Every land checkpoint between Thailand and Cambodia has been closed to tourists since 23 June 2025, and none has reopened as of October 2026. A loop from Vietnam through Cambodia into Thailand by road no longer works, so the Cambodia to Thailand leg now means a flight. Vietnam’s own crossings into Cambodia and Laos run normally, which keeps a Vietnam-based border run fully possible.
I run border transfers out of Da Nang every week, so Vietnam’s side of these crossings is familiar ground. The Thai side I follow only through government advisories and the press, and every claim about it below is attributed to its source.
Is the Thailand Cambodia land border open to tourists in 2026?
No. Thailand shut the Poipet to Aranyaprathet crossing and every other checkpoint with Cambodia on 23 June 2025, and in 2026 Thai officials still deny any reopening plan. On 1 June 2026 the Prime Minister’s Office called reports of Aranyaprathet reopening fake news, and on 15 April 2026 the Royal Thai Navy denied plans for the Chanthaburi and Trat crossings.
Five days of fighting in July 2025 killed at least 48 people, according to Reuters as quoted by Nation Thailand. Fighting resumed in December 2025, and the ceasefire of 27 December 2025 remains fragile. At the Kazan talks on 17 and 18 June 2026, both Anutin Charnvirakul and Hun Manet declined to discuss reopening checkpoints, and Thai security officials say the closure may last through the rest of 2026.
Which crossings are closed and which still work?
Poipet and Cham Yeam are closed, while Moc Bai, Ha Tien, Xa Mat and Lao Bao all work. Vietnam’s Resolution 389/NQ-CP of 2 December 2025 lists 83 border gates open to e‑visa holders, 27 of them on land, and all four open crossings are among them.
| Crossing | Status in October 2026 | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Poipet to Aranyaprathet | Closed | Nothing, no tourist crossing |
| Cham Yeam to Hat Lek | Closed | Nothing, covered by the nationwide closure |
| Moc Bai to Bavet | Open | Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh |
| Ha Tien to Prek Chak | Open | Phu Quoc and the Mekong Delta to Kampot and Kep |
| Xa Mat to Trapeang Phlong | Open | Tay Ninh to eastern Cambodia |
| Lao Bao to Dansavanh | Open | Da Nang and Hue to Savannakhet |
Cambodia’s visa on arrival at Bavet costs $30, and land crossings use paper arrival forms because the e-Arrival card works only at airports. For anyone leaving from Da Nang I lean toward Lao Bao, since Moc Bai is a southern gate that only makes sense when you are already near Ho Chi Minh City. Published opening hours for Moc Bai differ between sources, so confirm them on the day, and see the Moc Bai hours, fees and queues guide for how the queues behave.
How do you get from Thailand to Cambodia while the border is shut?
By air. Scheduled flights from Bangkok to Phnom Penh and from Bangkok to Siem Reap operate normally in 2026, and no overland route between the two countries is open to tourists.
For a trip that starts in Vietnam, the working order is to enter Cambodia from Vietnam by land at Moc Bai or Ha Tien, then fly from Phnom Penh or Siem Reap to Bangkok.
Does a visa run from Vietnam to Cambodia or Laos still work?
Yes. Moc Bai, Ha Tien and Xa Mat, the three Vietnam to Cambodia crossings, are unaffected by the Thai closure, and Lao Bao to Dansavanh keeps issuing Lao visas on arrival for about $40 to $50 depending on nationality. A Vietnam e‑visa is valid only at the gate named in the application, so choose the gate before you apply.
Here is where runs go wrong: a mismatch can leave you stuck on the wrong side of the barrier, and some foreign cards get declined on the payment page. You can file the application yourself on evisa.gov.vn for a government fee of $25 single-entry or $50 multiple-entry, and plenty of people do. Australia’s Smartraveller also notes that day trips are not permitted at Cambodia’s land crossings, so check that before planning a same-day Moc Bai return. At BestBus Vietnam I file the e‑visa with the gate that matches your route, pay the fee with a card the portal accepts, and keep the whole Da Nang to Lao Bao run to one day on the Da Nang visa run schedule. Send me your travel dates on WhatsApp and I will tell you which gate fits this week.
