Which borders are open, and which are shut

The single most important fact this year

This matters more than it first appears, because the classic overland Indochina route ran Bangkok → Siem Reap → Phnom Penh → Ho Chi Minh City by road, and the first leg of it no longer exists. A large number of itineraries on the internet still describe that journey, and some operators are still selling it.

Both the American and British governments also advise against travel within 50 and 20 kilometres of the border respectively. Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Kampot and the Thai tourist regions are all well outside those zones and are unaffected.

What we do instead: Bangkok to Siem Reap by air, about an hour, with the ticket priced into the trip from the start. On our twenty-four-day four-country route, Thailand sits between Laos and Cambodia in the sequence for exactly this reason — entered on the ground from Vientiane, left by air to Siem Reap. Run the other way, it would need two flights.

Vietnam and Cambodia — open and straightforward

Bavet–Moc Bai is the workhorse: well organised, low scam risk, and the direct buses handle the paperwork for you. The unofficial extra to know about is “express stamping”, a dollar or two collected by someone with a clipboard. It is not required.

The river crossing at Kaam Samnor is the one we use whenever the itinerary allows. Two small riverside posts, about forty minutes each, with the boat waiting. The unofficial extras there are a one-dollar “health check” involving a thermometer, and fixers at the Chau Doc pier selling visas to people who already have one. Decline both politely.

Vietnam and Laos — open, and the visa rules are the trap

This single rule determines the shape of our eleven-day Vietnam and Laos overland route, which runs through central Vietnam to Lao Bao rather than taking the more obvious northern line towards Luang Prabang. Anyone who tells you they can get you from Hanoi into northern Laos overland on an eVisa has not checked.

At Lao Bao, bring two passport photographs, USD 35 to 50 in clean notes, and a pen. There is an unofficial “overtime fee” of a dollar or two outside normal hours.

Thailand and Laos — open and easy

These are the easiest borders in the region and the Lao eVisa works at all of them, which is not true anywhere else. Allow ninety minutes for a bridge crossing including both immigration halls; it is usually less.

The train, 133 southbound and 134 northbound, is the most civilised way across: Bangkok Krung Thep Aphiwat at 20:25 to Vientiane Khamsavath at 09:05, about 874 baht for a second-class air-conditioned lower berth. Passengers get off at Nong Khai for Thai formalities on the platform and again at Khamsavath for Lao entry.

Laos and Cambodia — open

Nong Nok Khiene – Trapeang Kriel, on the road between Four Thousand Islands and Stung Treng, is open and accepts the Lao eVisa. It is a quiet crossing with limited transport on either side and a long-standing habit of collecting small unofficial fees on both.

It is the only land crossing between the two countries. If you are combining southern Laos with northern Cambodia, this is the route.

What to carry at any crossing in this region

• Your passport, valid at least six months beyond arrival, with two blank facing pages.
• Two passport photographs, 4x6 cm. Several crossings still want them and the machine at the border charges five dollars.
• Clean, untorn US dollars in small denominations. Torn or heavily marked notes are refused, particularly at Lao and Cambodian posts.
• A printout of any eVisa. Do not rely on a phone; the counters sometimes cannot see a screen in daylight and the wifi is not yours.
• The exact address of your first night's accommodation, which most arrival forms want.
• Patience for a small unofficial fee. One or two dollars is standard at several posts. It is not legitimate, refusing it costs you an argument, and paying it is a personal decision. Our staff decline on your behalf where they can.

How we handle border days

Every land crossing on our routes has a staff member on both sides. That is not a luxury; it is the difference between a crossing that takes forty minutes and one that takes two hours with an argument in it. The Vietnamese guide walks you to the line, the Lao or Khmer guide meets you on the other side, and the paperwork is done before you arrive.

You also get a one-page border briefing before you fly: opening hours, what to carry, what the queue looks like, and which unofficial fee will be asked for at that specific post. It is the part of our documents that people mention afterwards.

And if a border closes between booking and departure, as one did in June 2025, we rebuild the route and tell you before you leave home. That has happened to us and we would rather describe how it went than pretend it cannot.

Questions travellers ask most

Read next