other side, to our relief! I think there are probably times when booked cars and buses don’t turn up, but our personal experience was excellent. I don’t know if it makes a difference, but we booked our mini van from Stueng Treng to Don Det and it worked very well.
Written 1 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alecfromaustralia
4 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019
Crossing the border was pretty simple and straightforward, they tour companies make it pretty easy. Theres a bit of a wait, and a 1 or 2 usd "fee" to get things happening, but overall pretty easy.
Written 5 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rachel p
Brisbane, Australia10 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
June 2023 • Friends
I read all reviews before we left and yes, those of you complaining were correct. Absolutely disgraceful. We had to pay the guard at the booth to get on the property, had to pay the $2 for the stamp, and my boyfriend had to pay extra for the motorcycle. The building is dirty, the police uncaring and unfriendly. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
Written 3 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mat yusof m
Sungai Petani, Malaysia25 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Friends
At Lao border, we have to pay usd3, otherwise the officer refuse to stamp our passport....so we have no choice. We try to argue but at last we pay the corrupted officer.

At Cambodian border we have to pay usd1 for temperature scanning...do not know whether it is the regulation or not. Before stamping the passport, the officer ask for usd2 each person but we refused to pay. Luckily the officer stamp our passport.
Written 19 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alex
7 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023 • Solo
Grossly corrupt male border police officers (note that, the few female officers caused no problem but held only junior ranks)
At the Laos side, they demand five dollars, US. Everyone knows this is nothing but thievery, but young backpackers pay it, to avoid hassle. Having politely informed them that I am not American and have never even been to the US, that I have no dollars and do not pay bribes, they became abusive and refused to give the exit stamp. After long delay, in which I made it clear that I would remain as long as it took, one officer even threatened violence, saying:
"You and me out the back" very brave, facing a lone female over sixty! When told he was a coward and a disgrace to his uniform and I would be happy to give him a thrashing, he changed his mind and gave up the stamped passport, on the condition that I delete the photograph I had taken of him. I publish it below.
Entering Cambodia, the reception was no better.
They have an airport x-ray scanner, which they use only on selected travellers whom they wish to target for refusal to pay bribes. (Clearly, they know a 'trouble maker' when they see one.
Forewarned, I had already bought my visa from the consulate, where all propriety was observed, removing a major source of leverage for the scammers. They attempted the ruse with the 'medical check' but I profuced covid vaccination certificates and that was suddenly forgotten. Then came the scan.
"You have a knife!" They cried. "Yes, I have plenty of camping equipement", I replied, "and I shall be keeping it, too, I am not boarding an aircraft, you know"
I was asked to reveal it. I did so. Eyes lit up, at the sight of a stainless Joker Nessmuk, with walnut handle. Several cops tried to get hold of it, without success. Each time, a more senior officer was called. Eventually I allowed one fellow, with more scrambled egg than a Field Marshall, to inspect it. He attempted to make off with it, which I prevented. Again, even the threat of taking his photo was enough to frighten him.
My knife was returned and I left.
Welcome to Cambodia. It does not get better. The nearest town, a very expensive ride away on appaing roads and dirt tracks, through a wasteland of environmental devastation thatcan only be described as ecocide.
Written 10 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Noreason
Penang Island, Malaysia497 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2018 • Friends
We came into Cambodia from Vietnam border and on a bus ride with 30 passengers, it took 7 hours thereabout to reach Stung Treng. You have to make sure that you have enough water and food supplies on such a trip becase there are not big towns along the way. It was already dark when we arrived at the Samheap Guest House, only to find out that there are insufficient rooms to take everybody in. Communication when making reservation may not be reliable as promised. Luckily, we could find another guesthouse to accomodate the balance of our friends. For dinner, we just had biscuits as we do not feel safe in this cowboy looking town.

When we were up the following morning, we saw how dirty the town was with litters. The only spot that we appreciate was the Mekong River that was very quiet in the morning. We skipped having breakfast in this town and just headed to our destination where lunch was served.
Written 18 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Stung Treng Border Crossing Station - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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