The Phnom Penh metro is a proposed urban rail transit system in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The term metro is used loosely here, as there have been various forms of rail systems proposed over the years. Proposals have included sky trains, subways (another word for metro), light rail, and monorails.

Plans for an urban railway in Phnom Penh date back to the mid-2000s, with feasibility studies having been undertaken by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Chinese companies. The most likely routes would be a line from the central market to the airport, and a north-south line that would also cross at the central market. There have been no updates on the findings of the studies.

While these studies were going on, Phnom Penh launched an airport railway service by adding a spur line from the mainline that passes near the airport. This service has since closed.

Another factor that will need to be considered is the new Phnom Penh International Airport, which is currently under construction. It has been mentioned that a railway will serve the airport, but no plan for that has been published yet. The old airport will remain open, so future transport network planners will have to decide whether to run a railway to either one or two airports.

This post is an archive of news and links related to any future Phnom Penh urban railway developments. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter to be updated when new links are added to this page.

Links And Resources

The Project For Comprehensive Urban Transport Plan In Phnom Penh Capital City (PPUTMP) [PDF] – [December 2014]
Report from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

JICA’s Support for development of the Urban Railway in Phnom Penh [PDF]

Phnom Penh Light Rail Transit System – Links and discussion at skyscrapercity.

News Archive

2026

Phnom Penh metro feasibility study set for 2027 completion – [15/07/26]

“The full feasibility study for a public metro system in Phnom Penh will wrap up by 2027, only then will the government finally announce the official cost and the construction start date, according to officials.”

Chinese company wants to study the feasibility of developing a sky train transportation system in Phnom Penh – [06/06/26]

“Beijing Urban Construction Group of Beijing, People’s Republic of China, has expressed its desire to study the feasibility of developing a Sky Train system in Phnom Penh, as Phnom Penh faces traffic congestion despite the active operation of public bus services.”

2025

Public buses to serve Techo Airport as metro project still under study – [21/08/25]
“With the opening of Techo International Airport looming, Phnom Penh authorities have pledged to plug the public transport gap by providing a bus service as plans to develop a more advanced light rail and subway system to connect the city and the airport remain under review.”

Phnom Penh takes first step to realise metro rail dream – [14/03/25]

Phnom Penh Metro preliminary study issued – [13/03/25]
“Ambitious preliminary plans for a metro railway in Phnom Penh have been issued by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.”

Opinion: Why Phnom Penh urgently needs its own MRT system – [10/03/25]

Phnom Penh Metro Project Initial Study Underway – [07/03/25]
“The Ministry of Public Works and Transport and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have begun a preliminary metro project study in Phnom Penh, aiming to assess the feasibility of a modern public transport system to alleviate traffic congestion.”

2024

TIA to Phnom Penh railway underway, as airport enters final straight – [11/06/24]
“With the construction of Phnom Penh Techno International Airport (TIA) now nearing its home straight, representatives of the project have announced that preparations are now underway for the airport’s terminal-to-central-city railway development.”

CDC hears metro proposals for capital, airport connection – [19/03/24]
“The Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) is conducting feasibility studies and examining proposals from a number of international companies who are considering investing in a light rail mass transit system in Phnom Penh.

The proposals include connections to the under-construction Techo International Airport (TIA).”

Chinese firms show feasibility of Light Railway connecting airport, metro in Phnom Penh – [19/03/24]
“The feasibility of a Light Railway line connecting Phnom Penh to the new airport and planned city metro (subway) was presented by the China Metro Group and Guangzhou Metro Group to the Inter-Ministry Committee of Cambodia on Saturday, said the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC).”

Sun Chanthol chairs a meeting on the light rail project connecting Phnom Penh to the new airport and subway – [16/03/24]

Technical study presents positive findings on city light rail in PP, Siem Reap – [22/02/24]

2023

China firm on track to build Phnom Penh airport metro – [23/10/23]
“If China has its way, Phnom Penh could take a headlong leap into the future with a world-class rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) system. The Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) in a statement revealed plans by Chinese firm Guangzhou Metro Group to connect the city with the new international airport under construction currently.”

Chinese firm encouraged to study plans for Phnom Penh metro – [22/10/23]
“Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice President of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, has been speaking with a Chinese company to discuss the possibility of building a modern metro train system in Phnom Penh.”

Skytrain Coming: PM pushes for skytrain in Phnom Penh to meet the growing populace – [26/09/23]

2022

PP mega transport system studies at final stage – [28/12/22]
“The studies on the mega transport system – sky train, monorail, and subway – in Phnom Penh are being finalised, according to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, saying that the investment will likely be under the public-private partnership.”

Key study on capital’s rail project completed – [25/12/22]
“Preliminary studies on three options for a mass transit railway system for Phnom Penh have been completed, and after “a few adjustments”, a report will be submitted to Prime Minister Hun Sen to decide which choice to move ahead with, according to Minister of Public Works and Transport Sun Chanthol.”

What are the benefits of a Phnom Penh with a modern rail transit system? – [26/10/22]

Government gives priority for Phnom Penh subway train – [01/09/22]

Ministry of Transport reviews monorail project for Phnom Penh – [27/06/22]

2021

ADB asked to craft game plan for monorail, subway – [07/04/21]
“The Ministry of Public Works and Transport on April 6 asked the Metro Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) to help devise strategies for monorail and subway projects planned for Phnom Penh.”

2020

Skytrain project could cost more than $ 1.4 billion, but no date has been set – [09/12/20]
“Senior Minister Sun Chanthol, Minister of Public Works and Transport, recently said that the JICA study project has already been studied. And the ministry is still waiting for the study results. In particular, the Monorail and subway projects of Chinese companies are studying.”

Promised sky train delayed over expense – [23/07/20]
“The government’s sky train project from Phnom Penh city centre to the international airport has been delayed because the cost is higher than expected, according to an official from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT).”

2019

Sky Train Plans Back On The Table – [05/09/19]
“The Royal Government of Cambodia plans to spend a total of 1.843 billion US dollars to build a ‘skytrain’ style light rail and subway project from the new downtown (Central Market) to the Zongzhou (*Chom Chao?) area in Phnom Penh. The project is planned to start in 2020.”

Study on mass transit system completed – [10/07/19]
“The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has concluded a feasibility study on the AGT, an electric mass transit system that could help reduce traffic congestion in Phnom Penh.”

Feasibility studies for monorail and metro system started – [11/04/19]
“In a bid to reduce the city’s traffic woes, a group of Chinese experts has begun feasibility studies on a monorail project and a metro system in Phnom Penh.”

“A feasibility study for an automated gateway transit (AGT) system, an electric-powered mass transit system, in Phnom Penh is also being conducted in cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).”

Authorities weigh up options over new transit system in Phnom Penh – [10/04/19]
“…the ministry was looking into three options regarding railway projects – an automated guideway transit (AGT) system, a monorail and a metro.”

2018

Cambodia’s First skytrain ready for Sea Games 2023 – [07/06/18]

Minister talks sky train plan as Grab signs initiative with UN – [07/06/18]
“The minister of public works and transport confirmed on Tuesday that a Japanese-funded sky train project in the capital is moving forward, with the feasibility study expected to be completed this year or next.”

Sky train link from Phnom Penh to Morodok Techo stadium planned – [04/02/18]
“Five years ahead of Cambodia hosting the 2023 SEA Games at the state-of-the-art $157 million Morodok Techo National Sports Complex on the outskirts of the capital, the Public Works and Transport Ministry has included a sky train link between Phnom Penh and the Games’ main venue in its expansive plan to build an Automated Transit Gateway System (AGT) in association with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).”

Will China’s Sky Train enter Cambodia? – [23/01/18]
“China’s trains reach new heights! The Sky Train, powered by lithium batteries, can operate 5 meters above ground. A delegation from Cambodia expressed the hope last week that this new mode of transport could be brought to Phenom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.”

