Road link will benefit tour operators

SI SA KET  Ministry of Transport says the construction of a road linking Thailand’s Si Sa Ket province and Cambodia’s Siem Reap will be finished in November and ready to support cross border tourism.
Transport deputy minister, Akom Termpittayapaisit, said the 7.5-km road, which is located in Phu Sing district, will connect the northeastern province of Si Sa Ket with Siem Reap, Cambodia.
The district’s Chong Sa-ngam border crossing leads to Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, via Highway 67 (Chong Sa-ngam-Anlong Veng-Siem Reap), a distance of 135 km.
“Its main purpose is to promote tourism between the two nations,” the deputy minister said. He made suggestions that the link would support the arrival of AEC 2015 when ASEAN nations pursue single market ambitions similar to the EU.
inside no 3But it really a project that should benefit two-way tourism between Thailand and Cambodia and help Northeast Thailand to regain its position as a tour gateway to Cambodia for tours that are following the Khmer heritage trail through the two countries.
Tour operators have long wished for routes that would make it possible to visit Northeast Thailand, Southern Laos and Cambodia’s top heritage attraction, Angkor Wat, on a single itinerary weaved around Khmer heritage without time-wasting back-tracks.
Construction of the strategic road started 10 June, last year, and is scheduled for completion by 1 November, this year.
The Ministry of Transport is also planning to open a bus service on the Bangkok-Si Sa Ket-Siem Reap route to facilitate travel between the two countries.
Currently, Transport Co Ltd operates services crossing the border between the Thai town of Aranyaprathet and Poipet in Cambodia, the bus operates twice daily to Siem Reap and daily to Phnom Penh.
The bus to Siem Reap departs Bangkok’s Northern Bus Terminal at Chatuchak (Morchit) 0800 and 0900. The service departs from Siem Reap 0800 and 0900. Travel time is roughly seven hours.
To Phnom Penh the bus departs at 0830 from Bangkok and 0800 from Phnom Penh with a travel time of around 11 hours.
Currently, the Transport Company also operates regional services to Laos.
The routes are: Udon Thani-Vientiane; Nong Khai- Vientiane; Ubon Ratchathani-Pakse; Mukdahan-Savannakhet; Khon Kaen- Vientiane; Nakhon Phanom-Thakaek; Chiang Mai-Luang Prabang and Udon Thani-Vang Vieng; Bangkok-Vientiane; and Bangkok-Pakse.

sourced:ttrweekly.com