Paxse/Sandbox6 | |
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  Paxse/Sandbox6 Location of Pursat, Cambodia | |
| Coordinates: 12°32′N 103°55′E / 12.533°N 103.917°E | |
| Country |  Cambodia |
| Province | Pursat Province |
| District | Sampov Meas District |
| Government | |
| • Type | City |
Pursat is the capital of Pursat Province, Cambodia.
{{Pursat Province}}12°32′N 103°55′E / 12.533°N 103.917°E
[[Category:Cities, towns and villages in Cambodia]][[Category:Pursat Province]]
{{Cambodia-geo-stub}}
[[de:Pursat (Provinz)]][[et:Poŭthĭsăt]][[fr:Pothisat]][[nl:Khett Pouthisat]]
Paxse/Sandbox6 | |
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 The new bridge linking Koh Kong with Thailand | |
Paxse/Sandbox6 Location of Paxse/Sandbox6, Cambodia | |
| Coordinates: 11°37′N 102°59′E / 11.617°N 102.983°E | |
| Country | Cambodia |
| Province | Koh Kong Province |
| District | Mondol Seima District |
| Government | |
| • Type | City |
Koh Kong town (Khmer: ក្រុងកោះកុង) (transliterated as Krong Koh Kong) is the capital of Koh Kong Province. It is located near the mouth of the Kah Bpow river in Mondol Seima district on the Gulf of Thailand. The town lies only 10 kilometres from the Thai border. However, it is 138 kilometres by secondary road to National Highway 4 at Sre Ambel and a further 133 kilometres to Phnom Penh.[1]
Koh Kong has long had a reputation as a “Wild West” frontier town.[2] Until recently access to the town from Cambodia was mostly by sea or air due to the poor road conditions. In this relative isolation, illegal logging, wild animal smuggling, banditry, gambling, prostitution and a soaring rate of HIV infection[3] have given Koh Kong it's frontier town reputation. However, with the building of the Thai-Cambodian bridge across the river and the upgrading of the road to the national highway, industry and investment has increased and the town is becoming a modest tourist destination.
Location
Koh Kong town is accessible by land, sea and air. From Bangkok it is 450 Kilometres to Had Lek in Khlong Yai district in Thailand and a short trip from there to the Cham Yeam international border crossing. From the border it is 10 kilometres to the town. [4] Traveling from the capital Phnom Penh it is 133 kilometres west along National Highway 4 to the town of Sre Ambel. From Sre Ambel a narrow road winds 138 kilometres through the lower Cardamom Mountains before reaching Koh Kong. The road crosses four large rivers which have no bridges and must be crossed by car ferry.[5]
Recent History
Until the end of the 1990’s, Koh Kong was one of the least secure parts of the country. Elements of the Khmer Rouge based in the lower Cardamoms still posed a serious threat to locals and travelers. The area was the scene of intermittent fighting between the government and Democratic Kampuchea forces until 1998. On 21 April 1984, the Khmer Rouge captured the town of Koh Kong and held it for a night and day. They claimed via Khmer Rouge Radio to have killed 1,107 Vietnamese troops and injured 125 more during the battle. [7]On June 6, 1985 Khmer Rouge troops attacked an outpost near the provincial town. Khmer Rouge Radio reported that they had slaughtered 28 Vietnamese soldiers and injured 34 others. [8]
As late as 1998, the Khmer Rouge were still active in the area. [9]
Environment
Koh Kong town is located just below the southern end of the Cardamom Mountains. The Kah Bpow river which runs through the town begins in the Cardamoms and runs down to join the Gulf of Thailand. The town’s relatively remote location, close to the Cardamoms and the Thai border, has made it the centre of an active wildlife smuggling trade. In 2002, Cambodia’s infamous tiger hunter, Yor Ngun was finally captured in Koh Kong town. He was eventually charged with having slaughtered and sold 100 tigers, 75 something and blah ablah.[10]
Koh Kong township and the area nearby was also the centre of widespread illegal logging of broad leaf deciduous forests in the Cardomoms. According to environmental agencies, the government logging ban in 2001, has slowed but not prevented the logging trade (add Global witness story and ref).
Tourism
With the opening of the Thai-Cambodian bridge across the river and the building of several casinos near the border post, the town has become an increasingly popular tourist destination.
References
External links
- Kong International Resort website
- http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/MeetingAbstracts/ma?f=102241353.html
- http://books.google.com/books?id=5_d9sWUZz9MC&pg=PA229&lpg=PA229&dq=Koh+Kong+town&source=bl&ots=lekR5u7jMm&sig=RwrBffsMGaT23bog_XWM02a8crs&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result
- http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/component/option,com_jcs/Itemid,52/crestrictid,7795/task,add/
- http://www.monkeyworld.co.uk/topic.php?TopicID=45&Template=standard
- http://darrenconquest.blogspot.com/2005_08_01_archive.html
- http://www.civilaviation.gov.kh/index.html
- http://www.flightstats.com/go/Airport/airportDetails.do?airportCode=KKZ
{{coord|11|37|N|102|59|E|display=title|region:KH_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki}}[[Category:Cities, towns and villages in Cambodia]]