Cambodia seeks China-made panda-shaped ‘sky train’ – [16/01/18]
“The Chinese company behind the panda-shaped “sky train” said it hopes to introduce the project into Cambodia.”

2017

Skytrain studies completed – [20/10/17]
“The government has completed preliminary studies on a $900 million skytrain from Phnom Penh city centre to the international airport.”

Japanese expert to study possible airport skytrain routes – [15/08/17]
“Japanese officials will begin studying possible routes for a skytrain connecting Central Market to Phnom Penh International Airport, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced on Monday after securing a loan agreement with Japan last week.”

Prime Minister requests Japan’s funds for Phnom Penh skytrain – [08/08/17]
“Prime Minister Hun Sen is expected to request $800 million from Japan during a visit there this week to fund the construction of an elevated rail system running from Phnom Penh’s center to the capital’s airport, an official said on Monday.”

Cambodia to ask Japan to invest $800 million in skytrain – [07/08/17]
“Cambodia will ask Japan to invest $800 million in a skytrain system for the capital Phnom Penh, Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Monday during a visit to Tokyo.”

New skytrain gets investors on track – [17/05/17]

Skytrain a bold vision for city – [11/05/17]
“Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has confirmed it will kick off work on a feasibility study for a $800 million skytrain that would run through Phnom Penh following recent talks between Japanese and Cambodian ministers.”

Proposed skyline train is the future, transport officials say – [02/02/17]
“Japan’s international aid agency is proposing to bring a driverless skyline train to the city, capable of whisking commuters on a smooth ride to and from work on a track above the streets.”

2016

Inner-City “AGT” Train System in Phnom Penh announced by Minister of Transport – [11/10/16]

$800 Million for mass transit system – [06/09/16]
“Cambodia is seeking a budget of $800 million to develop an automated gateway transit (AGT) system following the completion of a year-long feasibility study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), said Minister of Transport Sun Chanthol yesterday.”

JICA moots city transit system – [04/08/16]
“The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is helping Cambodia conduct a feasibility study on an automated gateway transit system (AGT) to overcome Phnom Penh’s daily gridlock, caused by traffic congestion, during peak hours.”

2015

Cambodian government plans to build sky-train in Phnom Penh – [07/08/15]
“According to the source from National Television Kampuchea, on 6 August 2015 the government of Cambodia declared that Cambodia is planning to build sky-train in Phnom Penh city under the cooperation between Cambodia and Japan.”

2014

Long-term plan to ease congestion nearly done – [21/08/14]
“Developed in conjunction with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the plan considers the options available to reduce the number of vehicles in the city, including more busses, a tramway, a subway and even a sky train”.

Flyovers, subway on the drawing board for Phnom Penh – [01/05/14]

2013

‘Master plan’ drawn for Phnom Penh public transport system – [01/07/13]
“The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) met with Phnom Penh municipal authorities last month to present the first stage of a “master plan” for the construction of a much-needed public transport system for the capital.”

2011

Psychological factors influencing behavioral intention toward future sky train usage in Phnom Penh, Cambodia – [2011]
“A study is presented on an extension of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to investigate the commuter’s behavioral intention toward future sky train usage in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia.”

2007

Mixed reactions arise over planned sky train in Phnom Penh – [20/08/07]
“(Xinhua) — A Phnom Penh Municipal official has expressed doubt in the viability of plans announced by the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) to build electric sky train networks over the city’s increasingly car-jammed boulevards, while others have welcomed the proposal, local media reported on Monday.”

Time to plan city transit system is now: experts – [01/08/07]

Flying into the new airport of Phnom Penh (and getting the reasonably efficient airport bus), part-time pedestrian walk adds some much-needed public space, interesting skyscrapers (ie not boring blue boxes), and fake Paris update.

I visited Phnom Penh in December 2025, which was a year since my last visit. My previous trip involved getting the train from Bangkok to Ban Klong Luk Border, a van from Poipet to Battambang, and another train from Battambang to Phnom Penh.

Since then, Cambodia and Thailand have found themselves in a border war, which has closed the border to land traffic. A few years ago, it looked like a cross-border railway was going to be launched from Thailand to Cambodia, but it now might take years for relations between Thailand and Cambodia to improve.

Air travel between the two countries is still open, so flying to Phnom Penh gave me the opportunity to see the new airport.

These are my construction and transport notes from my visit to Phnom Penh in December 2025.

Techo International Airport is the new airport serving Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Techo International Airport opened on the 9th of September 2025, replacing Phnom Penh International Airport (formerly Pochentong International Airport). The airport was officially inaugurated on the 20th of October 2025.

Techo International Airport is 24 km south of the Independence Monument in Phnom Penh city centre. The airport is in Kandal province, built on former farmland and reclaimed land from a lake.

Techo International Airport has the IATA code KTI, while Phnom Penh International Airport retains the PNH IATA code.

The total land for the airport and future development area is 2,600 hectares, making it one of the biggest airports in the world by land size. The airport has a single 4,000 metre runway, with provision to build another two in the future.

A new airport was first hinted at in 2016 when plans for the current airport expansion were halted. The project was officially announced in January 2018, and construction began in 2019. The airport was officially named Techo Takhmao International Airport in December 2021.

Techo International Airport map

Location map of Techo International Airport in Kanal Province, Cambodia.

[Map of Techo International Airport.]

The map includes Phnom Penh International Airport for reference. I have used the Independence Monument as a distance marker from the city centre.

Links and resources

Official website: techoairport.com.kh

Architects: Foster + Partners

Wikipedia: Techo International Airport (Cambodia)

Image gallery

News archive

2025

‘Major milestone’: Techo International officially inaugurated – [20/10/25]

Seized lakes: How Cambodia’s airport boom is breaking a fishing community – [10/09/25]
“Cambodia’s new airport promises opportunity, but for the Canal 94 community it delivered only loss. With their fishing grounds already fenced off, the 400 families now face the looming threat of eviction.”

Techo International Airport welcomes first flights, passengers, though years of protests mark its course – [09/09/25]

Cambodia opens new airport in Phnom Penh aiming to boost tourism – [09/09/25]

Techo International welcomes first passengers, ready for 15 million per year – [09/09/25]

IN PICTURES: Historic day as first flights land and depart from Techo International Airport – [09/09/25]

$1.5 billion Techo International Airport opens today, transforming Cambodia’s aviation landscape – [09/09/25]

2024

Techo International Airport slated to display world class advertising – [26/10/24]
“The new Techo International Airport will display state-of-the-art advertising after Cambodia Airport Investment Co. Ltd. signed a 10-year advertising concession deal with IAAC Cambodia.”

This city is the next Singapore – [16/10/24]
“This airport could change the fate of an entire country… At least, that’s what the government, and the architects, are hoping for.”

Techo International Airport will start test flights on September 8, set to open mid 2025 – [07/09/24]

Techo International Airport construction reaches 80%, inauguration set for mid-2025 – [03/09/24]
“At the end of July, the construction of Techo International Airport has reached over 80% completion, with a total investment of approximately $1.2 billion. The project is on schedule to be completed by the end of the year”.

Cambodia resolves Phnom Penh airport tensions with new rights grant – [14/08/24]
“The Cambodian government has quietly defused tensions with France’s Vinci over the erosion of its aviation monopoly in Phnom Penh by granting the company rights to manage the city’s new Chinese-built international airport, due to open next year.”

[The new Techo Takhmao International Airport, under construction outside Phnom Penh on March 12.]

Techo International Airport Set to Open Mid-2025; $378M+ in Bonds Issued by CAIC – [17/07/24]

Techo International Airport work enters final stage – [25/06/24]
“The construction of the $1.5 billion first phase of the Techo International Airport (TIA) has entered the final stage and is 78 percent complete as of June 16. The airport will be ready for commencing operations by February end of next year.”

