Crossing from Laos into Cambodia at Tropaeng Kreal

Green rice fields in northeastern Cambodia, on the road south from the Laos border — South of the border the road runs through Cambodia's quiet northeast — Stung Treng, Kratie and the Mekong.

There is exactly one land crossing between Laos and Cambodia: Tropaeng Kreal, where the slow 4,000 Islands route through southern Laos tips over into Stung Treng province. It's an easy crossing with a few famous wrinkles — a handful of unofficial "fees," a visa window that quotes its own prices, and buses that change at the border. Here's the whole thing, step by step, so none of it is a surprise.

Last updated: October 19, 2026

Quick answer

Tropaeng Kreal (Cambodia side) and Nong Nok Khiene (Laos side) form the only Laos–Cambodia land crossing. Most travelers arrive on a through-ticket from Don Det in the 4,000 Islands — about $18 to Stung Treng, $20–30 to Kratie, or roughly $35–45 to Phnom Penh. At the border you can get a visa on arrival for $30 (tourist) or $35 (Ordinary), cash US dollars only — and unusually for a remote post, the Cambodia eVisa is also accepted here, because Tropaeng Kreal is one of the five official eVisa entry points. Expect officials to ask for a few extra dollars in "fees" along the way; the real ones are listed below.

One border, two names

The crossing sits in far northeastern Cambodia, where National Road 7 meets the Lao border. Each country names its own post:

Tropaeng Kreal (also spelled Trapeang or Trapaing Kreal) — the Cambodian post, in Stung Treng province.
Nong Nok Khiene (you'll also see Nong Nok Khiene / Dom Kralor on older maps and tickets) — the Lao post, a short walk north.

Who uses it? Mostly travelers looping through the 4,000 Islands (Si Phan Don) — Don Det and Don Khon — heading south into Cambodia, plus people coming down from Pakse in southern Laos. The route feeds naturally into Stung Treng (about an hour south of the border), then Kratie and its Mekong dolphins, or all the way to Phnom Penh. There's no sleepy second crossing to compare it with: if you don't cross here, the alternative is a flight, usually routed through Bangkok. The post works daylight hours and through-buses are timed to reach it late morning, so don't plan an evening crossing.

Getting to the border: through-tickets

Almost nobody builds this journey piece by piece anymore, because every guesthouse and agency on Don Det and Don Khon sells a through-ticket: boat off the island, minivan or bus to the border, a walk across on foot, then a different vehicle waiting on the Cambodian side. Typical prices and times reported by booking platforms and operators in 2026:

Route	Typical time	Typical price	Notes
Don Det → Stung Treng	2.5–3 hours	~$17–18	The short hop; useful if you're heading to Ratanakiri or breaking the journey
Don Det → Kratie	5–7 hours	~$20–30	The most popular ticket — Kratie is the dolphin town and the natural first stop
Don Det → Phnom Penh	10+ hours	~$35–45	A full travel day; some tickets continue to Siem Reap for a few dollars more
Pakse → Stung Treng / Kratie	4–5 hours to Stung Treng	~$22–24	Through-buses from Pakse use the same crossing

Prices are typical ranges reported in October 2026. They drift with season and operator — treat them as a fair-price compass, not a contract.

Three things to know about through-tickets here. First, no vehicle crosses the border — you walk your own bags through both posts, and a (sometimes different) company collects you on the other side. Keep your ticket stub and note the company name; the Cambodian-side meeting point is a chaotic little strip of stalls, and knowing who's fetching you matters. Second, book a day ahead in high season; departures cluster in the morning, typically around 8–11am from the islands. Third, the DIY version exists (boat to Nakasong on the mainland, a van to the border for roughly $5, walk across, then a van onward to Stung Treng for around $10), but it saves little money and adds every possible misunderstanding. The through-ticket is the honest value here.

