Ha Tien, VietNam: Border Crossing and Visa Runs

Just a quick addition.

Hang on to those tickets returning you to Ho Chi Minh City - they can get you a free ride.

People travelling in to MienTay (Southern) bus station can get complimentary, as if in free shuttle bus rides to either the Futa-Phuong Trang or Mai Linh offices located on Le Hong Phong Street in Quan 3, TP HCM.

Many Foreigner bus travellers end up getting VND100,000 taxi fare as they don't know anout the freebie shuttles.

Useful info, Worzel.

I also live in Ha Tien,and with my Vietnamese wife,operate the Oasis Bar which is by the supermarket (old market hall) just off the Dong Ho promenade.We are the only bar in town serving cold beer and Western food.The 15 day visa free entry to the Ha Tien "Special Economic Zone" has been cancelled.Formerly,this was the only place in Vietnam where you could get such an entry stamp,but the scheme finished last week.If you want to enter here now,you must get a visa from a Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate first

oasisbarhatien wrote:

... The 15 day visa free entry to the Ha Tien "Special Economic Zone" has been cancelled...

Good information, especially since Sihanoukville is a way to go if you forget.

As I said in my first post,I've lived here in Ha Tien for about 2+1/2 years,and I feel some of the information in the OP is  a bit out of date.There are public minibuses from the Cambodian border to both Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh.The first ones leave at around 07.00-07.30,then there is a second group at around mid-day.Fares are about 8-10 USD to either destination.These are Cambodian minibuses,and can be very crowded.Also,because the border area is currently being re-modelled,the Cambodian Visa hut and stamping in hut are constantly moving around,as they build a new bridge.The visa-issuing hut sometimes doesn't open till around 07.30.When you are stamped in to Cambodia the guy will staple the "Departure " card into your passport.Don't lose it,or you will have problems when leaving.Note that this crossing doesn't currently have photograph and fingerprint ID systems like many others.Also,there are always moto drivers waiting in Vietnam to take you to Ha Tien-it should cost around 40-50,000 VND (2 USD)There are currently 3 or 4 companies offering transport from Cambodia to Ha Tien,and vv one-the one mentioned by the OP,is situated in our bar  "Oasis Bar" at 42 Tuan Phu Dat,having moved here from their previous address.

I know the cross-border buses are bad. There is a scheduled daily bus that runs between Ha Tien and Snookville daily.

Taking a bus to the border and trusting your luck is bad news as there is nothing between the border and the smallest town 40 miles inland.

I often use the border as a crossing point when I bring equipment in by land from Thailand.

I've never had a $1 to pay the Health Man! And he doesn't have change for VND500,000!

I want to revisit Hà Tiên to discover more and want to cross the border.

Gee Jaitch...I mean Wartzelwhatever, that sure is a long and extremely informative post.  I like the way Warzelwhatever...I mean Jaitch came in with all the additional information so quickly and at such a late hour.  It's as if you're both one in the same...

1 year visas can still be obtained, if you have 2(or more)in your passport already, right Cybil?

Jaitch wrote:

Teacher Mark wrote:

Gee Jaitch...I mean Wartzelwhatever, that sure is a long and extremely informative post.  I like the way Warzelwhatever...I mean Jaitch came in with all the additional information so quickly and at such a late hour.  It's as if you're both one in the same...

Hey Wideawake/Alleged 'Teacher'
You are early this month, the moon phase today is Last Quarter Moon.

Using your 'theory' I must be you. Yuk!

What you don't realise is I work rotating shifts which is why I'm around at this time in the morning. Go check my post times, not even you could figure the shift times.

Make a note in your diary, your night is the 13th - New Moon/Crescent Moon.

If you are sound up about your allegation, go ask Julien to check his log records.

Ouch!  The man? doth protest too much, methinks...

I quit posting under WideAwake over a year ago AND you forgot the short-lived Dr. Strangelove.  I post under my name these days, but wait...haven't I already discussed this with ?both? of your personalities?

You don't need a lunar phase, because you're coo-coo 24/7/365 (366 every 4th year)!

Have Julien check what??  The IP addresses?  If they're different that just means that you're ripping off your neighbor, or you have mobile broadband, as well as ADSL..

As one of the only 2 expats living in Ha Tien (AFAIK) I would be interested to meet WG I have to say I've not seen his boat around here nor seen any reference to fishing trips for tourists.I get many enquiries from customers interested in doing exactly that,so it would be good to make contact

...and another one gone, and another gone, another one bites the dust!

Hi,
Thank you for all the tips.

