Border crossings for groups: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos

The road from Saigon to Phnom Penh by coach is reported at about six hours including immigration. The Chau Doc to Phnom Penh boat is reported at about five to five and a half hours, with morning departures. Both depend on queues at the border on the day.

For groups, Moc Bai – Bavet is the simplest crossing because both e-visas are valid there. The river crossing is the more interesting one to sell and the one that needs the visa conversation with each client.

The Lao e-visa is accepted only at three international airports, three Friendship Bridges on the Thai border and the Boten checkpoint and railway stations on the China line. None of the crossings with Vietnam is on that list. A published travel guide reports that, of the Vietnam crossings, only Lao Bao – Dansavanh issues Lao visas on arrival, with reported hours of 07:00 to 19:00. We have not been able to confirm that with an official Lao source, so we plan Vietnam – Laos road crossings with visas issued in advance.

In practice, most of our programmes that link Vietnam and Laos fly, usually Hanoi to Luang Prabang. Road crossings into Laos are long days on mountain roads, and we quote them only for clients who want the journey itself.

The crossing used for groups is Trapeang Kriel on the Cambodian side and Nong Nok Khiene on the Lao side, north of Stung Treng and south of the Four Thousand Islands. The Cambodian e-visa is listed as valid there. A travel guide reports Lao visas on arrival in both directions and hours of about 06:00 to 18:00.

It links Siem Reap or Phnom Penh to southern Laos by road. It is a long day, and for most groups a Siem Reap to Luang Prabang flight is the simpler way to add Laos to a Cambodia programme.

Since September 2025, commercial flights in Phnom Penh use Techo International Airport instead of the old city airport, which changes transfer times on programmes written before then. Siem Reap moved to its new airport in October 2023 for the same reason.

1. Check each client's nationality and visa against the crossing, not just the country, when the rooming list arrives.
2. Send passport details to the boat or transport operator where it needs them in advance.
3. Brief the group the evening before: documents in hand luggage, cash in USD for any visa on arrival, what the queue looks like.
4. Hand over between the guide on one side and the guide on the other; vehicles usually change at the border.
5. Report the crossing time to you if it runs long enough to affect the rest of the day.

Agents who want a crossing on a programme can start from the Mekong Delta to Angkor sample, or read the Cambodia and Laos pages first.