Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (PAS), Cambodia’s largest shipping facility, reported a 20 percent decline in revenues for the first 10 months of the year compared to the same period in 2008.

The port has brought in US$19.2 million so far this year. Total revenue in 2008 was $28.8 million, according to statistics released by PAS.

The port’s gross throughput dropped 11 percent, and the number of containers handled declined 23 percent, nearly identical to cargo traffic figures reported by PAS in September.

Though not directly correlated, the 20 percent drop in revenues at PAS closely follows the Ministry of Commerce’s reported 22 percent decline in garment export revenues for the first 10 months of 2009 compared to the same period last year, another sign of the Cambodian export economy’s dependence on the garment sector.

“The drop in revenues can be attributed in part to the global economic crisis, but also to the launch of the Cai Mep deepwater port in southern Vietnam, which has been operating since June,” PAS Deputy Director General Va Sonath said.

Va Sonath said that Cai Mep, linked directly to Phnom Penh via the Mekong River, was absorbing import shipments from East Asian countries such as China, Taiwan and South Korea. Cambodian exports bound for the same countries, mainly garments manufactured in Phnom Penh and farm products from the Vietnam border area, ship from Cai Mep as well, he said.

“On the other hand, we believe that most goods shipped to European countries probably still go through PAS, and enterprises in Preah Sihanouk province are still using our port,” he said.

Norng Soyeth, director of marketing in the Special Eonomic Zone Department at PAS, said PAS is building facilities for a neighbouring special economic zone to push up the volume of traffic through the port.

Japanese contractor Dai Ho Co broke ground on the 70-hectare project in October. The work is expected to be completed sometime in 2011.
The $33 million investment by PAS was made possible by a soft loan from Japan.

At the end of September, the government announced that PAS would be one of three state-owned firms to list on the forthcoming stock exchange. The other two firms were the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority and Telecom Cambodia.

The presence of these companies on the exchange is intended to have a stabilising effect on the new market, a role that PAS says it can still fulfill despite the decline in revenues.

“Despite the revenues decline, the port’s annual profit is still stable, the same amount as last year, because we have minimised expenses as much as possible in order to avoid losses.

“So this should not affect the plan to list on the bourse,” said Va Sonath, adding that he could not remember the exact figures for annual profits. source: the phnom penh post

THE government has announced that the July 27 inaugural flight of the new national airline will not leave from the newly upgraded Preah Sihanouk International Airport, but will instead fly from Phnom Penh International Airport.

Mao Havannal, secretary of state at the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, said the airport's French development company hopes to persuade French President Nicolas Sarkozy to attend the airport opening as a guest of honour later this year.

Cambodia Angkor Air's inaugural flight was meant to coincide with the official opening of Preah Sihanouk International Airport. Mao Havannal said the airport would officially open later this year but would be used in the meantime for between two and four daily flights between Phnom Penh or Siem Reap airports.

"We have changed the opening schedule of Preah Sihanouk International Airport to November because the French development firm asked to suspend it in order to invite the French president or his representative to join the inauguration," he said.

He said the presence of the French president would be most welcome since the development company is French firm Societe Concessionaire de l'Aeroport.

However Koy Kuong, the undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said he did not know whether Prime Minister Hun Sen had invited President Sarkozy to visit Cambodia. Hun Sen has just completed a five-day state trip to France.

The minister of tourism, Thong Khon, confirmed the switch, and said the inaugural flights would go from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville and from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap.

"The new airport is fully developed and equipped with modern, high-tech facilities that meet international standards. Now we are just waiting for the official inauguration, but I am not sure when that will be," he said.

Thong Khon said the upgraded airport would benefit the tourism industry, as it would allow foreign visitors to access the coastal province easily from Siem Reap.

"Having our own domestic airline will mean visitors won't have to travel overland to get to Preah Sihanouk province," he said.