We're a a couple with 3 teenage children from Australia. I was born in Vietnam but have been living in Australia for the past 30 years. I am fluent in Vietnamses, but don't know much about the country.

We are thinking of travelling to Ha Tien from Siem Reap on 18/1/2013. WQe will need to get back to Singapore on 31/1/2013 to catch a flight home.

We'd greatly apprecaite it if you can give us advice on:

1. How to get from Siem Reap to Ha Tien. We haven't got visa to Vietnam yet.

2. How to get to Singapore, take bus to HCM city then fly back OR get to Phnom Penh and fly to Singapore from there?

we will leave for Singapore on 21/1/13, so we hope to hear from you very soon.


Thank you very much.

Swanlyn

You usually get quick responses on this forum.

I assume you are carrying Australian passports.

VISAS VIETNAM (1)
If you are flying in to VN before going on to Cambodia, but 30 day MULTI-ENTRY VISAS in Singapore. This will save you money if you are starting in VN and later returning to VN.

FLIGHTS VN >> CAMBODIA (Kampuchea)
Although you didn't ask there are flights from SGN to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The Angkor what takes at least two days and if you are really interested - 4 days.

VISAS - CAMBODIA
Cambodian visas can be purchased upon arrival OR on-line < www.mfaic.gov.kh/evisa/ >. This is the legal, government, web site, not one of the flaky ones. You will need scans of you passport pictures - read the site. You can also buy visas at Cambodian consulates. E-visa my be best.

SIEM REAP >> HA TIEN VIA SIHANOUKVILLE
You can get a bus from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville. Take water and nibbles with you.

At Sihanoukville there is the best Vietnamese Consulate anywhere! It is open weekdays AND Saturday mornings Getting a visa takes about 15 minutes and you will need one passport photograph.

Sihanoukville Accommodation is good at The Small Hotel < http://thesmallhotel.info/ > where the mini-bus to Ha Tien leaves from.

The Small Hotel (Henrik and Mom Olsson) (downtown-close to Consulate)
(opposite the rear of the Sihanoukville TimeShare Hotel)
Tel: +855-34-934-330
Cell:  034 934 330
Email:   thesmallhotel[at]yahoo.com
Web site: thesmallhotel.info
$12/night/double room with NO window; $15/night/double room with window. 

If The Small Hotel is filled up (the manager is Swedish and his reputation has spread) there is a hotel dead opposite their entrance:

Sihanoukville TimeShare Hotel
Tel: +855-34-675-4999
Cell: 097-666-8503
$12/night double room with window, air-con , WiFi and TV (not censored). USD$5 cheaper per night - doubles.

Make sure you book your Ha Tien trip as soon as you arrive as the operator will bring a bigger bus (if need be). It leaves around 10.30H (the consulate opens at 08.00H).

You will arrive at the VN border gate around 16.00H. Processing takes about 10 minutes each - bags are not usually searched.

The mini-bus should take you to Ha Tien (about 12 kilometres). IF THE DRIVER tries to dump you at the border (unusual with a family your size) KEEP SOMEONE SITTING IN HIS BUS until he orders a FREE TAXI for you.

(They do this as there are formalities involved in taking a Cambodian vehicle across and he would return within the hour.)

In Ha Tien I recommend:
Phuong Thao Hotel
22 Nguyen Trai, TT TM TX
Ha Tien, VietNam
Tel: 0773-965-555
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: None
$10/night single; $14/double.
It has one room (Floor 2) which has Five DOUBLE beds in it

It's opposite the market where they have a nightly food court - really great seafood.

In the mornings there is a Bánh Mì stand where you can order breakfast - they have eggs you can add.

There is no airport in Ha Tien so you will need to get over to the Bus Station and buy tickets to Rach Gia - two hours away.

Getting a bus
First choice of carriers is Mai Linh - all the others are as bad as each other.

One of the adults should take a taxi from the hotel to the bus station (make sure the taxi waits for you) but the tickets (scruffy office on the right hand side of the bus yard) then had back to the hotel.

Then you all go to the bus station leaving the hotel about 30 minutes before the bus leaves,

Rach Gia
Bus leave for TP HCM every 30 minutes (alternate carriers). FUTA (VND245,000) has sleeper buses (OK if you are not tall).

Mai Linh (VND200,000) has seater buses. Both carriers take about 5 hours road time.

Or you can fly. Rach Gia (VKG) to HCM (SGN) with severe baggage limits! - or the adults could fly and the children go by bus!

Fares are between $160-220!

NOTE: IF YOU GO BY BUS DO NOT LOSE THE TICKETS - there is a (free) SHUTTLE BUS from the bus station to the in-town office.

