Hi there,
Taking a bus seems to be the best way for you to save the money instead of a flight.
1) From Bangkok take a bus or train to Aranyaprathet. Bus: 164-196 baht (first class), 140-155 baht (second class), 4 hours, departing the Northern Bus Terminal (Morchit), hourly from 4AM to 6PM. Train: 48 baht, 3rd class, 6 hours, departs Hualamphong Station twice daily (5:55AM and 1:05PM).
2) From Aranyaprathet, take a moto or tuk-tuk from the bus station to the border for 50-60 baht, respectively.
3) Cross the border - stamp out of Thailand, proceed to Cambodian immigration to get your visa and stamp in. This crossing has a reputation for scams. Touts will tell you that you need assistance to get a visa. This is not true. The process is straightforward and easy. Immigration has a reputation for overcharging travelers for the Cambodian visa, demanding 1000 - 1200 baht for a tourist visa rather than the official US$20. If you want to pay the right price, try being respectful but firm that you want to pay the official price of US$20. They may make you wait longer, but travelers report that this does sometimes work. Another way to avoid the overcharging is to get your visa in advance through a Cambodian embassy or an online e-visa for $25.
4) On the Cambodian side, take a free shuttle bus to the transport station. From there you have options for transportation from Poipet through Sisophon and on to Siem Reap: a) Taxi; b) Official Bus; c) Tourist bus. Riding to the back of Siem Reap in the back of a pick-up truck is still possible, but very few people do it these days.
a) Taxi: $40-$70 for the whole car. 3-4 hours. This is the easiest, fastest, most comfortable, most expensive option. Share with other travelers and split the cost.
b) Official Tourist Bus: $10 for the official bus. Buses leave when full which can sometimes take quite a while.
c) Package Tourist Buses: These are the same buses that the package ticket holders from Bangkok use. Price is variable. Comfortable but often very slow. 4-6hrs.
Taxis back to Poipet from Siem Reap should cost about the same, perhaps a bit less. Arrange through your guesthouse, hotel or a travel agent.
Have fun.
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