CAA is a joint venture between the Cambodian government and state-owned Vietnam Airlines. Cambodia owns a 51-percent stake in the company, and Vietnam owns the remainder. Source: the phnom penh post

About Peah Sihanouk Province

‘Beach town’, ‘port community’, 'fledging resort destination’ – all describe Preah Sihanouk province Cambodia’s premier beach town, which was changed from municipality of Sihanouk Ville according to a royal degree on December 22, 2008 signed by the King Norodom Sihamoni. Preah Sihanouk province’s off-white sand beaches and warm Gulf of Thailand waters combine with a laid back, beachy atmosphere to provide a great little tropical get away. Preah Sihanouk is a place to unwind by the beach, enjoy the fresh from-the-ocean seafood, take in a snorkeling or scuba trip, and generally slow-down, lay back and chill-out.

Preah Sihanouk has a different look and feel than most Cambodian towns. Constructed as a port city in the late 1950s, the town is much newer, more than urban and cosmopolitan than most Cambodian provincial cities. Nowadays, Preah Sihanouk is as much a beach town as it is a port town, catering to beach-going weekenders from Phnom Penh as well as a steadily interesting number of foreign visitors. Still, the pace of life in Preah Sihanouk is very relaxed. Cows occasionally wander the main road, outside town foreign faces fray smiles and curious states, and most of the beaches offer only beach umbrellas, thatched roofed eateries, and a growing number of restaurants, bungalows and hotels.

Preah Sihanouk has a more than ample supply of accommodations, including a 5-star resort complex on Sokha Beach, several mid-range places downtown and at the beaches, a few ‘upscale’ three-star hotels, and dozens of budget guesthouses, especially on ‘Serendipity Beach’ and Weather Station Hill.

Considering, the moderate number of visitors to Preah Sihanouk, the town offers a surprising number and variety of restaurants and bars.

Fresh seafood, especially crab, prawn and ocean fish, has always been one of the town’s biggest draws, but there is also a wide variety of places offering foreign cuisines-Australian, French, Indian, German, Sri Lanka, British, Italian, pizza places, a couple of western bakeries and even a couple of western-style coffee shops. Preah Sihanouk offers a pretty good nightlife these days with a variety of bars and clubs staying open well into the wee house, especially on Weather Station Hill, in the down town area, and the beach bars on Serendipity Beach.

Climate

Practically speaking, Cambodia has four seasons:
1.November-February, cool/ dry
2.March-May, hot/ dry
3.June- August, hot/ rainy
4.September-October, cool/ rainy

The hottest days of the hot season rarely climb above 35c, though the sun can be quite intense. The cool season may push the mid-day mercury as low as 20c. Preah Sihanouk is generally a bit cooler and breezier than the rest of the country. December-January is considered by many to offer the best beach weather of the year with rainless days, clear skies and mid-day temperatures hovering around 30C. the monsoons between June and October follow a fairly regular pattern through the southern part of the country tends to get longer stretches of rain.

Independence Beach gets its name from the 7-storey The Independent Boutique Resort and Spa (formerly the Independence Hotel) sitting atop the rocky point at the north end of the beach. Generally, referred to as ‘Independence Beach’ by English Speakers, many of the locals also refer to this beach as ‘otel pram-pul chann (‘hotel 7-storeys’) and it is labeled ‘7-Chann Beach’ on the in-town street signs.

Independence Beach is, in general, less frequented than other beaches, and sees comparatively few foreign visitors, though it still can get pretty busy on weekends and holidays. Independence is a good beach to escape some of the hustle and bustle of more tourist beaches like Ocheuteal while still having access to a selection of little beach bars and seafood shacks.

Independence Beach is more than a kilometer long, but the sandy area is a bit narrow, making the beach best when the tide is lower. Grass umbrellas, seafood shacks and drink vendors dot the beach from end to end with a greater concentration toward the southern end where the beach is widest. At the northern end of the beach is the Independence Resort on the hill, and source of the Preah Sihanouk’s fresh water (and is rumored to contain crocodiles. (Source: Sihanouk Ville Visitors Guide)