The crossing, step by step

The whole border formalities usually take 30 minutes to an hour — longer if a full bus unloads at once. In order:

Stamp out of Laos. Your vehicle stops at the Lao post (Nong Nok Khiene), a few kilometres from the actual border line. Hand over your passport and departure card, get the exit stamp. This is where a $2 "stamping fee" is routinely requested — more on that below.
Walk to Cambodia. A few hundred metres of no-man's-land separate the two posts — your driver will point you along the road. On foot, bags in hand, past the barriers and flags. It's a short, hot walk; have water and a hat handy.
The "health check." On the Cambodian side you'll likely be waved toward a small health or quarantine desk. This amounts to a temperature glance at most and a short paper form with a yellow slip — there is no medical exam. A small charge of $1–2 is sometimes asked for it (see the fees section).
Get your visa (skip this step if you already hold an eVisa or a consulate visa). At the visa window, fill in the visa-on-arrival application form, hand over your passport, one passport-size photo and the fee in US dollars: $30 tourist or $35 Ordinary. If you have no photo, the post can take one for a couple of dollars. Wait while the visa sticker is prepared — ten to twenty minutes is normal.
Entry stamp and fingerprints. Move to the immigration window with your passport, visa and a paper arrival form (land borders still use paper forms — the e-Arrival is for air arrivals only). The officer stamps you in and takes fingerprints and a photo. Check the entry stamp date before you walk away.
Find your bus. Onward vehicles gather at the stalls just past the post. Show your through-ticket, confirm the destination painted on the windshield is yours, and keep small valuables with you rather than in the hold.

Your visa at this crossing: two good options

This post is better equipped than most remote land borders, and you have two proper ways in:

Visa on arrival. Issued at the window described above: $30 tourist / $35 Ordinary, 30-day stay, US dollar cash only — no cards, and no ATM you should rely on anywhere near the border. Bring a passport with 6+ months' validity and a blank page, plus a passport photo. The full walkthrough of how VOA works is in our visa on arrival guide.
eVisa — yes, accepted here. Tropaeng Kreal is one of the five official eVisa entry points (with the three international airports and Bavet, on the Vietnam route). Apply in advance at evisa.gov.kh, allow about 3 business days, and print two copies of the approval PDF. Our official eVisa walkthrough covers the application step by step.

Which is better here? Honestly, the eVisa has a real edge at this particular border: the visa is prepaid, so the only conversation at the window is a stamp. If you'd rather stay flexible, visa on arrival works fine — just know the official price before anyone quotes you a different one (next section), and decide tourist vs Ordinary before you reach the window: the Ordinary (E) visa is the one that can be extended if there's any chance you'll stay longer, while a tourist visa can't be converted later.

One more note for the confused Googlers: if you're holding an eVisa and stumble on a page claiming Tropaeng Kreal doesn't take it, that claim is out of date or wrong — the crossing is on the official entry-point list, and it's exactly why our eVisa vs VOA vs e-Arrival explainer exists.

The "fees": what's real, what isn't, and how to handle it

This crossing is famous among overlanders for small unofficial charges. None of them will break a budget — the total damage is usually under $10 — but knowing the script in advance turns a stressful haggle into a mildly amusing formality. Here's what's commonly reported, checked against the official prices:

The ask	Typical amount	Official?
Laos exit "stamping fee" (sometimes called an overtime/weekend fee)	$2, occasionally up to $5	No — exit stamps are free
"Health check" paper slip on the Cambodian side	$1–2	No — the form is free
Tourist visa quoted as "$30 + $5 stamp fee"	$35 total	No — the official tourist fee is $30 flat; $35 is the Ordinary visa's price
Photo taken at the post because you didn't bring one	~$2	A real service, at least — avoidable with a spare passport photo
"Helpers" in plain clothes who start filling in your forms	Expect a tip demand	No — politely decline; the forms are simple and free at the window

How to handle it, calmly:

Know the two real numbers: $30 and $35. Most of the padding evaporates once it's clear you know the official price.
Ask for a receipt. Fees that can't be receipted tend to quietly stop existing. This works at borders across the region.
Carry small, clean US dollar bills — $1s, $5s and $10s. "No change" is its own little revenue stream, and torn or tatty notes get refused in Cambodia generally.
Be patient and friendly, not heated. The standard counter-move is slowness, not refusal: passports get processed in a mysterious new order. Waiting with a smile wins more often than arguing. That said, handing over $2 to keep a holiday moving is also a legitimate life choice — it's your two dollars, and nobody's judging either way.
Or sidestep the whole scene: arrive with an eVisa already paid for, and most of these conversations never start.

Onward: Stung Treng, Kratie and Phnom Penh

You're stamped in at a border post that is, honestly, the middle of nowhere — a strip of stalls and parked vans. Where next?

