as one said, you have one month free stay in Thailand, you can cross over to Cambodia but a visa takes up a whole page. some border crossings either have a visa on arrival, or you have to get one before hand in Bangkok [i'll go with the latter, just in case]. don't bother giving the Khmer bloke on the border 1 dollar for the 'stamp' as he doesn't get paid well that's why he's asking you for the tip. he wont say anything if you just be polite and say no. also make sure you cross over before the end of the day is out, or you have 'overtime payment fee'. think it happens on the Vietnamese/Cambodian border too.
the money for Cambodia is Riel and US dollar. about 4,000 Riel = 1 USD. and the same for Vietnam, they use Dollars too. 16,000 Vietnamese Dong = 1 USD.
for reference, a 1.5 litre bottle of water isn't 11,000 dong, its no more than 5,000 dong. its one thing you find out after a few days, how much water should be if the Vietnamese are honest or try and rip you off at the train station [as i found out
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if you're in Cambodia for the 1st time, i'd give you 5-7 days at the most. but make sure you see Anker Wot for the 3 day tour. unless its gone up in the last 2 years, a 3 day entrance ticket costs you $40. Be sure to bring along your ID, you have a photo taken along with your payment ticket. bring along your photo for the next 2 days or you will have to pay again another $40
some simple words for Thailand
if you're male, you say Krup at the end of the sentence, and Ka if you re female. dint get them mixed up. so hello is sa-wat dee [krup] and thank you is khorb koon [Krup]. be sure to Wai when you say hello. to wai, place your palms together just under your nose and bow slightly.
for Khmer, its Sues'day for hello or Soksabay che te for how are you. most likely everyone will speak to you in English, but they will be beaming if you say hello to them in their own lingo.
for Vietnamese, i cant remember. you could try french i guess. most old people will no doubt be able to transfer in French. give it a try.
any other words, buy the lonely planet book on S.E.Asia inside there are a few words for each country covering S.E.Asia, or you could spend more money on thicker books of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. more money, but much more in detail than one book, but if you're limited to one month, then one book will do.
just be forewarned about cheap bus tickets to Cambodia from Khaosan road in Bangkok. its scam heaven there. just take a bus from the bus station like everyone else does. don't fall into the trap cos the price is cheap. what you'll find out is you 'name' has been sold and you will have to stay at their guesthouse in the middle of nowhere in Cambodia. or you could just fly into Cambodia from Thailand but there is no fun in that.