Techo International Airport construction 76 percent completed – [07/06/24]

New capital airport set for early ’25 operations – [06/06/24]

Techo International Airport to be ready in early 2025 – [04/05/24]
“The project is 72.3 percent ready. When completed, the 4F airport will be able to accept large planes, including the Airbus A380.”

Work on Chinese-built airport for Cambodian capital in full swing, with operations expected by mid-2025 – [14/03/24]

In Pictures: PM inspects impressive new Techo International Airport – [12/03/24]
“Prime Minister Hun Manet this morning inspected the construction progress of the new Techo International Airport in Kandal Steung District, Kandal Province.”

Techo Int’l Airport to complete construction in Oct – [12/03/24]
“The first phase of Techo International Airport (IATA Code KTI) construction, located in Kandal and Takeo provinces, will finish construction in October this year. The airport’s official commencement is set for mid-2025, said sources.”

Techo International Airport Plan to Operate in First Semester of 2025 – [12/03/24]

66.1 pct of work on Chinese-built new airport for Cambodian capital completed: PM – [12/03/24]

Manet thrilled by Kingdom’s future 4F airport – [12/03/24]
“Prime Minister Hun Manet expressed his excitement upon visiting Cambodia’s largest international airport, currently under construction, a project that stands as another source of pride for the Kingdom.”

New Phnom Penh International Airport over 64% work completed – [15/02/24]

Residents near new Phnom Penh airport site protest land settlement – [01/02/24]

‘New airport city’ design to spotlight Cambodian heritage – [01/02/24]
“The new upcoming airport in Phnom Penh will be a ‘future airport city showcasing the rich Cambodian heritage’ according to Foster + Partners, British architectural firm working on the project.”

Cambodia’s Techo International Airport takes pioneering step towards sustainability with GreenSky Initiative – [13/01/24]

Techo International Airport in Cambodia will be a plant haven – [10/01/24]

TIA to become ‘inter-regional transport hub’ – [09/01/24]

Construction gathers momentum at Techo International Airport in Cambodia – [03/01/24]

2023

TIA invites investment by Japanese companies – [25/12/23]
“Some 22 Japanese companies are considering investing in projects within or surrounding the under-construction Techo International Airport (TIA), Cambodia’s largest once completed.”

Takeo farmers begrudge $1 per square meter land compensation by Phnom Penh airport developer – [11/12/23]

New Phnom Penh airport 55% completed – [01/12/23]
“The construction of the new international airport in Phnom Penh is 55 percent completed as of November and it is on course to open for operations in 2025 with work progressing as per the schedule, according to the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation.”

New capital int’l airport construction passes 55% – [22/11/23]
“The construction of Techo International Airport (TIA) is over halfway complete, with expectations of concluding the project by the end of 2024 and commencing operations mid-2025, said a senior official of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA).”

Watch: Exploring the Techo International Airport project in Cambodia – [15/09/23]

In Pictures: New Phnom Penh Airport more than 50% complete – [04/09/23]
“The Ministry of Land Management and Urban Planning says that the new Takhmao Techo Airport – which will replace Phnom Penh International Airport – is now more than 50% complete”

Techo airport Phase I passes halfway mark – [10/07/23]

Kandal residents protest new land filling near airport development – [06/06/23]

Phnom Penh’s new Techo International Airport scheduled to commence operations by early 2025 – [31/05/23]

SIA Engineering forms JV to provide line maintenance services at Phnom Penh’s new airport – [30/05/23]

Phnom Penh’s new Techo International Airport more than 44% complete – [31/03/23]

Techo International Airport construction progress on track – [06/02/23]
“The construction of Cambodia’s new international airport has been on track on its construction progress, according to government officials and will soon be 50 percent completed.”

New int’l airport nearly half complete as travel industry returns to life – [16/01/23]

Work on Cambodian capital new airport expected to finish in 2024: spokesman – [15/01/23]

Hun Sen’s sister, tycoon clash over troubled airport project – [11/01/23]

2022

Phnom Penh new airport terminal 40 percent complete – [10/10/22]
“The control tower can now be seen from afar. Measuring 118 meters high, it rises above a vast plot of sand that used to be rice fields and symbolizes the construction of the new Phnom Penh International Airport, which is due to start operations in January 2025.”

Techo International Airport over 33 percent work completed – [15/06/22]

Villagers worried over land acquisition for airport project – [23/03/22]

Development of mega-airport continues, despite opposition by locals – [16/03/22]

China State Construction Engineering : The main structure of the new Phnom Penh International Airport terminal in Cambodia capped – [30/01/22]

2021

CP Bank pumps in $10 million in CAIC bond for Techo Int’l Airport – [29/12/21]

Airport land dispute complaint taken by 200 to National Assembly – [20/12/21]

Techo Krong Takhmao renamed for Kandal airport – [10/12/21]

PM calls on local firms to buy CAIC bonds to raise funds for new airport – [09/12/21]

PICTURES AND VIDEO: In progress – impressive New Phnom Penh International Airport takes shape – [08/12/21]

FTB invests $20 million in CAIC Bond to support the development of the New Phnom Penh International Airport – [25/11/21]

As airport project set to swallow village, protesters petition Hun Sen – [16/11/21]

New Phnom Penh International Airport is now 26 percent complete as it inks $15 million bond facility with Prince Bank – [04/11/21]

Nine villagers charged for attacking 13 police officers in new Phnom Penh Airport protest – [17/09/21]

New Phnom Penh Airport ‘25% complete’ – [16/09/21]

Nine face charges in Kandal land dispute – [14/09/21]
“Kandal provincial police have arrested 30 people after a clash with protesters on September 12 over a land dispute at the new Phnom Penh International Airport construction site in Kandal Stung district’s Boeung Khyang commune.”

Two people detained for visiting farmland being cleared for Kandal airport – [08/09/21]

Kandal residents briefly detained for taking photos of new airport development – [08/09/21]

Residents block NR2 in bid to seek better compensation over airport project – [08/09/21]

Displaced residents of land for new airport offered land swap – [27/08/21]

Phnom Penh airport flyover plans run into Coronavirus turbulence – [30/06/21]
“This expressway project is not a highway like the road to Kampong Som, but a flyover with a total length of 21.5 kilometres (km) and two phases”.

Residents in dispute with new airport curse developers in ceremony – [22/06/21]
“Nai Phun says her rice field was only one month old when the bulldozers came to clear it. The 46-year-old resident has been told she lives in the path of a future runway, and her family and 12 others are currently being pressured to move out and take compensation of $8 per square meter — much less than the land is worth, she says.”

Negotiations fail in land dispute linked to new Phnom Penh airport – [15/06/21]

Airport protesters vow to block road next week as governor refuses to budge – [11/06/21]

New Phnom Penh International Airport construction now 40 percent complete – [24/05/21]

New homes provided to Kandal families affected by new airport development – [21/05/21]

Villagers protest farmland clearing for Phnom Penh airport project – [19/05/21]
“More than 40 families living in Boeung Khyang commune’s Kampong Talong village in Kandal province’s Kandal Stung district have set up tents to guard their rice fields and blocked a road into their village to prevent a construction company from using machinery to clear their farmland for the new Phnom Penh International Airport project.”

New Phnom Penh International Airport construction on schedule – [23/02/21]

2020

Expressway announced linking city centre to new Phnom Penh International Airport – [29/12/20]

SSCA dismisses media claims – [08/12/20]
“Recent media reports of a lack of transparency in the awarding of a 2.67 billion yuan ($405 million) contract to design and construct the airfield have been dismissed by the Secretariat of State for Civil Aviation (SSCA). The contract in question was awarded to Metallurgical Corp of China after a bidding process.”

Gov’t mulls building railway connecting Phnom Penh city centre to new airport in Kandal – [01/12/20]

China bags Cambodian airport contract in blow to French operator – [23/11/20]
“State-owned MCC lands $400m construction deal for new gateway in Phnom Penh.”