Stung Treng (~1 hour south). A sleepy Mekong–Sekong river town and the province capital. Worth a night if you want Cambodia to start gently, or if you're detouring east to Ratanakiri (Banlung is about 2–2.5 hours further). Buses onward run all day: Stung Treng → Phnom Penh takes roughly 6–8 hours at $16–18; Stung Treng → Siem Reap about 5 hours from $15.
Kratie (~2–2.5 hours south of Stung Treng, $8–9 by bus). The classic first stop, and for one reason above all: the Irrawaddy dolphins at Kampi, about 15 km north of town, where a dwindling pod of river dolphins surfaces around the deep pools. Small boats take visitors out for roughly $7–10 a person, best early morning or late afternoon. Kratie town itself is a pleasant, crumbly riverside place — sunset over the Mekong, a market, and not much on the agenda, which is rather the point.
Phnom Penh. If you're on a through-ticket you'll simply stay on the bus: Kratie → Phnom Penh runs about 4–5.5 hours ($12–13), and most Don Det through-passengers roll into the capital by early evening. From there, our Phnom Penh to Siem Reap guide covers the next leg.

One sensible addition for this whole route: the roads are long and the vehicles are shared, so a policy that covers you on the road is worth the few dollars — see our Cambodia travel insurance guide for what actually matters in the fine print.

Going the other way: Cambodia → Laos

Everything above works in reverse. Through-tickets run from Phnom Penh, Kratie and Stung Treng to Don Det and Pakse; you stamp out of Cambodia (where a $2 "stamping fee" may again be requested — it is no more official in this direction), walk the same stretch of road, and enter Laos at Nong Nok Khiene. Most nationalities can get a Lao visa on arrival at the post; the price varies by nationality, commonly around $40 in US dollar cash, and you'll need a passport photo. Lao eVisas are a separate system and are not the same as Cambodia's — check Laos's own official channels if you want one arranged in advance.

Frequently asked questions

Is Tropaeng Kreal the only border crossing between Laos and Cambodia?

Yes. Tropaeng Kreal, in Cambodia's Stung Treng province — opposite the Lao post of Nong Nok Khiene — is the only land crossing between the two countries open to international travelers. If you're traveling overland between Laos and Cambodia, this is the door. The only alternative is to fly, usually via Bangkok.

Can I get a visa on arrival at Tropaeng Kreal?

Yes. Visa on arrival is issued at the Cambodian post: $30 for a tourist visa or $35 for an Ordinary visa, payable in US dollar cash only — there are no card machines and no reliable ATM at the border. Bring a passport valid for at least six months, one blank page, and one passport-size photo; if you don't have a photo, officials can take one for a couple of dollars.

Is the Cambodia eVisa accepted at Tropaeng Kreal?

Yes. Tropaeng Kreal is one of the five official eVisa entry points, alongside the three international airports and Bavet on the Vietnam border. Apply at evisa.gov.kh at least a few days ahead, print two copies of the approval PDF, and the visa itself is already paid for — which also removes most of the fee games at the visa window.

How much does it cost to cross from Laos into Cambodia?

Budget for three buckets: your transport (a through-ticket from Don Det runs about $18 to Stung Treng, $20–30 to Kratie, or roughly $35–45 all the way to Phnom Penh), your visa ($30 tourist or $35 Ordinary, unless you prepaid for an eVisa), and possibly $2–7 of small unofficial 'fees' that are commonly asked for at this crossing. With an eVisa and a firm-but-polite manner, it's possible to cross paying nothing beyond your ticket.

How do I get from Don Det to Kratie or Phnom Penh?

Buy a through-ticket on Don Det or Don Khon: a boat to the mainland, then a minivan or bus to the border, a walk across, and onward transport on the Cambodian side. Don Det to Kratie typically takes 5–7 hours; the full run to Phnom Penh is a 10-hour-plus day. Book at least a day ahead, keep your ticket, and note which company is collecting you on the Cambodian side — vehicles do not cross the border, so you will change buses.

What are the extra fees at the Laos–Cambodia border, and do I have to pay them?

The commonly reported asks are a $2 'stamping fee' to exit Laos, around $1–2 for a 'health check' that amounts to a paper slip, and a $5 padding of the tourist visa quoted as a 'stamp fee' on top of the official $30. None of these are official fees. Knowing the real visa price, carrying exact change, asking politely for a receipt, and being willing to wait calmly gets many travelers through paying little or none of it — though plenty of people hand over a couple of dollars and call it the price of a smooth day.

Crossing from a different direction instead? The Thailand–Cambodia border status page explains why that route is currently fly-only. Mixing up your eVisa, visa on arrival and e-Arrival? Our plain-English explainer untangles the three. More routes live in Getting Around.