Sihanouk airport upgrade on track

[geovalin]

Renovations to Sihanoukville international airport which will allow it to handle bigger planes will be finished by the end of the year as planned, the country’s aviation body said. About 60 percent of construction was complete, said Sin Chansereyvutha, spokesman for the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation.

 

Taxiway construction was now under way after the rainy season caused delays to preparing the groundwork, he said. Cambodia Airports planned to put the new facilities into operation early next year, Mr Chansereyvutha said.

 

A ground-breaking ceremony for the expansion took place in December. Work to the terminal and taxiway will give the airport, about 12 kilometres from the coastal beach and seaport, the capacity to handle up to 500,000 tourists a year. The plan is to speed up the rotation of planes and to accommodate larger aircraft.

 

read more http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5082794/sihanouk-airport-upgrade-track/

 

-- © Copyright Khmer Times 14/09

 

[VBF]

Ah well, Sihanoukville will become even more like the hell-hole that Phuket became.

When I first went to "Snooky" 10 years ago, my first thought was "its like Phuket in the eighties" - seems as if it's going the same way.

[jimster]

On 9/14/2017 at 4:13 PM, VBF said:

Ah well, Sihanoukville will become even more like the hell-hole that Phuket became.

When I first went to "Snooky" 10 years ago, my first thought was "its like Phuket in the eighties" - seems as if it's going the same way.

Are you referring to the city or the airport? The last time I flew into Phuket was when I was a little boy, the only trip I've made since then was by car a couple of years ago now. So I can't really give an objective opinion of Phuket airport but from the pictures I've seen it looks like Don Muang and is about as inefficient. Only time I've been to SHV airport was in 2011 to view an art exhibition there, the airport itself was closed for flights as no airlines flew there at the time. As for Phuket itself it's OK, my stereotypes of the place were both confirmed and shattered at the same time when I was there. Most of the island is just like any other Thai province, except you see more holidaymakers and expats.

 

The main tourist areas around Karon/Patong are sleezy, overdeveloped, relatively expensive and full of package tourists, girlie bars, discos, jetski scams and everything else the place has become renowned for. Kamala/Surin/Bang Tao are more upmarket and surrounding areas quite nice. Downtown is ordinary, nothing particularly exciting except for the Sino-Portuguese architecture similar to Penang, KL and Singapore.

 

Sihanoukville seems quite similar though in many respects, you have a few built up areas like Sokha beach, independence and occheuteal beaches but the haphazard construction of condos/hotels built by Chinese contractors in places like Sokha beach while at the same time you have this juxtaposition of empty land, beach shacks and sandy roads on under developed otres beach is quite strange. Those tall 30 storey Chinese monstrosities going up in a couple of places are really ugly, hope that won't be the future for Sihanoukville. If it is, then Phuket will come out on top.

[VBF]

2 hours ago, jimster said:

Are you referring to the city or the airport? The last time I flew into Phuket was when I was a little boy, the only trip I've made since then was by car a couple of years ago now. So I can't really give an objective opinion of Phuket airport but from the pictures I've seen it looks like Don Muang and is about as inefficient. Only time I've been to SHV airport was in 2011 to view an art exhibition there, the airport itself was closed for flights as no airlines flew there at the time. As for Phuket itself it's OK, my stereotypes of the place were both confirmed and shattered at the same time when I was there. Most of the island is just like any other Thai province, except you see more holidaymakers and expats.

 

The main tourist areas around Karon/Patong are sleezy, overdeveloped, relatively expensive and full of package tourists, girlie bars, discos, jetski scams and everything else the place has become renowned for. Kamala/Surin/Bang Tao are more upmarket and surrounding areas quite nice. Downtown is ordinary, nothing particularly exciting except for the Sino-Portuguese architecture similar to Penang, KL and Singapore.

 

Sihanoukville seems quite similar though in many respects, you have a few built up areas like Sokha beach, independence and occheuteal beaches but the haphazard construction of condos/hotels built by Chinese contractors in places like Sokha beach while at the same time you have this juxtaposition of empty land, beach shacks and sandy roads on under developed otres beach is quite strange. Those tall 30 storey Chinese monstrosities going up in a couple of places are really ugly, hope that won't be the future for Sihanoukville. If it is, then Phuket will come out on top.

I was referring to the island itself rather than the airport - agree with your comments about Phuket airport - I've never been to SHV  - when I went to Sihanoukville, it was by bus from PP.

My overall comment was that I feel that Sihanoukville  is "developing" in much the same way as Phuket Island has, particularly the tourist areas you mentioned.  I remember Phuket when it was a relatively unspoilt tropical island - even Patong had few paved roads - Soi Bangla was a dirt road in 1988 - sadly, no more

 

The SHV airport upgrade will, IMO, exacerbate the development of "Snooky" and i think that's when it will look like the Phuket of today - Not a good thing IMO

Edited September 20, 2017 by VBF

[jimster]

20 hours ago, VBF said:

I was referring to the island itself rather than the airport - agree with your comments about Phuket airport - I've never been to SHV  - when I went to Sihanoukville, it was by bus from PP.

My overall comment was that I feel that Sihanoukville  is "developing" in much the same way as Phuket Island has, particularly the tourist areas you mentioned.  I remember Phuket when it was a relatively unspoilt tropical island - even Patong had few paved roads - Soi Bangla was a dirt road in 1988 - sadly, no more

 

The SHV airport upgrade will, IMO, exacerbate the development of "Snooky" and i think that's when it will look like the Phuket of today - Not a good thing IMO

Yes. Your analogy is exactly right - I fear SHV will go the way of Phuket or be even worse. I believe it was in 87 when I first went to Phuket but can't remember it now as I was too young. The posters we purchased from our family holiday back then made Phuket and other Thai beach destinations look more like Samoa, the Cook islands or Tahiti than the more familiar look we are used to now.

Edited September 21, 2017 by jimster