Capital’s new airport construction largely unaffected by days of deluges – [20/10/20]
“Despite floods inundating areas surrounding the new Phnom Penh International Airport and some access roads to it, an official from the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) said that it will not affect or delay construction.”

New capital international airport to employ 20,000 – [23/06/20]

Current international airport to be converted into military air and domestic air base – [23/06/20]
“Phnom Penh International Airport will be used as military airbase, domestic airport, cargo terminal, plane parking, etc.”

Gov. reveals US$3.5 bn investment to upgrade Cambodia’s airports – [17/04/20]
“New Phnom Penh International Airport: US$1.5 billion construction investment by Cambodian Overseas Investment Company (OCIC).Located at the border of Kandal and Takeo provinces, currently 30% complete. The airport will be upgraded to a 4F class airport, with the BOEING 747-8 and the AIRBUS A-380-800 being the 9th largest.”

Foster to design US$1.5 billion new Phnom Penh International Airport – [18/03/20]
“Globally renowned English architectural design and engineering firm Foster & Partners have been selected to design the master plan of the US$1.5 billion new Phnom Penh International Airport located in Kandal and Takeo province, according to the airport’s developer.”

New Phnom Penh Airport cost estimated at $1.5 billion – [06/02/20]

OCIC to build airport with SCA – [05/02/20]
“Cambodia Airports (SCA) and Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation (OCIC) have agreed to jointly develop the new airport which will serve Phnom Penh, State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) spokesman Sin Chansereyvutha said on Wednesday.”

New Phnom Penh airport to be completed by 2022 – [27/01/20]
“The airport will be able to accommodate 27 million passengers by 2030 and about 30 million by 2050. A joint venture between local Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation and the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation is a 4F class airport.”

Chinese firms to build new Phnom Penh airport – [15/01/20]
“Three enterprises, all Chinese-owned, have been chosen to build the new airport that will service the Cambodian capital, the company in charge of the project said.”

2019

Construction of new Phnom Penh airport on schedule – [06/12/19]
“Construction of a new airport that will serve Phnom Penh is on track and could be completed as early as 2023, the developer said.”

Villagers protest sale of ‘communal’ land for new airport – [06/05/19]
“About 400 villagers protested outside the district hall in Kandal province’s Kandal Stung district on Monday seeking compensation for communal land they say was sold without their knowledge to house Phnom Penh’s new airport.”

Construction on New Phnom Penh Airport to Start in September 2019 – [17/03/19]
“Construction on the US$1.5 billion Phnom Penh International Airport in Kandal and Takeo provinces is to begin in September, according to project owner Neak Oknha Pung Kheav Se.”

Airport committee set to suspend land deals – [04/03/19]
“The committee on the new Phnom Penh international airport project development said on Thursday that it will temporarily suspend land business in sensitive areas that could hinder the new airport’s development project.”

Commission created to study a location for new Phnom Penh International airport – [21/02/19]
“The government has created a commission tasked with studying a location for new Phnom Penh International Airport.”

2018

New mega-airport and ‘Airport City’ in Cambodia triggers land disputes – [21/02/18]
“A plan for a new airport, one of the largest in the world on a 2,600 hectare site in the Kandal District of Cambodia, with an accompanying ‘Airport City’, has reignited one of the country’s fiercest land disputes.”

Villagers in dispute over land for new Kandal airport take fight to province hall – [19/02/18]
“More than 200 people gathered at Kandal Provincial Hall today demanding intervention in a dispute involving tycoon Seang Chanheng near land earmarked for a massive new $1.5 billion airport development.”

Will huge new airport planned for Kandal see locals stripped of land? – [08/02/18]

Land prices in Kandal Steung district soar after new airport announced – [07/02/18]

Land prices soar on capital’s airport announcement – [26/01/18]

Government approves plan to relocate Phnom Penh’s airport – [19/01/18]
“The government has signed off on a proposal to build a new airport to serve Phnom Penh and has earmarked land in Kandal province for the $1.5 billion project.”

Cambodia plans to build one of world’s biggest airports – [18/01/18]

Government plans one of world’s biggest airports in Kandal – [15/01/18]
“A document from the Council of Ministers, dated December 21, approves an investment proposal from Cambodia Airport Investment Co Ltd to build a $1.5 billion, 2,600-hectare airport in Kandal province’s Kandal Steung district, about 30 kilometres south of Phnom Penh.”

New $1.5-billion Phnom Penh airport approved – [12/01/18]
“A new airport for Phnom Penh will be built in Kandal province, a southern part of the capital”

2016

New international airport on table as PPIA expansion plans halted – [22/06/16]
“A senior government minister yesterday announced a halt to plans to expand the Phnom Penh International Airport, and instead revived talk of a new airport altogether, mentioning plans to identify a location 30 to 40 kilometres outside the city in hopes of completing the new airport by 2025.”

Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Central Java. The city is 20 km away from the Borobudur temple complex, which is the largest Buddhist temple in the world and the most visited monument in Indonesia.

Yogyakarta is the support city for Borobudur, similar to how Siem Reap is the support city for tourists visiting Angkor Wat. This fact got me thinking of the similarities between Yogyakarta and Siem Reap.

On my most recent trip to Yogyakarta in May 2024, I saw what Siem Reap can teach Yogyakarta, and what Yogyakarta can teach Siem Reap.

Reclaiming the streets of Yogyakarta (like Siem Reap)

I have often thought that Yogyakarta would be more famous as a city if it were more walkable. Yogyakarta has Malioboro Street, which is one of the most famous walking streets in Southeast Asia. Beyond Malioboro, the streets are more typical of an Indonesian city.

Malioboro Street

Malioboro connects the train station to the Beringharjo Market, near the Royal Palace of Yogyakarta. It’s not a true pedestrian street as it still has a road for traffic (including the Trans Jogja BRT).

Trans Jogja BRT on Malioboro

What Malioboro has is generous pedestrian space on either side that makes it feel like a walking street.

Malioboro walking street

What if more streets were as easy to walk as Malioboro? A good example of a city reclaiming streets is in Cambodia.

Siem Reap undertook a city renovation project during the pandemic (the ⁠38-road expansion project), which has transformed the inner city area. Not only was this a great city transformation project, but they were fortunate to get it done while there were no international tourists.

An opportunity for a city-wide makeover is unlikely to happen again, but Yogyakarta could reclaim the city for pedestrians, one street at a time.

This has already happened at Tugu Station (Yogyakarta Railway Station). The road along the main passenger entrance has had the sidewalk widened and fenced off from the road.

Yogyakarta Railway Station pedestrian walk

There is no chance for cars to park here or for motorbikes to use it as an extra bike lane. The sidewalk is a crush of people when a train arrives, and it is hard to remember what it used to be like before the area was enclosed.

Pedestrians near Yogyakarta Railway Station

An opportunity to rebuild 38 roads at once is not going to happen, but why not pick 38 roads that could be connected by pedestrian walkways?

The importance of building an airport rail link (like Yogyakarta)

I was travelling across Java by train, but while I was in Yogyakarta, I couldn’t resist having a look at the new airport. Yogyakarta opened its new international airport in 2019, and it even built an airport rail link to go with it.

It’s an impressive airport on the inside, and when you walk outside, you are greeted with the incredible scenery of Central Java.

The view from Yogyakarta International Airport

Yogyakarta International Airport is 45 km from the city centre, and I would not have visited if it weren’t connected by the airport rail link.

This distance reminded me of the new Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport, which is a whopping 50 km from Siem Reap. There are plans to build an airport rail link from Siem Reap to the new airport, but it is nowhere near being approved.

To be fair to Siem Reap, the Yogyakarta airport rail link uses an existing rail line with a new 4 km spur line built to the airport. Even so, if a city is going to build an airport 50 km from the city centre, then part of the construction deal should have included an airport rail link to open with the airport.

