Siem Reap Province, Cambodia

Siem Reap (Khmer: សៀមរាប) is a province located in northwestern Cambodia, on the shores of the Tonle Sap lake. The provincial capital is Siem Reap town.

The name “Siem Reap” literally means “Siam Defeated”, a reminder of the centuries-old conflict between the Siamese and the Khmer. In Thailand, the province and its capital are called “Siam Rat” (Thai: เสียมราฐ), literally meaning “Siam’s Territory”.[2]

The province came under the control of the Thai kingdom of Ayutthaya and was later returned to Cambodia in 1907 after French gunboat diplomacy pressured Thai concession of the area. This area became part of a disputed territory between France and Siam (now Thailand) which led to the Franco-Thai War in 1941, resulting in victory for Thailand and a return to Thai control. The province again reverted to Cambodia in 1946, after the end of World War II and French diplomatic pressure. Today it is best known for the ruined temples of Angkor.

[edit] SubdivisionsThe province is subdivided into 12 districts, 100 communes and 907 villages[3].

1701 Angkor Chum អង្គរជុំ
1702 Angkor Thom អង្គរធំ
1703 Banteay Srei បន្ទាយស្រី
1704 Chi Kraeng ជីក្រែង
1706 Kralanh ក្រលាញ់
1707 Puok ពួក
1709 Prasat Bakong ប្រាសាទបាគង
1710 Siem Reap សៀមរាប
1711 Sout Nikom សូត្រនិគម
1712 Srei Snam ស្រីស្នំ
1713 Svay Leu ស្វាយលើ
1714 Varin វារីន

In September 2002, I took a trip to Cambodia alone. I’m Glenn, by the way, in case you just found this page from a web search. This trip turned out to be one of the more interesting things I’ve done in my life. I flew from Tokyo to Bangkok first, because I wanted to see a little of Bangkok and because that’s where the major airlines go to. Before I left I decided to do a little Internet research, as usual, and I was happy to see that there is much more out there to be found now than when I made the first pages on this site in 1997. Of particular help was Gordon Sharpless’ http://www.talesofasia.com. Thanks, Gordon. As I looked his photos and read his text about the overland trip Bangkok-Siem Reap with interest (horror?), I decided that I was getting a little long in the tooth for that – I would fly.

This map is hard to read, I know, but the main thing I’d like you to get from it is that Siem Reap is just north of the Tonle Sap lake and Phnom Penh is farther south, at the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers.

Facilities

The airport resides at an elevation of 60 feet (18 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 05/23 with a concrete surface measuring 2,550 by 45 metres (8,366 × 148 ft).[1]

As of 2008, extensions to the airport’s apron and parking areas are taking place. Air Traffic Control is provided by CATS (Cambodia Air Traffic Services), with full approach and aerodrome VHF facilities being housed in the control tower, between the fire station and the domestic terminal. Area control is still provided from CATS Centre in Phnom Penh (Pochentong) VHF frequencies used at Siem Reap are: Tower: 118.000 MHz (AM) Approach: 124.300 MHz (AM) ACC (FIR): 127.500 MHz (AM) Ground (apron): 121.750 MHz (AM) ATIS (WX): 129.950 MHz (AM) Tower – fire 3A: 143.750 MHz (FM) CATS are also responsible for clearing takeoffs and landings of tourist helicopters from the “Big Balloon” site, 3 km away, near Angkor Wat. Both Helicopters Cambodia and Sokha Helicopters operate from the airport, with Sokha mainly operating from the Big Yellow Balloon site. The airport itself is located some 6 km outside Siem Reap, just off National Route 6 north. Runway alignments are 23 & 05, with only 23 being used for takeoff, due to flight restrictions over Angkor temple.

[edit] Airfield
Length: 2,550 m
Width: 45 m, with shoulders 2.5 m. wide each
Perpendicular taxiway: 1 (length: 240 meters, width: 20 meters and 10 meters of shoulders). Under construction: 1 (length: 600 meters, width: 23 meters and 15 meters of shoulders)
Number of stands: 8
Navigation aids and visual aids: VOR/DME
NDB
PAPI

[edit] Airlines and destinations

Airlines

Destinations

AeroCambodia

Domestic-Cambodia

AirAsia

Kuala Lumpur

Asiana Airlines

Seoul-Incheon

Bangkok Airways

Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi

Cambodia Angkor Air

Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville

Cebu Pacific

Manila [begins 19 April 2012]

China Eastern Airlines

Kunming

China Southern Airlines

Guangzhou

Far Eastern Air Transport

Charter: Taipei-Taoyuan

Jetstar Asia

Singapore

Korean Air

Busan, Seoul-Incheon

Lao Airlines

Luang Prabang, Pakse, Vientiane

Malaysia Airlines

Kuala Lumpur

Myanmar Airways International

Phnom Penh, Yangon

SilkAir

Da Nang, Singapore

Tonlesap Airlines

Daegu, Hanoi, Kunming, Ningbo, Seoul-Incheon, Taipei-Taoyuan, Xiamen [resumes 15 February]

T’way Airlines

Seoul-Incheon

Vietnam Airlines

Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Luang Prabang

[edit] Statistics

Passengers and aircraft movements as of 2010:[4]

Year

Passengers

Aircraft movements

2001

449,690

12,407

2002

572,664

13,605

2003

551,344

11,965

2004

799,743

15,476

2005

1,038,118

16,923

2006

1,360,390

18,857

2007

1,732,428

22,012

2008

1,531,820

19,982

2009

1,255,166

18,247