Laos-Cambodia Bus Service
"Laos-Cambodia Bus" was last updated January 2014
Looking for information on Laos–Cambodia bus travel (or reverse route)? This page gives just that.
Not very long ago it was nearly impossible to travel by bus between Laos and Cambodia (either to/from Phnom Penh or Siem Reap).
Now there is a cross-border international bus service that is operated in rotation by a Lao bus company (Sengchaleun) and a Cambodian bus company, Phnom Penh Sorya Transportation.
Pakse bus station
Pakse bus station
At present there is one bus daily connecting Laos and Cambodia, from Vientiane via Pakse to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap through Stung Treng, Kratie and Kampong Cham.
To Phnom Penh (from Vientiane via Pakse and vice versa)
The Laos-Cambodia bus (to Phnom Penh or Siem Reap) departs from Vientiane, southern bus station (Dong Dok), at 20:30 (8.30pm). It arrives in Pakse around 6:00am the next morning. You need to change buses in Pakse (just get off one bus and hop on another) at KM2 bus station. The bus to Cambodia departs from Pakse (KM2 bus station) at 7:30am, and arrives at Phnom Penh Sorya Transport station next to Phsar Thmey (Central Market) arround 20:30 (8:30pm).
For the reverse route, the bus departs from Phnom Penh bus station at 6:45am. It arrives in Pakse around 12-13 hours later. A change of bus in Pakse, then resumes the journey at 20:00 (8pm), and arrives in Vientiane around 6:00am the next morning.
Cambodia bus
The buses used for Vientiane–Pakse leg are Lao buses. They are either sleeper VIP or non-sleeper VIP buses, but all should be comfortable.
For Pakse–Phnom Penh leg, it can either be a Lao or a Cambodian bus depending on the day you travel. The route is operated in rotation basic.
To Siem Reap (from Vientiane via Pakse and vice versa)
Passengers going to Siem Reap need to go on the same bus as those going to Phnom Penh. If you travel all the way from Vientiane to Siem Reap you will need to change buses twice, one in Pakse and another in Kampong Cham. The Kampong Cham – Siem Reap leg uses Cambodian buses.
The bus arrives at Siem Reap central bus station or Chong Kov Sou station that located 7km west of the town, near Phsar Leu (the 'Upper Market'). This is where all buses arrive to and depart from.
On the reverse route, the bus departs from Siem Reap early in the morning (around 5:30am) and arrives in Kampong Cham in time to connect with the bus from Phnom Penh.
All Laos-Cambodia buses to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap stop in Stung Treng, Katie and Kampong Cham to drop off/pick up passengers.
Ticket purchase
Tickets can be bought at the bus station prior to boarding. You can also book tickets online at the Cambodia bus company’s website here, www.ppsoryatransport.com. Most routes are available for booking.
Ticket prices (a one-way ticket)
Vientiane – Phnom Penh: US$50.00
Vientiane – Siem Reap: US$58.00
Pakse – Phnom Penh: US$27.00
Pakse – Siem Reap: US$35.00
Pakse – Kampong Cham: US$20.00
Pakse – Kratie: US$18.00
Pakse – Stung Treng: US$15.00
There are also mini buses running to/from several towns in Cambodia – Siem Reap, Kampong Cham, Kratie and Stung Treng – to the Siphandone (4000 islands) areas of Don Det, Don Khone and Khong Island. Most are run by travel agents either in Cambodia or Laos.
Bus Schedules and Online Booking
Phnom Penh Sorya Transportation publishes the schedules for Laos–Cambodia bus on its website, online booking is also available.
Website: www.ppsoryatransport.com.
Sengchaleun (the Lao Bus Company) has no website, let alone online schedules or booking. For enquiries, call +856 (0)31 212428, bus station at KM2 in Pakse.
Bus Conditions
The buses used for Laos-Cambodia bus service are relatively comfortable. They are air-conditioned with a toilet on board. A free bottle of water and a towel come with your ticket.
To make your border crossing smooth and fast, immigration forms are provided on board prior to arriving at the border.
Lao road
Road Conditions
The new sections of Cambodia's National Route No.7 to Stung Treng and Kratie, were completed some years ago, that makes travelling by road smoother and faster. The bus journey from Phnom Penh to Dong Kralor border crossing point shouldn't take more than 7 or 8 hours.
On the Laos side, the roads from the border to Pakse town and Vientiane are paved and in good condition. And most of the southern part of Laos is flat, so your Laos–Cambodia bus adventure should be pleasantly smooth and enjoyable.
Visa on arrival is available at the border (both sides)
Lao entry visas are now issued at the Laos-Cambodia border despite outdated information floating around the internet saying they are not. Lao visa on arrival has been made available at this border since early 2010.
Despite being in the middle of jungle, a Lao custom building has been built at the border and better facilities are in place to enable the provision of Lao visas on arrival. If you’re still not convinced please check out messages posted by travellers who crossed the Laos-Cambodia border in the recent years and got a Lao entry visa on spot. Or check visa on arrival page for Lao visa requirements and related information.
The Laos-Cambodia bus crew can do the visa for you for a small fee (for both Lao and Cambodia visas), but if you want to do it yourself it’s not a problem, the bus waits as long as the process takes.
Enjoy your Laos–Cambodia or Cambodia-Laos bus trip and happy travelling.
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