Sihanoukville should be a booming beach resort comparable to coastal cities in Vietnam. Instead, it’s better known for its abandoned towers, scam compounds, and shady casinos. Here is how to fix it.

Sihanoukville is a coastal city in Cambodia that is home to the largest port in the country. It also has some of the nicest municipal beaches in Southeast Asia.

Ochheuteal Beach

Despite this advantage of having a beautiful coastal setting, the government went all in on trying to turn Sihanoukville into the Macau of Southeast Asia. With the casinos came the money launderers and scam operators, and now the tourists that Cambodia covet the most are staying away.

The city is littered with abandoned hotel and apartment towers, and the few tourists that are here make it feel like a set for a near-future dystopian film.

Things in Sihanoukville are dire, but it’s a city with potential. Some of the streets have been repaved, and there are wide footpaths with new trees being planted.

I revisited Sihanoukville in December 2024 to file a construction report. It occurred to me while walking around that there isn’t much difference between Sihanoukville and the coastal cities of Vietnam, yet the coastal cities of Vietnam are having a tourism boom.

In this article, I will outline what are the main problems that need to be fixed, and how Cambodia should look at what Vietnam’s coastal cities are doing that attracts so many tourists.

How to fix Sihanoukville

Close the scam compounds

This article will cover urban planning changes that are needed to improve Sihanoukville. However, these changes will amount to nothing without addressing the scam compounds.

Cambodia has become famous for online scammers running their operations from guarded compounds in cities around the country. There are scam compounds in Sihanoukville, and some of them aren’t even trying to hide the fact that there is something dodgy going on behind the barricaded walls. Everyone knows where they are and what they do. The New York Times recently published an article about fraudsters operating in Sihanoukville:

“This underworld peeks out in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, home to a global clearinghouse for money launderers. It can be glimpsed, too, in the coastal city of Sihanoukville, a notorious refuge for fraudsters. Scammers ply their trade from call centers, operating in fortified compounds or on the upper floors of unfinished high-rises.” (see archived article.)

The NY Times even featured a photo of the scam compound that everyone knows about in Otres Beach.

In China, a film called “No More Bets” featured the scam centres in Southeast Asia, which spooked Chinese travellers from visiting Cambodia. Instead of addressing the problem, the Cambodian government banned the movie.

The government are offering incentives to breathe new life into the ghost towers, but the city’s reputation needs to be restored by “eradicating drug trafficking, kidnapping, online gambling and gangsters”.

This problem has since been acknowledged. The Prime Minister has set up a commission​ to combat online scams and has talked about deploying armed forces and law enforcement officers.

This is a good start, but you have to wonder if Cambodia is serious about ending organised cyberscams when they could send in armed forces today and end it.

Close down casinos

While we are in the mood for closing things down, start closing down some casinos. There were up to 150 casinos at the end of 2018. A local news site that keeps track of the casinos says there are now around 80 casinos (here is their Google Map of the casinos).

I would close them all down, but even if Sihanoukville remains as a gambling entertainment city, I think we can all agree that Sihanoukville doesn’t need 80 casinos.

Reclaim and renovate the beach walks

Sihanoukville has an obsession with attracting tourists by turning the city into a casino destination, but it already has what people travel to Southeast Asia for: beaches.

Sihanoukville has several city beaches that offer different beach experiences, from long stretches of open beach to smaller beaches in picturesque bays.

The city has started to landscape some of the beach walks, but it also has some of the worst beach developments in Southeast Asia.

Victory Beach

One of the worst examples of building too close to the beach that I have seen anywhere is at Victory Beach. Two failed projects sit on the beach side of the road.

This beach was already a narrow stretch of sand, so putting giant concrete blocks next to it has ruined its appeal.

One of the projects has three apartment towers sitting on top of a gigantic podium.

This building on the wrong side of the beach road reminded me of a resort that was dismantled on the beach side of the road in Nha Trang. The resort wasn’t mall-sized, but it is a good precedent for other cities to follow.

Independence Beach

There is an old park at Independence Beach.

This park would scrub up nicely with a new walking path and some landscaping.

Ochheuteal Beach (Serendipity Beach)

Ochheuteal Beach (Serendipity Beach) used to have informal beach bars. I saw them being demolished on New Year’s Day in 2018, and they have now been replaced by a row of seaside restaurants.

I like the beach promenade next to the main road, though I’m not a fan of the wavy path. Just make it a straight path so walkers and cyclists can navigate it without swerving into each other.

Otres Beach

Otres Beach was a popular backpacker beach before it was cleaned up. I went in December 2017 when I heard that the beach bungalows were going to be demolished.

I have mixed feelings about the changes here. On the one hand, it was a laid-back beach destination and an experience that is getting harder to find. On the other hand, I agree that there shouldn’t be buildings on the beach, whether that is a mall or a bungalow. The beach road has also been upgraded from a dirt track to a modern road.

Otres Beach Road in 2017

Otres Beach has now been cleared of buildings, and local people were having picnics under the trees.

The main problem of Otres is the casinos and scam compounds that are built inland of the beach. They should have built a new city grid here instead.

Turn future development areas into gridded streets with small buildings

The problem with the resort and apartment complexes is that they turn the streets around them into a boring and sterile place. The land reserved for future mega developments should be gridded out into small streets and sold off to individual investors. A good example of this is in Danang.

One thing Danang did right was to grid out a series of streets near My Khe Beach. The An Thuong area in My Khe has been transformed over the last decade into a vibrant beach neighbourhood with hundreds of small hotels, restaurants, and private homes.

The gridded streets near My Khe Beach are a thriving walkable neighbourhood

This was unusual for Vietnam, as there has been a mania for giving control of large new urban areas to a single developer. If the developer goes broke (which has happened in Vietnam), then the entire development is abandoned. With this model, which has been used in Danang, if a single developer goes broke, the rest of the neighbourhood carries on.

There are a few empty blocks of land near the beaches of Sihanoukville that should also follow this Danang model. There is a big block of land opposite Independence Beach that would be better off if it were gridded out and filled with small businesses, locally-owned hotels, and guesthouses.

Empty land at Independence Beach.

There are still undeveloped blocks of land along Ochheuteal Beach that would be better off as small blocks than a monolithic tower block. These may be reserved for developers, but the government has set a precedent of taking land from developers on some island projects, so why not in Sihanoukville as well?

Future Ochheuteal Beach development

Gridding out these areas and letting local people build here would allow for Cambodians to share in the prosperity of the city.

Sihanoukville is missing out on the Southeast Asia tourism boom

I was in Sihanoukville in December 2024, and at that point, it was clear that Southeast Asia tourism had nearly recovered to pre-pandemic levels. I was in Vietnam the previous month, and tourism was booming. I wondered how many tourists were coming to Sihanoukville, so I looked up the airport’s Wiki page.

Airlines and destinations of Sihanouk International Airport (April 2025)

There is a lone flight from KL (because AirAsia fly almost anywhere there is an airport in Southeast Asia), but no flights from China.

In comparison, I looked up Cam Ranh Airport, which serves Nha Trang. The difference between Vietnam tourism and Cambodian tourism can be summed up with these two airports.

Airlines and destinations of Cam Ranh International Airport (April 2025)

I went back to Nha Trang after my Sihanoukville trip, and it felt like it was even busier than before. It turns out that Vietnam had experienced the largest number of international arrivals in a single quarter in history.

During this record-breaking first quarter of 2025, I visited Phan Thiet, Nha Trang, and Danang. All of these coastal cities were bustling with tourists as I had never seen before.

What the coastal cities of Vietnam are experiencing is what Sihanoukville should be experiencing as well. Sihanoukville is similar to Nha Trang in that it’s an architecturally unremarkable city with a nice seafront.

When it comes to beaches, Sihanoukville has nicer beach sand than Nha Trang and calmer waters to swim in than Danang. Most coastal cities in the world can only look on in envy at the beaches on the doorstep of Sihanoukville City, yet somehow this fact eluded city planners, who thought that they needed casinos to attract tourists.

