User talk:Paxse/Sandbox

History During the period of the French Protectorate and earlier Cambodia had no deep water port to facilitate international trade. The small port on the river at Phnom Penh was only able to handle ships of up to 3000 tons in the dry season and 4000 tons in the wet season. Kampot was Cambodia’s only ocean port and deep-water access was impossible due to the need to navigate the Prek Chou River to access the port.

The French colonial administration preferred to use Saigon for international trade and thus Cambodia’s access to the ocean was via the Mekong and necessitated passage through Vietnamese territory. Independence from France for both Vietnam and Cambodia in 1954 highlighted the need for Cambodia’s own deep-water port. A Port for Independence, Robert Philpotts, publication date, Publisher

A number of sites were initially considered for the new facility including – Kampot, the small outpost at Ream and Sre Ambel. However, the deep waters off ??? in Kampong Som bay were finally chosen as the site for Cambodia’s first ocean port.

Construction began in 1950?? With funding from the French government. And was completed in 1959. The port was inaugurated in April 1960 by blah blah, the blah blah.