Drop in the number of tourists crossing Poipet border gate

02 May 2011
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Soch

The number of tourists crossing the Poipet International border gate in April 2011 dropped by more than 17% when compared to March, an immigration official in Poipet indicated. The number shows that there were 62,651 tourists crossing through Poipet in April of this year. This number was 75,626 in March. The largest group of tourists visiting Cambodia consists of Russians: 3,711 came to Cambodia. Leakh Romnea, the director of the administration office of the Poipet border gate indicated that the number of tourists in April dropped due to the clashes between Cambodian and Thai troops. He said that the number of tourists dropped only in the last few days.

New $6m terminal opens in Poipet, Cambodia

Thursday, 14 January 2010
Source: The Phnom Penh Post

Poipet's new US$6.5 million International Passenger Terminal opened for business and could bolster the Cambodia's tourist industry.

The 3,000-square-metre building - containing five restaurants, a money exchange and an office and built beside National Road 5, about 8 kilometres from the Poipet border checkpoint with Thailand in Banteay Meanchey province, was officially opened on Monday.

Travellers will be charged $1 to enter the terminal, from where they can arrange visas and catch taxis and buses.

It has been built with government approval to relieve pressure from the bustling nearby checkpoint, which sees around 5,000 people cross per day.

Va Chhouda, managing director of Sou Ching Investment Co Ltd, the company that built the centre, said that it was necessary to build an international-standard terminal near the border.

"Tourists get stuck at the noisy border every day. But we want to attract tourists to come to stay in Cambodia for a long time.

"This is why we have created a place where we can provide good services to them," he said.

Travellers can be picked up by bus from the checkpoint to visit the terminal, which has its own parking and space for 1,000 customers.

It is hoped the centre will safeguard tourists from being exploited by border scams, such as taxi drivers taking them to the wrong place.

Ho Vandy, co-chairman of the government's Private Sector Forum tourism working group, said Thursday that the creation of a high-standard tourist facility at the border was a good move. He wants the company to ensure a high quality of service to attract more tourists to Cambodia.

"The company must provide a good service to tourists at reasonable prices," he said.

According to a report released by police at Poipet, last year 323,705 people crossed the land border, compared with 276,349 in 2008.

Border snarl up as Cambodians demand truck payment

September 25, 2009
The Nation

Border snarl up as Cambodians demand truck payment

With no explanation, Cambodian customs officials in Poi Pet have stopped allowing Thai trucks to pass beyond their boundary by just presenting a copy of the truck registration book.

Customs officials there yesterday demanded that the drivers present the original truck registration book and submit a security sum of US$5,000 (Bt167,750) each.

Although the procedures are in line with customs regulations, they have long been relaxed.

For years, trucks from Thai soil could move past the Poi Pet checkpoint by just presenting a copy of the truck registration book.

When the procedures suddenly changed, more than 150 trucks got stuck in front of the Baan Klong Luek permanent checkpoint in Sa Kaeo's Aranyaprathet district on the Thai side.

The tailback stretched back as far as 500 meters since 9 am yesterday, paralysing traffic in nearby areas.

The trucks were supposed to deliver products to Cambodia.

"We have no way to find money to post the $5,000 security sum," a truck driver complained.

Cambodia-Thailand Border Coordination Office official Leem Tek of reportedly told the drivers that some Cambodian customs officials took the move because they were unhappy with Thai officials.

"They drove to Thailand but were asked to present some documents. Upset with the treatment, they have decided to stop being lenient with Thai trucks," Leem Tek said.

Asked why the Cambodian customs officials did not inform the truck drivers in advance, he refused to give any answer and retreated to the Cambodian side.

However, at 12.30pm, Cambodian customs officials agreed to let the trucks pass the Poi Pet checkpoint with just a copy of the truck registration book for one day only.

Although the decision quickly eased traffic congestion in front of the Ban Klong Luek checkpoint yesterday, it raised concern among the drivers about what was to come the next day.

Display of shame in front of visiting tourists: The Poipet border entry gate is so filthy that tourists start to clean it up

Tourists picking up trash and cleaning up near the round-about next to Poipet International border gate (Photo: S. Amatak, Koh Santepheap newspaper)
Tourists picking up trash in Poipet (Photo: S. Amatak, Koh Santepheap newspaper)

21 March 2008
Koh Santepheap Newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Banteay Meanchey province – On 18 March, about 10 tourists started to pick up trash next to the round-about near the Poipet International border gate, located in Kbal Spean village, Poipet commune, O’Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province. The 10 foreigners said that they were traveling from Thailand to Cambodia to visit our country through the Poipet International border gate.

These tourists are resting on Poipet and they were visiting the border areas. They noted that Cambodia survived the genocidal regime, and just got out of war. Even though Cambodia seems to have a lot of major developments such as roads, electricity, large houses, etc… hygiene is still very lacking. When these tourists crossed the border gate, they walked toward the round-about nearby and they noticed that piles of trash are left on the sidewalks, and even the satellite hospital in O’Chrov district does not have trash cans to store the trash. This piling of rotten trashes in public places seriously affects the environment and health. The visiting tourists then decided to buy large black trash bags to collect the trash, they also taught the local people to understand about environmental and health issues that may be affected by the trash.

One of the visiting tourist said that, even though he is just a traveler, but when he reaches an area, and he sees that trash is left in the open like this, he does not allow it to remain as it is, he would go around and educate the local people to help preserve the environment in order to protect their health.

While well-intentioned tourists coming from developed nations are not afraid to pick up trash in our country, our authorities should think hard about this issue as well (and not allow trash to pile up in public places like this anymore).

Thailand tighten border crossing in Poipet

10 September 2007
By Hassan
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The Phnom Penh Post reported this week that, at the Poipet international gate, there is a tightening in the border crossing which created irritation among tourists, and Cambodian porters must wait for hours before being able to cross into Thailand.

A new sign was posted showing the Thai immigration rules which stipulate that all tourists visiting Thailand must have an airline ticket to prove that they will depart Thailand within 30 days before a 30-day visa to Thailand is issued to them.

Chaturont Chhaiyakam, the deputy secretary of the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh said that the tightening in the search (at the border) was put into application for several years already, and that it has only been used recently, especially along land borders.

Chaturont Chhaiyakam said that in the past, there were violations of the 30-day visa issued by the Thai authority to tourists.