If you visit Nha Trang, you will see that Chinese tourists just want a beach holiday in a tropical environment where they can eat cheap seafood and drink beer.

In addition to the lack of flights, the other thing I noticed about Sihanoukville was the lack of budget hotels.

I searched on a hotel booking site for hotels under $20 in Sihanoukville.

Hotel map of Sihanoukville.

To make a comparison, I searched for hotels under $20 in Danang for the same period.

Hotel map of Danang.

Who is Sihanoukville for if your average Cambodian can’t afford to stay there?

While Sihanoukville went all in on casino hotel complexes and apartment towers, there is a dearth of small-budget to mid-range hotels.

A beach city for Cambodians first

Sihanoukville has had a sordid reputation for most of Cambodia’s modern era. From being a hideout for Western sexpats and drug addicts, a backpacker party town, and now a hub for international fraud gangs.

In the times I have visited Sihanoukville, it has never felt like a beach resort town for Cambodians. Even now, the government is looking to lure “high-end tourism” to the country, and this can be seen with the latest development in Sihanoukville at Peninsula Bay.

The Peninsula Bay project is being built in the city centre, which will feature a JW Marriott, a luxury mall, and a casino (of course).

Peninsula Bay, Sihanoukville

I walked along the seafront where Peninsula Bay is being built, and there is a night market with people sitting around on little plastic seats. I went by here later on, and it was the busiest place along the seafront.

The night market opposite Peninsula Bay (before it got busy).

Peninsula Bay, the casinos, and all the luxury hotels of Sihanoukville offer no place for the average Cambodian to hang out. I would like to see Sihanoukville become a Cambodian beach city, rather than a playground for foreigners behaving badly.

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In January 2025, Cambodia launched the ‘National Roads Without Plastic Waste’ campaign. The goal is for Cambodia’s national roads to be free of plastic waste by the end of 2025. It’s a lofty goal, but I salute their ambition.

One of the frustrating aspects of travelling in Cambodia is the amount of rubbish on the side of the road, so this is a welcome development. I was in Cambodia in December 2024, and seeing plastic waste everywhere was an eyesore.

This article is not meant to focus specifically on Cambodia, as it could be applied to other Southeast Asian countries. Indeed, it wasn’t that long ago when my homeland of Australia was in a similar situation.

The plastic waste campaign got me thinking about how other countries have managed the roadside rubbish problem, so I present these examples.

Australia did the right thing

I grew up in rural Australia in the 70s and 80s, and I recall the sides of the roads being strewn with rubbish. I remember a time when people would throw rubbish out the car window (not my parents, thankfully) and smokers would think nothing of butting out cigarettes on the beach sand. If you did that now, you would have the rubbish thrown back at you or be yelled at on the beach.

It was in the late 70s and early 80s when the Australian government launched the Do The Right Thing campaign. Advertisements with a catchy jingle (which has been seared onto my memory) were on TV all the time, and eventually, it became the normal thing not to litter. The advertisements are considered the most effective behavioural change campaign in Australian history.

I was reminded of this campaign when I was in Kampot during my most recent trip. I rode by a freshly rehabilitated canal, so I stopped to have a look. Next to the canal is a sign that clearly illustrates that dumping rubbish is not allowed.

Don’t dump trash in the canal!

The sign is sponsored by the Asian Development Bank, which has been helping with canal rehabilitation in the region. Signs like this should be everywhere, so hopefully, local governments will copy the lead that the ADB have taken.

Singapore is a fine city

Singapore is famous for its fines, and it was in 1992 when Singapore introduced fines against littering on public streets. Singapore also introduced the Corrective Work Order, which humiliated repeat offenders by making them clean up in public while wearing hi-vis vests.

I’m not saying this is the right approach, but if cities in Southeast Asia keep saying they want to be The Next Singapore, then they have to start by cleaning up the streets before dreaming about becoming the next financial hub of the region.

Singapore Litter Free

Vietnam has the answer (they just don’t know it yet)

Vietnam has its own roadside rubbish demons to slay, so seeing Vietnam on this list might seem out of place. Anyone who has taken a road trip in Vietnam might be scratching their head, wondering what Vietnam has to teach about keeping roadsides clean. What Vietnam can teach is how the threat of fines can bring almost immediate results.

Vietnam is famous for its insane motorbike traffic. In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, motorbikes use the sidewalks as spare traffic lanes during peak hours.

January 1 saw the enactment of Decree 168, which introduced harsh penalties for road traffic violations. Practically overnight, the practice of riding motorbikes on sidewalks was reduced to a trickle.

There are many major roads in Saigon that I completely avoid during peak hours due to the motorbikes. I was surprised to walk down these roads after the fines to find that the sidewalks had been mostly reclaimed for walkers.

This almost immediate following of the rules was so notable that it was a feature story in the New York Times.

One of the amazing things about this was that everyone was talking about the new laws before they came into effect. It might have been previously assumed that this behavioural change would take years, but information spreads so fast now that change can happen quickly.

After the success (so far) of enforcing these laws, people are now wondering why this isn’t applied to other social problems, such as loud karaoke and littering. An easy win would be to monitor the canals that are continually filled up with household trash.

A future of rubbish-free roads in Cambodia

Keeping the roads free of plastic waste will first require teams of volunteers to clean up the tonnes of trash already on the roads. It will then require a nationwide education campaign alongside enforced fines for litterers.

Trip report from my visit in December 2024, including the two-tower apartment project in Kampot Town, the Tiktokification of tourism landmarks, and land reclamation in Kep.

Kampot and Kep are the southernmost provinces in Cambodia. Kampot Province includes the charming colonial-era riverside city of Kampot, and Kep is reawakening as a coastal tourism destination.

Kampot Province (in red) surrounding Kep Province (via Wikipedia).

I’m a regular visitor to Kampot and Kep, partly because they are on the train route between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville and partly because it’s a beautiful part of Cambodia.

I returned to Kampot and Kep in December 2024 and visited some of the main projects of the two provinces. This report covers the two-tower apartment project in Kampot Town, the Tiktokification of tourism landmarks, and land reclamation in Kep.

Kampot

The last time I was in Kampot was in January 2022, a month after the country had reopened. Most of the foreigners were expats who had stayed during the pandemic, and there were still many shops closed.

I returned to Kampot in December 2024 after visiting Sihanoukville. It was a Sunday afternoon during the Sea Festival, and the contrast to my last visit couldn’t have been starker. I had never seen Kampot so busy in any of my previous visits.

Sea Festival crowd

There were nearly 400,000 visitors to Kampot during the festival. I was concerned that the scourge of overtorusm had reached Kampot, but this turned out to be a festival crowd. The town reverted to its sleepy state after the festival weekend.

Kampot has a lovely old town area, and I have often wondered why it isn’t more famous. Being inland from the sea has probably been its saving grace.

An old cinema converted into a hotel

There are signs, though, that Kampot has been discovered (or at least considered a safe bet to open chain stores). The most gobsmacking sign of gentrification is the opening of a Starbucks in the historic Fish Market building on the riverfront.

Starbucks at Kampot Fish Market

I was pleased to see that a Brown Coffee store had also opened in Kampot. Brown Coffee are a chain that began in Phnom Penh, and their lattes are more Australian-style than Starbucks-style.

And the ultimate sign that your small town has graduated to city status is when 7-Eleven arrives.

7-Eleven in Kampot

There has been talk of developers buying up large plots of land to redevelop Kampot, but it’s not evident in the old town area yet. This speculation was around when the largest apartment project in the city began construction.

The Thai Boon Roong Kampot Building was under construction when I visited in 2022, but construction has stalled. The same developer was going to build the world’s tallest twin towers in Phnom Penh.