What changed in Thailand on 15 September 2026?
Thailand replaced its 60-day visa exemption with a 30-day, tourism-only exemption on 15 September 2026, based on four Interior Ministry notifications published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026. The Thai law firms Dej-Udom and ThaiLawOnline also report a cap of two visa-exempt land-border entries per calendar year.
Land entries are the part that matters for a border run. With the Cambodian checkpoints closed, a Thai land entry can only come from another neighbour such as Laos or Malaysia, and it counts toward those two entries. You only get two a year, so a quick hop back through Laos uses one up. The full effect on a Vietnam-based stay is covered in the Thailand 30-day rule explainer.
Is it safe to travel near the Cambodia Thailand border?
Not within the frontier zone, and governments say so directly. Australia’s Smartraveller, updated on 22 September 2026, says not to travel within 50 km of the border in Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey, Preah Vihear, Battambang, Pailin, Pursat and Koh Kong. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel within 20 km, and the US State Department sets Level 4, Do Not Travel, within 50 km of the border.
Vietnam’s three Cambodian crossings sit in other provinces: Bavet in Svay Rieng, Prek Chak in Kampot and Trapeang Phlong in Tbong Khmum, none on the Smartraveller list. Cambodia overall is Level 2 for the US and “exercise a high degree of caution” for Australia. Recheck the advisories before you travel, because the border situation can change.
How do you plan a border run from Vietnam in 2026?
Plan the run around the open crossings, name the gate in the e‑visa, and book any onward Thailand leg as a flight.
- Choose the crossing: Lao Bao to Dansavanh for Laos, Moc Bai to Bavet for Cambodia from the south, or Ha Tien to Prek Chak from Phu Quoc and the Delta. The Lao Bao vs Moc Bai vs Ha Tien comparison shows how the three differ.
- Apply for the e‑visa on evisa.gov.vn and select that exact gate as the entry point.
- Carry cash for the visa on the other side: $30 at Bavet for Cambodia, about $40 to $50 at Dansavanh for Laos.
- On the way back, check the gate in the new e‑visa before you leave and head for that one.
- If the trip continues to Thailand, book the Cambodia to Bangkok flight and check the 30-day limit before you book the return.
Which route should you choose in 2026?
If your plan needs Thailand, fly from Phnom Penh or Siem Reap to Bangkok, because Thai security officials say the closure may last through the rest of 2026. If your plan is a visa reset, Lao Bao to Dansavanh and Moc Bai to Bavet both work today, and the one decision that matters is naming the right gate in the e‑visa.
A border run is easy to do alone with a bus ticket, an e‑visa and some dollars in cash. If you would rather not track gate names, opening hours and card payments yourself, I can take the whole Vietnam leg off your hands. Tell me on WhatsApp which city you are leaving from and I will work out the dates and the cost for your situation.
Frequently asked questions
Are there exceptions that let a foreigner cross the Thailand Cambodia border?
Only humanitarian ones. Thailand says exemptions can be considered for medical cases, students and urgent situations, at the discretion of the security unit at each checkpoint. Tourists and traders are excluded, so a holiday plan does not qualify.
Does a Cambodian e‑visa work at Poipet?
Not while the checkpoint is shut. VisasNews reported in August 2025 that Cambodia’s e‑visa portal listed Poipet and Cham Yeam as temporarily closed for e‑visa entry until further notice.
Will the Moc Bai to Bavet crossing get faster?
Not soon. Cambodia and Vietnam agreed in September 2026 to fast-track an expressway link from Ho Chi Minh City to Bavet with a 2030 target, and a joint border checkpoint has been proposed, but neither changes how the crossing works today.
Does the Thai Eastern Line train still reach Aranyaprathet?
Not as of January 2026. Thaiger reported that the line ends at Sa Kaeo or Kabin Buri, short of the closed border, so rail no longer connects Bangkok with Poipet.
