Prime Minister Hun Manet said that in a recent meeting with leaders of ASEAN member countries, he had negotiated to promote direct flights from tourist destinations in the ASEAN region to Cambodia to increase the number of tourists.

On the occasion of the official inauguration of the “Siem Reap Angkor International Airport” in Siem Reap on the morning of November 16, the premier said that the Royal Government has spent more than $150 million to invest in infrastructure in the province.

The Prime Minister also instructed the competent authorities to ensure security in the area around the new Siem Reap airport, as well as in the province, to work well to ensure security, safety, and stability for tourists in the province.

“The Ministry of Tourism is working to increase the number of direct flights,” he said. In my meetings with ASEAN leaders, we have negotiated to link tourist destinations from some ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, Laos, the Philippines, Serbia, Thailand, Phuket, and Da Nang in Vietnam, with the goal of increasing direct flights to Siem Reap Angkor International Airport and encouraging tourists to come through this airport by 2024.

At the same time, the premier said that Cambodia also plans to expand the use of border cards to make it easier for tourists to visit Siem Reap without the need for a passport. He said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior are working with the Thai side to expand the scope of the border card to facilitate tourists as well as Thai citizens to come to Siem Reap.

He continued that in the past, there was an agreement with the border provinces where people could enter their respective border provinces without using a passport. Premier Hun Manet now wants to expand its scope to reach Siem Reap. This means that Thai citizens entering Siem Reap do not need a passport, only a border card.