Thai Boon Roong Kampot Building

Apart from this abandoned apartment project, there aren’t many big projects in the city area. There is a tall apartment block on the other side of the river that is also unfinished. This side of the river (where there are no historic buildings) is where they should be building tall apartments.

There are signs that the city has thought about making itself more appealing for visitors, with new landmarks for the Instagram/TikTok era. A seahorse fountain statue was installed on the riverfront, and it was instantly likened to the Merlion statue in Singapore.

Another new landmark is the Giant Clock. It’s an interesting design, but it’s too far for it to be TikTokable if that was the intention.

The old bridge also has had some new lights added to it to make it more visually appealing for social media.

I would normally get the train to Kamport, but on this trip, I got a van from Sihanoukville to Kampot. There is only 1 train a day in each direction, and the train from Sihanoukville to Kampot leaves late in the afternoon.

I went to Kampot Station to watch a train arrive. The train was an hour late, and I didn’t have the time to wait around. If Cambodia eventually rebuilds the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Railway, there would be trains running throughout the day. If that happens, then there would be an apartment boom in Kampot as it would become easier to travel from Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.

The biggest planned development in Kampot is the Funan Techo Canal. The canal will connect the Mekong River in Phnom Penh to the sea in Kampot. The project was officially launched in 2024, but there hasn’t been any progress on construction.

There are advertising billboards in Kampot promoting the project.

Kep

Kep is a coastal province that is surrounded by Kampot. There aren’t white sandy beaches here like in Sihanoukville, which has spared it from being overdeveloped.

There is a resort being built on the coastal road when you enter Kep Province, but it has already been abandoned midway through construction.

The government has been reclaiming land along the Kep coastline. This area was busy with construction equipment when I was last here. The sea has now been filled in and there is a road to the new seafront. This is part of a 2.7km long land reclamation project.

Reclaimed land in Kep

There is a restaurant on the new seafront called The Wave, and the businesses in this area are being branded as Kep West. The restaurant has been featured in architecture news sites for its design.

The Wave Kep West

Next to The Wave is a new pier that is part of the Royal Cambodia Yacht Club. The pier is purely decorative as there is no way to moor a boat next to it.

Land reclamation was also happening at the famous Crab Market. A new harbour has been created for fishing boats.

Kep Beach is the main beach of the province.

It’s a small beach with imported sand, and there is no way it can compete with the powdery sand in Sihanoukville.

Propaganda billboards for the Funan Tech Canal are also in Kep, even though the canal doesn’t go through Kep.

Kep Town is the main city of Kep Province. Most of the activity of the town/city is on the main road that follows the coast. There is a gridded-out city area off the main road where the famous villas of Kep were in their heyday.

The gridded area of Kep has the remains of villas from the French colonial era. Most of the villas were destroyed by the Khmer Rouge.

There are some new houses and hotels in this area, but everything is so spread out that there is no feeling of it being a coherent town centre.

Despite the number of abandoned villas, the roads are well-maintained.

There are a few hotels in this area, but you need your own transport to stay there. Kep Town is nothing like Kampot Town, where you can stay without needing transport.

There is a new road that follows the coastline of Kep to Angkol Beach. This is another area in Kep that is being developed into a tourist destination.

After this Kampot/Kep trip, I got a bus to Ha Tien in Vietnam. The bus went on this new road to Angkol Beach, and it was an unusual sight to see such a good road with no traffic on it. I have marked it on my map for a future visit.

An update on one of the biggest mixed-use developments under construction in Cambodia, prominent abandoned projects, and the redevelopment of Ochheuteal and Otres Beach.

Sihanoukville is the largest coastal city in Cambodia and home to its main port. It has great beaches and a train to Phnom Penh. Despite this beautiful natural setting, the city has become better known for its ghost towers and casino-related crime.

I was in Sihanoukville early in 2022 – weeks after the country had reopened – and I wasn’t planning on returning so soon. In 2024 Royal Railway of Cambodia bought some second-hand train sets from Japan to replace the old train carriages in use. This was enough to bring me back for another visit.

I took the train from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville in December 2024, and these new carriages are a dramatic improvement over the old ones. After getting the train, I stayed in Sihanoukville to check in on some of the major projects and see how tourism is faring after the pandemic.

This trip report includes an update on one of the biggest mixed-use developments under construction in Cambodia, prominent abandoned projects, and the redevelopment of Ochheuteal and Otres Beach.

Peninsula Bay

Sihanoukville is still struggling to complete the abandoned towers around the city, so I wasn’t expecting to see any new mega projects. I was shocked to see this new project rising in the city centre.

Peninsula Bay rising in the city centre

It was a confusing sight to see because I couldn’t work out where the available land was that it was being built on. There were no empty blocks of this size when I was last here.

After checking in at my hotel, I went for a walk on Ochheuteal Beach. The full scale of this project can be seen from the beach. This project is Peninsula Bay.

Peninsula Bay viewed from Ochheuteal Beach

The project includes a five-star hotel (JW Marriott), a casino, a shopping mall, office buildings, and serviced apartments.

The peninsula on which this project is being built has almost been completely excavated. A little shack and some trees were all that remained when I visited. This was the only clue as to what the peninsula used to look like.

I have a hard drive in storage of photos that include my first visit to Sihanoukville. I need to check this for old photos of this area.

In contrast to the lifeless construction sites around the city, this construction site was a hive of activity.

A future office tower of Peninsula Bay

Apartments under construction at Peninsula Bay.

Read more about Peninsula Bay.

Other projects

Many of the projects that have been abandoned don’t have a name or website, so it’s hard to track down what has happened to them.

The most prominent project with a name is Prince Tian Xi Wan by Prince Group. This is a hotel and mall complex on Victory Beach, and here is what it’s supposed to look like.

The Prince Tian Xi Wan has stalled. Prince Group have been accused of money laundering, which they have denied.

Prince Tian Xi Wan project

Next to the Prince project is The Bund

The Bund (in Sihanoukville)

The Bund project has also stalled.

The Bund project in Sihanoukville

A residential project that is looking like it will be finished is Star Bay.

Star Bay

There is a marketing office for sales, and units are appearing on booking sites for short-term rentals.

Ochheuteal Beach

Ochheuteal Beach (AKA Serendipity Beach) is the main city beach of Sihanoukville. The beach was famous for its beach bars and its laid-back atmosphere. The shacks were demolished and replaced by new restaurants by a beachfront walkway.

They missed an opportunity to make a wider and more attractive beachfront promenade.

Ochheuteal beach walk

The walkway is much better further up, where there are no buildings on the beach. There is a random Doi Chaang Caffe on the beach walk, which I frequented on my last visit. It remains the best coffee in the Ochheuteal Beach area.

Doi Chaang Caffe

The roads that run parallel to the beach should be the premier shopping and entertainment area of Sihanoukville. These streets are lined with the concrete shells of unfinished buildings, giving it a rundown feel. There are no cafes on these streets, just boring tourist shops and casinos.

23 Tola Road

There are some big blocks of land on the beach road that remain undeveloped. Hopefully, they remain undeveloped until the city gets over its casino fixation.

At least the hotels are not being built on the beach side of the road.

There is a river at the far end of Ochheuteal Beach that flows into the sea. A new water treatment plant has been built there, but black water is still flowing into the sea.

Polluted water

Otres Beach

Otres Beach is the next beach up from Ochheuteal Beach, and it was once a popular backpacker beach with beach bars and cheap guesthouses. The Otres of old is a distant memory as most of what used to be there is gone.

There are still some low-rise hotels on the beachfront, but everything on the beach side of the road is gone.

Some shacks have since popped up along the road, restoring the natural order of Cambodian commerce.

There is a massive new urban area inland of Otres Beach, and it still looks like a construction site.

One area is known as Chinatown, and the buildings on Google Maps are referred to by number. Some of these apartments are scam compounds that are fortified with guards and barbed wire.

