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Voykit pocket guide · Cambodia
Samraong
Use Samraong as a brief stopover (half‑day) when crossing the O'Smach border or heading to Banteay Chhmar; one night only if you need rest.
Samraong is a small provincial capital in north‑western Cambodia, mainly a transit hub for the O'Smach/Chong Chom border with Thailand and the remote Banteay Chhmar temples. Facilities are basic, so most travellers spend a few hours here or one night at a guesthouse before moving on.
- Country
- Cambodia
- Best months
- Nov–Feb (dry season, roads clear)
- Avoid
- May–Oct (wet season, roads can become slow)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- US dollars for hotels, tours and restaurants; riel (KHR, about 4,000 to the dollar) for change and small street purchases.
- Daily spend
- Budget $10–15 excl. bed (check) · Mid $15–25 excl. bed (check) · High $25+ excl. bed (check) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Smart, Cellcard and Metfone sell tourist SIMs at the airports with passport registration; a week of data costs a few dollars.
- Emergency
- Police 117 · Fire 118 · Ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C, G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US and round European pins; newer hotels have UK-style type G.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Round up or leave US$1–2 where no service charge is added.; Tuk-tuk: Round up; US$2–5 extra for a full Angkor day.; Guide day: US$5–10 per person.; Massage: US$1–2 per hour.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Bottled water everywhere; many hotels have refill stations.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, restaurants and at the Angkor ticket office and main temples; squat toilets with a hose or scoop on the road. Paper goes in the bin in older places.
Get in
By air
- REP · Siem Reap–Angkor International
- Nearest airport with scheduled flights; road via Hwy 68 and Hwy 6, several hours — check with your bus or taxi operator
- SAI · Siem Reap–Angkor International (new code)
- check which code your ticket uses
- BKK · Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok)
- Reached overland via the O'Smach/Chong Chom border, about 35 km (22 mi) north of Samraong; onward minibus from Chong Chom to Surin (60 baht) — checkReached overland via the O'Smach/Chong Chom border, about 22 mi (35 km) north of Samraong; onward minibus from Chong Chom to Surin (60 baht) — check
Typical fares
- Motorbike taxi to border
- about US$10, 45 min (check)
- Bus to Phnom Penh (Paramount Angkor Transport)
- schedule and price to confirm at bus office
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Town is walkable; shared taxis to the border cost about US$10 after haggling; motorbike taxis available.
See and do
Known for
- Acleda Bank building
- Nearby O'Smach/Chong Chom border crossing
- Gateway to Banteay Chhmar temple complex
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| O'Smach/Chong Chom border | Shared taxi or motorbike from market; ~35 km (22 mi) north on Hwy 68Shared taxi or motorbike from market; ~22 mi (35 km) north on Hwy 68 | ≈45 min |
| Banteay Chhmar temple complex | Bus or shared taxi west on Hwy 56; ~50 km (31 mi)Bus or shared taxi west on Hwy 56; ~31 mi (50 km) | ≈1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Heng Meanchey Hotel
- Opposite Acleda Bank, walk north from market ~200 m; US$5 per night
- Prachea Prey Thmey Guesthouse
- Opposite Acleda Bank, walk north ~200 m
- Sokha Guesthouse
- Next to Acleda Bank, walk north ~200 m
- Choeun Prak Kap Hotel
- In front of reservoir; US$13 fan, US$20 AC
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much? | តើតម្លៃប៉ុន្មាន?tae tamlei bonman? |
| Where is the border? | ស្ថានដំណើរទៅព្រំដែននៅឯណា?sthan damnaer tov prum den nov eana? |
| I would like a room for one night | ខ្ញុំចង់បានបន្ទប់មួយយប់khnhom chong ban bantob muoy yob |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Sampeah (palms together, slight bow); higher hands for elders and monks; avoid: Firm handshakes with older women
- Head and feet: Keep feet down and pointed away from people and Buddha images; avoid: Touching heads, even children's
- Temples: Shoes and hat off inside, shoulders and knees covered; avoid: Sitting with feet toward the Buddha; women touching monks
- Keeping face: Stay calm and smile when things go wrong; avoid: Shouting or public anger
- Giving and receiving: Use the right hand or both hands; avoid: Tossing money or objects
- Photos: Ask first, especially of monks and at memorials; avoid: Selfies at Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek
Scams and watch-outs
- Roads can become very slow in the wet season, especially near Samraong.
- Border visa fees are US$20; beware of touts demanding higher amounts.
Generally safe for daytime travel; stay alert at border offices and avoid night travel on unpaved roads.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Samraong yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Acleda Bank building
- Nearby O'Smach/Chong Chom border crossing
- Gateway to Banteay Chhmar temple complex
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Samraong, revision 5250911 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5250911
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/samraong). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.