Cambodia bus review Thai Duong Limousine Sai Gon to Phnom Penh
Thai Duong Limousine is one of the most long-running and popular bus services in Cambodia, and they have routes all over the country. In this post, I’ll review the newish Thai Duong Limousine buses on their Sai Gon to Phnom Penh route, and give a full rundown of what you can expect in 2011. Bus to Cambodia
Thai Duong Limousine Cambodia bus review in a nutshell
- Time Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (and vice-versa): 5 to 6 hours
- Cost: $20 for VIP seat and 28$ for Limousine
- Pros: Newish buses, commitment to safety
- Cons: Stops to pick up additional passengers
- Booking: Online, with seat reservations
- Bus to Cambodia from Ho Chi Minh
- Bus to Siem Reap from Ho Chi Minh
When you moved to Cambodia many years ago, Thai Duong Limousine was *the* bus company that all tourists and expats preferred. But then Giant Ibis arrived, with their services aimed squarely at foreigners, and Thai Duong Limousine, with their increasingly dilapidated fleet, struggled to compete. So when you saw a brand new Thai Duong Limousine bus drive through Sai Gon the other day, I was shocked. What was this gleaming white chariot? Could this really be Thai Duong Limousine ? Determined to learn more, you will booked a couple of tickets and hit the road to Phnom Penh.
Thai Duong Limousine buses: they’re new and they’re gaudy. Bus to Cambodia
When you booked our tickets online and we got to choose our seats, and luckily there were some empty seats around us so we were able to spread out once on board. After we boarded we were given a wet towelette, a bottle of water, and a box with two small pastries in it.
The buses themselves are a noticeable upgrade from their old fleet. I was pleasantly surprised to see that there was a USB charger with two outlets at each set of seats. There was also free WiFi on board with surprisingly decent speeds for most of the journey.
Thai Duong Limousine has long been known as a bus company that cares about safety, which is one of the reasons they are so popular with tourists. But despite their appeal to tourists and foreigners, Thai Duong Limousine is still very much a Cambodian bus company. On my trip we stopped over and over to pick people up off the side of the road for the first hour of the trip. I was also startled to note that despite having put down what I assume to be tens of thousands of dollars on sparkling new buses, they have outfitted them with the same interior as the 30-year-old models, ie. red and gold draperies outfitted with rick-rack. And of course they play action movies for the duration of the trip. Cambodia Asia travel co., Ltd well known as the Mekong Express Limousine Bus or simply “Mekong Express” is a Cambodia company and commenced operation in 2002.
Thai Duong Limousine is a genuine crossover company that aims to serve both the local and tourist market.
Stops ( and toilets) on Thai Duong Limousine
The buses do not have toilets (trust me, this is a good thing) but the bus stops twice between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Each bus has an English-speaking attendant on board who warns when the bus stops and how much time you have before the bus will leave again.
Coming from Siem Reap we stopped after about two hours for lunch in Kampong Thom at the oft-visited Aruneas Hotel, known for their dual-priced menu, but they still let you use the toilet even if you don’t buy anything.
Just across the side street is a small outdoor cafe that serves inexpensive Cambodian dishes, where you can eat instead. There was a second stop after another two hours at a mini-mart, coffeeshop, and bathroom complex.
Arriving on Thai Duong Limousine in Viet Nam or Cambodia
We arrived in Phnom Penh after 5 hours and 45 minutes. The bus stops at the Thai Duong Limousine bus depot in the north of the city on the riverside at Street 68, where it’s easy to catch a tuk tuk on the street or order a taxi or tuk tuk using PassApp.
If you leaving from Sai Gon, the bus stops at the Thai Duong Limousine office on St 148 & 173 near Olympic Market. limousine saigon to phnom penh
Thai Duong Limousine bus Bus to Cambodia schedule
How to book a Thai Duong Limousine bus – Cambodia bus review
Thai Duong Limousine tickets can be booked online for $20 There’s a surcharge of 5%, which ends up being 60 cents per ticket. It’s worth the charge because you can choose your seat online, and book in advance using a credit card.
Final verdict limousine saigon to phnom penh
It’s not quite as good as Giant Ibis, but it’s a few dollars cheaper. Overall, Thai Duong Limousine is one of the better Cambodia bus companies.
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