There are lots of casino hotels in this area, but there are few tourists around.

Golden Sun Sky Casino and Hotel

The area might become more lively when they build more apartments that people would want to live in.

Apartments under construction in Otres Beach

A new ferry pier has been built at Otres Beach, though it wasn’t operational.

Like Ochheuteal Beach, there is nowhere to hang out on Otres Beach. A bright spot in the redevelopment of Otres is the opening of Brown Coffee in the corner of Otres Beach. Brown Coffee is a popular cafe chain that started in Phnom Penh, and they now have branches in Siem Reap and Kampot.

Brown Coffee, Otres Beach

Sihanoukville will need more cafes and fewer casinos if it wants to rehabilitate its reputation. I will be posting another article soon about how to fix Sihanoukville.

Phnom Penh construction and infrastructure report (December 2024).

Border cities in Southeast Asia have a reputation for being dodgy, and Poipet in Cambodia is no exception. Poipet is best known for casinos and the border-crossing gauntlet for travellers overlanding to Siem Reap.

There is nothing here for the traveller who is not a gambler, and after spending a night in Poipet there doesn’t appear to be a plan to make it a more appealing city for residents and visitors alike.

Any time I see Poipet in the news, it has to do with gambling crime or scam compounds. It sounds like Sihanoukville, but at least Sihanoukville has a beach and access to islands.

One thing that Poipet has going for it is a railway connection to Phnom Penh, and a direct train to Bangkok is also planned by Thailand. Surely a city in between two of the great capital cities of Southeast Asia could leverage this geographical advantage.

In 2024 the train service from Phnom Penh to Poipet was restored, so I made a plan to get the train from Bangkok to Phnom Penh. The train service was then suspended from Battambang to Poipet, so it is not currently possible to do this trip by rail.

I had already made a plan to travel, so this interruption turned out to be a good excuse to stay in Poipet for a night before getting a van to Battambang the next day.

Poipet Night Market

I’ve been reading news about special economic zones and real estate growth in Poipet, so it was time to make the border crossing and visit Poipet for a Future Southeast Asia subscriber report.

Border crossing from Thailand to Cambodia

Getting to Poipet from Thailand has gotten easier now that the train goes all the way to the border. Previously the Bangkok train stopped at Aranyaprathet, and then you had to travel another 6 km to the border. It was here when the hassles would begin with over-charging tuk-tuks and touts offering to help with visa processing.

Aranyaprathet Station.

I had heard so many stories of aggressive touts at the border that it put me off ever doing a land border crossing. If you Google “Poipet border crossing” you will find enough horror stories to make you want to fly.

Having the station next to the border has made the crossing much easier. I had a few touts approach me on the Thailand side, but I just walked through the crowd.

Walking from Ban Klong Luk Border Station to the border crossing.

I have also heard accounts of aggressive touts in the no-mans-land between the two frontier crossings, but I had no problem here.

After clearing Cambodia immigration the first thing you see upon exiting the building is a Starbucks. I was not expecting this, and the sight of this familiar global chain took the edge off Poipet’s border reputation.

Starbucks at the Poipet border gate

There are still opportunist tuk-tuk drivers here who will charge 5 times the going rate for a ride, which I discovered when my internet roaming didn’t kick in. I couldn’t book a Grab taxi so I ended up overpaying for the ride to my hotel.

This is the worst part of the crossing because the onward buses to Siem Reap or Phnom Penh are not next to the border crossing. If you are travelling onwards you can’t just get on your next bus here.

Poipet border train

While getting the train to the border is useful, there was supposed to be a cross-border passenger train service by now. It was announced in 2019 that there would be a service of some kind, but it hasn’t materialised yet.

Cambodia has prepared international facilities at Poipet station so that immigration can be processed for both countries (similar to how Padang Besar in Malaysia processes Thailand and Malaysia immigration). It is now up to Thailand to announce their plan to introduce an international service.

It’s about 800 metres from the border to Poipet Station, and the train line goes through the city centre. There is a rail bridge that crosses the small stream that marks the border. The bridge entrance was being used as tuk-tuk parking when I visited.

Tuk-tuk parking at rail bridge

The railway then passes in front of a casino and a cafe.

The railway then travels across the road via a roundabout.

Rail roundabout in Poipet

I visited Poipet Station, but it was closed to visitors.

Poipet Station

The section from Poipet to Battambang wasn’t operating when I visited, so I will probably end up back here again when it is running. It has been years since I have been to Siem Reap, so I might get the train from Poipet to Sisophon and then a bus to Siem Reap.

If/when Thailand launch their international service, I would like to go back just to see the train going through the city.

Baht Town in Dollar Country

The US dollar is the unofficial currency of Cambodia, but the Thai baht reigns supreme in Poipet. The city is built for gamblers from Thailand, and most shops near the border advertise prices in baht.

I left my stash of Thai baht at the hotel, thinking I wouldn’t need it. I went to a 7/Eleven and they couldn’t break a $10 note, and they wanted Thai baht. I didn’t have any Cambodian riel on me, so I had to go to a nearby currency exchange to get local currency.

Construction notes

Construction workers in Poipet

Walking around Poipet felt like being in a boom town. There was a lot of construction going on in the old area and beyond in the new urban areas.

I couldn’t find any information about major projects online, so I walked towards any area with a construction crane.

Most of the construction sites didn’t have any advertising showing what was being built.

I walked to what appeared to be the tallest building in Poipet, and the construction site had a generic Chinese construction name that made it impossible to find a source online. Sometimes the project name is listed on Google Maps, but the satellite view of Google Maps has not kept up with the pace of construction.

Possibly the new tallest building in Poipet

Building a better city

Poipet is a typical Cambodian city where there is one main road instead of a grid with multiple ways of crossing the city.

Also typical of Cambodia is how dusty the roads are. I plan my urban explorations of Cambodian cities for the dry season, otherwise the streets are too muddy.

The lack of walkable sidewalks and the lack of shade from trees makes walking in Poipet difficult.

The cities of Cambodia are not designed with pedestrians in mind. While there was a lack of urban planning for cities in the past, there is no excuse for new urban areas to make the same mistakes. It is so frustrating to walk in a completely new area with new roads and not have any space for sidewalks or trees.

A new street with unwalkable sidewalks and no trees

The most depressing urban planning fail I saw was the sight of people running laps around a giant slab of concrete. Seeing people exercising on the only sliver of public space made me realise that there isn’t any public space.

Walkers and runners on a makeshift public space

This made me sad. It didn’t help that it was at the end of the day, and I was dusty and worn out from walking around on city roads. Residents of Poipet deserve better.

I saw one new building under construction that was of architectural interest. I tried to imagine what Poipet would look like if it had appealing apartment blocks with tree-lined streets.

I didn’t see any casinos that were of architectural merit. While Las Vegas and Macau have landmark buildings, the buildings here are forgettable blocks with little regard for safety.

Generic casino building with a generic casino name

I follow most of the news sites covering Cambodia, and one article I found from June 2023 has the translated title:

Poipet’s Transformation: Government Invests US$78 Million in Enthralling City Project

The first paragraph (translated) reads:

“The Poipet City Administration is implementing a $78 million city-wide project to turn Poipet into a civilized city and attract national and international tourists.”

This is good news, though they should start with the basics of making the streets walkable. Sidewalks are the secret sauce to simulating Singapore’s success in becoming a civilised city.

Cleaning up the streets will be meaningless without cleaning up crime as well. The city is infamous for transnational crime, where bodies turn up in suitcases and reservoirs, and foreign nationals are held captive in scam centres.

Crime related to gambling debts doesn’t affect the safety of the average visitor, but seeing advertisements everywhere like this doesn’t make it feel like a civilised city.

I will report on any updates for this $78 million city-wide project, and I will keep a list of other projects on the Future Poipet page.

Hopefully, the next time I find myself in Poipet, the city will be more “enthralling”.