ALTERNATIVE ROUTING
Fly SINGAPORE >> PHNOM PENH on Tiger Airlines (BOOK with Tiger direct). Then take the bus from PP to Siem  Reap.

You will save money and time.

No SGN >> Cambodia travel or money
Single entry VN visas (still buy in Sihanoukville)

PM me if you have queries about the above.

Dictated using Nuance' Dragon Dictating from my Note 2

Hi Jaitch,

Thank you so much for your quick response to my post. I made a huge typo mistake on the date we plan to leave Siem Reap. It's actually on 28/1/2013.

We will spend our three days in Phnom Penh, then three days in Siem Reap. After that, we have four days left: 28 - 31 Jan. We haven't plan what to to. We want to spend the rest of our holiday somewhere in Vietnam and thought of Ha Tien. However, after reading your reply, it seems that we would spend the whole 28/1 on the bus travelling from Siem Reap to Sianoukville, then the next day, 29/1 travelling from Sianoukville to Ha Tien (arriving at 16:00hr). THat leaves us only 30/1 in Ha Tien as we need to be in Singapore on 31/1.

Therefore we may just spend the rest of our holiday in Cambodia, Sianoukville and visit Vietnam another time.

1. Can you suggest what to do and see in Sianoukville for a family with three teenagers?
2. Where to stay in Sianoukville?

Thank you very much

Swanlyn
Thank you very much

Am travelling to Rach Gia via Hat Tien shortly from Phnom Penh.
Can anybody tell me if there is still a flight service from Phu Quoc to Ho Chi Minh City operating?

Also, can I get a Ferry all the way to Ho Chi Minh city?

1.I would like to catch a ferry to Phu Quoc island from Rach Gia, spend one night, then take a flight to Ho Chi Minh City with Air Mekong.  I used this service last year and it was only $50 but I looked up Air Mekong website and it did not show a Flight schedule, so I am wondering if their flight service has been suspended for some reason?

2. Alternatively, is there a ferry service from Rach Gia to Saigon?.

Get fed up with these long bus journeys so would rather take these other ways to get there.  Can anyone please help me?

1)No,there is no boat service from Rach Gia to Saigon.
2) There's no need to go to Rach Gia to get a boat to Phu Quoc,there are several boats daily from Ha Tien,which are both quicker and cheaper-it's pointless going all the way to Rach Gia and then back-tracking
3)There are several flights daily from Phu Quoc to Saigon,with both Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet.
4)Air Mekong has ceased trading
5)There's a bus.travel company in Phnom Penh,called Champa Mekong travel,their offices are by the big temple there,who operate a daily bus service to Ha Tien from Phnom Penh,pick up at hotel incl,and the minibus goes all the way in to Ha Tien arriving in time for the afternoon ferry to Phu Quoc.I think the bus costs 12 USD from memory
Hope this helps

I have to go to Rach Gia because I am visiting a friend there.
Seems like I can fly on from there to HCMC at reasonable prices with Vietnam Airlines which I didn't expect.

Thanks Oasis, very helpful advice. Hope to pop into your bar sometime next week.

Yes you are right,there's one flight a day from Rach Gia to Saigon,early morning-it can be as cheap as 750,000VND,or 32 USD one way.The easiest way for you to get to Rach Gia from Phnom Penh is probably to gat a minibus direct to Ha Tien,then take a bus from here to Rach Gia-it's about a 2 hour trip.(I was actually in Rach Gia yesterday)There are plenty of companies offer this route-Mai Linh express minibus,Phuong Trang,and Kumho Samco,as well as loads of local buses.Enjoy your trip maybe see you next week

good info, i recommend this site for more details on vietnam border crossing: vietnameseprivatetours.com/vietnam-border-crossing

Hello, I realize your post is  a few years old.  I am in Cambodia now.  I was planning on heading to Ha Tien and was wondering if the little hut on the Cambodian side still has no fingerprint scanner there?
Just a privacy thing for me.  No criminal records or anything.  Also, I guess if the smaller crossing at Phnom Den has one for an alternative.
Thank you.

Well I came through there a few days ago,and as the new Cambodian border post buildings are not open yet-just the old temporary structures-there was no photo or fingerprint scanning.Once the new buildings are in operation,I am sure that will change,but that doesn't look like it will happen for another few months.

excellent.  thank you for your quick reply.  I will be heading to Ha Tien in a few days.  Only for a night before onward travel, but I will be sure to stop into your bar!

Hi! I am travelling from Sihanoukville to Ha Tien.

Is there any public buses? If not, can I go there by grand/shared/collective taxi?

Does the border close at 18:00pm?

Thank you so much in advance!