Banteay Meanchey Travel Guide (9)

Overview of Banteay Meanchey

Banteay Meanchey (Khmer: ខេត្តបន្ទាយមានជ័យ, "Fortress of Victory") is a province (khaet) of Cambodia located in the far northwest. It borders the provinces of Oddar Meanchey and Siem Reap to the east, Battambang to the south, and shares an international border with Thailand to the west. Its capital and largest city is Serei Saophoan.

Banteay Meanchey is the 13th largest province in Cambodia. With a population of 678,033, it ranks as the tenth most populous in the nation. The town of Poipet in the western part of the province is an international border crossing into Thailand. Banteay Meanchey is one of the nine provinces that are part of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve.

Banteay Meanchey is a Cambodian province in the northwest of the country, and its capital is named Sisophon. The town of Sisophorn is today a charming, quiet place that only gives hints to its turbulent past upon closer examination. Like Siem Reap and Battambang Provinces, control of the province has changed hands many times between the Thais and the Khmers in the more distant past, and the Khmer Rouge and central Phnom Penh government in recent decades.  With the final demise of the Khmer Rouge (locals, however, firmly believe the Present national reconciliation only the Khmer Rouge trick), the province and towns are striving to rebuild their culture and economy. 

It's very friendly place with the locals genuinely happy to see foreign faces and the stability that it implies. Normally just a passing-through spot on the way to the border, or between Battambang and Siem Reap, the area has a few sights that warrant a visit, such the Banteay Chhmar temple ruins, the only other Khmer temple ruins besides the Bayon (Angkor) and Preah Khan ( Preah Vihear Province ) that features the famous four-faced monuments. 

This area was part of the extensive Khmer empire, with its most notable remains the Banteay Chhmar temple (built in 12th and 13th century) in the north of the province. In the 17th century the Siam took control over Cambodia, and made the area of the modern province part of Sisophon Province.  In the year 1907 the Siam had to cede control to the French, and the area was then included into Battambang Province. In 1988 the province Banteay Meanchey was split off from Battambang.

GEOGRAPHY

Banteay Meanchey is located in the Northwest of Cambodia. It borders with Thailand to the west and North, with Oddar Meancheay to the North, with Siem Reap to the East and with Battambang to the South. The town of Sisophorn is about 359km from Phnom Penh via national road number 5.

One of the most known places in that province is Poipet, a town on the Thailand/Cambodia border. It?s the key crossing point between the two countries, and also extremely popular as a gambling destination with lot?s of casinos (gambling is popular, but illegal in Thailand). There is a strip of casinos, guesthouses and hotels between the Thai and Cambodian passport control counters, enabling Thais to gamble in Cambodia without needing to go through Cambodian immigration. Poipet is adjacent to the city of Aranya Pratet on the Thai side of the border.

The province is mostly covered by extensive lowlands, with a few uplands to the North and East (all in all around 6,679 sq/km surface). The main rivers are the Mongkol Borei River and the Sisophon River.

POPULATION

The total population is 816,382 or (5.242%) of the total population 14,363,519 in Cambodia (2007, provincial government data) with a growth rate of 5.93 %, which is consisting of 402,201 male person (49.11%), and 414,181 female person (50.89%).

The above number also consists of 654, 033 person (93%), who are farmers, 8,228 person (1.17%), who are fishermen, 35,162 person (5%), who are traders, and 5,814 person (0.83%), who work as government officers.

CLIMATE

The weather condition are as below.

Average Temperature: 30C - 33C
Rain fall: 885.30 mm/year
Evaporation: 4.41 mm/day (May - July) 
3.37 mm/day ((August - October) 
Humidity: Hot and Wet 
Wind velocity: 3 m/s (May)
2.9 m/s (June)
2.5 m/s (July)
3.1 m/s (August) There are 3 different seasons: 
- Rainy season: June - October (<32c) 
- Cool season: November- February (>27c) 
- Hot season: March- May : Temperature: from 27c -34c

ECONOMY

The province's economy is 93% based on farming and the remaining other 7% are based on fishing and trading. Because of it's border with Thailand, the casino business is booming and becoming the main economy to the province.

  • Area: 6,679 km²
  • Area code: +855
  • Commune: 64
  • University: Mean Chey University
Banteay Chhmar Temple

Banteay Chhmar Temple

Banteay ChhmarBanteay Chhmar dates from the late 12th to the early 13thcentury and it means Narrow Fortress. It is thought to have been built by Jayarvarman II. It was later rebuilt by Jayarvarman ...

 
Ang Trapaing Thmor Eco-Tourism

Ang Trapaing Thmor Eco-Tourism

Ang Trapeang Thmor is located in Banteay Meanchey Province in the Northwest of Cambodia. It is about 100km from Siem Reap Town. Ang Trapeang Thmor is a unique wetland ecosystem giving home to over ...

 
Phnom Bak and Phnom Chenh Chiang

Phnom Bak and Phnom Chenh Chiang

Phnom Bak and Phnom Chenh Chiang are the natural and cultural resort locating at Se Rey Sa Phoan District, along the National Road No 5, about 5kilometers west of Banteay Meanchey provincial town. ...

 
Yeah Chou Temple

Yeah Chou Temple

Prasat Yeah Chou is not one of the satellite temples of Prasat Banteay Chhmar. The temple lies between the two moats southeast of Prasat Ta Em. I can not say anything about its meaning. It was built ...

 
La Ang Phnom Touch

La Ang Phnom Touch

La Ang Phnom Touch is the natural and cultural resort locating at Se Rey Sa Phoan District, along the National Road No.5, about 28 kilometers south of provincial town. The site features natural wells ...

 
Banteay Torp Temple

Banteay Torp Temple

It is called in Khmer (Banteay Torp) it means the army base. it is about 55 km from the provincial town. It was the bigest army base during the civil war since 1970.It is located in Road No. 69A of ...

 
Kang Va Basin

Kang Va Basin

Kang Va Basin is the natural resort locating at Serey Sophoan District, along the National Road No 69A, about 4kilometer distance from the provincial town or 364 kilometer distance from Phnom Penh. ...

 
Phnom Svay, Banteay Meanchey

Phnom Svay, Banteay Meanchey

1 km (2mn) From Provincial Town. Location: Nature Wildlife Preserves, Road No. 5, Kortan Village, O' Ormpel Commune, Serey Sophorn ...

 
Sculpture Handicraft

Sculpture Handicraft

24 km (48mn) From Provincial Town. Location: Road No.6, Chungcheang Village, Phnom Chungcheang Commune, Preahnet Preah ...

 

Banteay Meanchey Video Travel

 

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