rogerrabbit wrote: ↑Wed Oct 18, 2023 4:24 pm

But everyone are free to compete. Even Grab has priced that trip to around $30. That seems to be the market price currently. Unless you want government to offer subsidies? I at least find dozen more important things where the government should pour money in to.

I am no expert on Siem Reap, but the few times I have been there I did not get the impression there was a 'free market' for transportation. It seemed each and everyone in the transport sector somehow required a 'license' and certain economic activities were simply not allowed. Grab maybe liberated the market a bit, but if they're the only app offering the ride to the airport they're in a very comfortable seat.

rogerrabbit wrote: ↑Wed Oct 18, 2023 4:24 pm Maybe once they build the proposed light rail line between city and airport the prices go down.

When Makro came to Cambodia I thought prices would come down.
When 7-eleven came to Cambodia, I thought prices would come down.
They didn't.
I don't expect a new rail way to undercut the prices.

I think this grandiose and too far away Siem Reap project is simply a mask for a small handful of gov't insiders to take cash from China. IE.: selling crap land for too much, and then taking too much for the "rights" to build, etc ... And damned the perhaps more public debt later on...

Same as in Botum Sakor park: land exchanged for fees to a few party hacks to build a useless airport and casino nobody will go to... Except maybe the Chinese air force, haha ...

To have to pay more than a few dollars for transport from an airport to city is unacceptable the world over...

Hong Kong to Kowloon really fast train shuttle costs $13.40 u.s.

Bus from Taoyuan airport to Taipei city is 40 plus kilometers, cost is $4.25 u.s., and bus goes every 15 minutes.

BKK to downtown Bangkok by train is $1.25 u.s., lol...

What's wrong with Cambodia? THE RICH !!!

orichá wrote: ↑Thu Oct 19, 2023 9:16 am I think this grandiose and too far away Siem Reap project is simply a mask for a small handful of gov't insiders to take cash from China. IE.: selling crap land for too much, and then taking too much for the "rights" to build, etc ... And damned the perhaps more public debt later on...

Same as in Botum Sakor park: land exchanged for fees to a few party hacks to build a useless airport and casino nobody will go to... Except maybe the Chinese air force, haha ...

To have to pay more than a few dollars for transport from an airport to city is unacceptable the world over...

Hong Kong to Kowloon really fast train shuttle costs $13.40 u.s.

Bus from Taoyuan airport to Taipei city is 40 plus kilometers, cost is $4.25 u.s., and bus goes every 15 minutes.

BKK to downtown Bangkok by train is $1.25 u.s., lol...

What's wrong with Cambodia? THE RICH !!!

In many cities, the government allocates substantial subsidies to ensure affordable transportation fares. It appears that some people on this forum are advocating for similar subsidies for the new airport. But who would primarily benefit from this arrangement – mostly foreigners. Instead, it might be wiser to allocate these subsidies towards addressing the traffic issues in Phnom Penh. Or invest that money in education. If someone is willing to splurge a couple of thousand euros/dollars, to explore SEA for a few weeks, then a $16 return ticket is unlikely to be a significant concern.

Is the airport too far? Probably. What is necessary to move? At least Unesco thought so already 10 years ago.

rogerrabbit wrote: ↑Thu Oct 19, 2023 2:45 pm
In many cities, the government allocates substantial subsidies to ensure affordable transportation fares. It appears that some people on this forum are advocating for similar subsidies for the new airport. But who would primarily benefit from this arrangement – mostly foreigners. Instead, it might be wiser to allocate these subsidies towards addressing the traffic issues in Phnom Penh. Or invest that money in education. If someone is willing to invest a significant sum, such as a couple of thousand euros or dollars, to explore SEA for a few weeks, then a $16 return ticket is unlikely to be a significant concern.

I think what posters are advocating for is - don't build the new airport! That in itself has cost a lot more than subsidising a hundred bus routes.
Look, Roger you take the opposite side of these discussions and you like to look on the positive side and I respect you for that. Some of us err on the gloomy side.
But, but, but. It doesn't take a heap of vision to see that domestic air travel has basically zero future in Cambodia - as roads and rails improve and global pressure on air travel eco stuff intensifies.
Even all this talk about wide-bodied aircraft capability at SAI is misconceived. The new generation of single-aisle planes can do BKK-London. You don't need wide-bodies any more except for ultra long haul, or where the pax loads call for it.
Of course there could still be strong demand for flights into SIA, from China, rest of Asia and elsewhere. But this has not been assisted by the building of the new airport. It has probably not been harmed by it, as you say the average tourst entrant at SIA will either not worry about the surface transfer cost or be on an all-unclusive (zero dollat?) tour. Meanwhile the new airport has dented the case for the main domestic route and will hasten the demise of domestic travel completely.

my take
the new airport was built at a loss with that factored on.
BUT the value of the land owners along the new road >>>>>>>ahhh thats how they will make the big bucks

NO way will the new airpot ever hit 7 million passenger's /year

anyway, time to hit the beach

There are some adverse reviews of the airport on google maps.
One poor guy paid for a $35 taxi at the taxi desk, got change from $100 in USD.
Tried to spend the change in SR, nobody would accept it - old money. Had to go to a changer and change it all at a discount.
One seriously not happy tourist.

This didn't happen when you got a free pick up courtsey of your hotel!

rogerrabbit wrote: ↑Thu Oct 19, 2023 2:45 pm
In many cities, the government allocates substantial subsidies to ensure affordable transportation fares. It appears that some people on this forum are advocating for similar subsidies for the new airport. But who would primarily benefit from this arrangement – mostly foreigners. Instead, it might be wiser to allocate these subsidies towards addressing the traffic issues in Phnom Penh. Or invest that money in education. If someone is willing to splurge a couple of thousand euros/dollars, to explore SEA for a few weeks, then a $16 return ticket is unlikely to be a significant concern.

Is the airport too far? Probably. What is necessary to move? At least Unesco thought so already 10 years ago.

A taxi in Bangkok will cost you about 300 THB for a 30+ km ride. That's about 9$.
A bus ticket ticket to Pattaya, about 120 kms away, will cost you around 150 THB, let's say 5$.
That's all private sector.

Now Compare those with a 50 km ride in Siem Reap and its' prices and you'll see you have to pay more than double in Siem Reap compared to Bangkok. And then keep in mind Khmers lover to go and work in Thailand because the wages are higher in Thailand.
So why are the transport prices in Siem Reap higher then? Is the service so much better? Fuel double the price compared to Thailand? All taxis are LandCruiser Prados or Bentleys in Siem Reap?
No. Siem Reap probably has no free market. There's a transport mafia, probably supported by the local government officials. It has nothing to do with governments subsidizing transport or the lack of it.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/cambodia ... index.html

CNN news piece, pretty much echoing the press release. The financing is stated to be Build Operate Transfer (BOT). That is a wise move by Cambodia, as the operator bears all the risk of financial underperformance of the asset. That's assuming it is BOT in its classic format, there may be clauses adjusting the deal. The full details are unilikely to ever be made public.