Sihanoukville Overview

Because the Mekong was long Cambodia’s major thoroughfare, the coastal region never developed as a trade center. With the Vietnam War, however, Cambodia was forced to look for  alternate routes. A sleepy fishing village and almost forgotten container port on Cambodia's short coastline, Sihanoukville became of enormous interest to the government in Phnom Penh in the sixties, when the usual trade routes up the Mekong were suddenly cut because of the Second Indochina War. A road was built from Phnom Penh to the coast with American aid in 1960s. Sihanoukville was founded in 1964 by its namesake, underwent a name change under the Khmer Rouge to Kompong Som, and reverted to its original name upon the return of the king in 1991.

Sihanoukville has two entities, port and resort. This deep-water port in the Gulf of Thailand was developed with Soviet aid. Fishing is a major activity in Sihanoukville, with a cannery north of the main port. The national beer maker, Angkor Brewery, operates from Sihanoukville. There are plans to build an oil refinery, and international companies are exploring along the Gulf of Thailand for offshore oil and gas.

The port is undergoing a $5-million face-lift thanks to a dramatic rise in shipping activity. The Angkor Beer brewery is also based here. Renovations include the construction of a new container terminal, repairs to 1950s-era water-front warehouses, installation of new cranes and cargo-handing equipment, and the purchase of new tugboats. With the new facilities, Sihanoukville could become an important transit stop for inter-Asia cargo. The town is receiving a massive transfusion of foreign investment funds, and has been earmarked for major tourist development. For many years, Sihanoukville's pristine, peaceful, white sand beaches have been a secret of a few hardy travellers. Though not in anyway the equal of Thailand's magnificent beaches, the palm-dotted sands surrounding Sihanoukville are nevertheless uncrowded and unspoilt by the mass tourism monster - all this is about to change.

With the cessation of hostilities throughout the country and a desire to encourage tourism, foreign investment is being channeled towards Sihanoukville, with the intention of making it a popular destination for gamblers. Sihanoukville is slated to become a Casino city. There are plans for a $400-million casino resort on Naga Island off the coast, complete with an international airport. The Tourism Ministry says casinos will be restricted to foreign  passport holders, and that strict controls will be implemented to prevent criminal activities. The government plans to levy a one-percent gaming tax for distribution to worthy cultural and welfare organizations and causes. In the 1950s and 1960s several casinos operated in Cambodia.