O Smach (also O'Smach or Ou Smach) is a small Cambodian town on the Thai border in Samraong District of Oddar Meanchey Province. Until 1999, there were intermittent battles, and the area was unsafe as the last remaining Khmer Rouge still had control of nearby Anlong Veng. In 2003, an international border crossing was opened between O Smach and the adjacent town of Chong Chom in Thailand's Surin Province. There has since opened a strip of casinos between the Cambodian and Thai passport control counters, enabling Thais to gamble in Cambodia without needing to go through Cambodian immigration. Gambling is illegal in Thailand and gambling in Cambodia is legal only for foreign passport holders. O Smach is located at the northern terminus of Road 68 which turns north off National Highway 6 at Kravanh in Siem Reap Province.
O'Smach is on the Cambodian-Thai border, about 41 kilometers north of Oddar Meanchey provincial town. The town features a resort which includes a number of casinos, good restaurants and luxury hotels. The resort has been organized by the Royal Group and VIP Shop Group companies.The O Smach Resort has an impressive entry complete with a giant glowing green lotus set in a fountain. The resort has beautifully maintained grounds which feature, for some unknown reason, two military armoured vehicles decorated with Christmas lights.
The O Smach resort has a casino and 198 hotel rooms and suites. Room facilities include satellite tv, aircon, en suite, mini bar etc.The resort facilities include a restaurant, 24 hour coffee shop, swimming pool, gym, sauna and massage parlour. Across the road is the Royal Hill Resort, offering yet another casino and hotel complex. Prices and facilities are similar to those at the O Smach Resort.The gaming rooms and interior of the Royal Hill Resort are rather utilitarian, in stark contrast with the impressive entry arch way and shrine in the grounds.O Smach in Cambodia is located 100 metres over the border checkpoint at Kap Choeng, Thailand. It is 68 Km south of Surin and 440 Km from Bangkok. From O Smach it is 150 Km to the world famous Angkor Wat ruins near the town of Siem Reap.
As at 2006 the road to Siem Reap was poor and the journey can take all day by truck. A road is being constructed to Siem Reap which will improve this journey markedly.If you are entering Thailand from Cambodia at this border crossing most nationalities will be granted a visa on arrival at no cost. Entering Cambodia from Thailand you are required to pay 1000 baht for a 30 day visa. The border point re opened in 2002 after being closed for a number of years to due fighting on the Cambodian side. O Smach was the scene of heavy fighting in 1997 as the remnants of Sihanouk?s forces battled opposing forces. Peace came in 1998 and the military evicted local residents and sold off the land to the casino developers.
The border at O'smach is definetly open for foreigners. Exited Cambodia there with one Thai registered bike and one Cambodian registration. Thai 30 day visas on entry and normal customs , but quick as no one goes thru with vehicles as they park on the Thai side a walk/songtow to the casinos just across the border.On the Thai side it is called Chong Chom The border post can be found by following Higway 214 south from Surin. From the Cambodian side the road from Anlong Veng to O'smach is very good, 100-120 kmh easy, demining going on along the road.The road up the escarpment is also good.Also a good road north from the Sisophon-Siem Riep road.An alternate border post for those sick of Aranyapratet.
Also noticed new tempory export procedures at Aran, now need to stamp passport out first, then back to customs, then to immigaration again for an airline crew(yes!) list , 2 copies of everything (B50 for copies-no receipt), then exit at immigration. Takes a lot longer than the previous 5 minutes. Cambodian side, if you stop at the customs they want to see a Carnet, which of course you can't get for a Thai rego bike.After a while they just stamp the back of the Thai export paper if you agree to come back thru there on the way back, I never have because you normally can't find anyone or I'm in a hurry. Interesting to note that there was no Cambodian customs at O'smach.
Most of Cambodia's northern border with Thailand is formed by the escarpment of the Dangrek mountain range. A natural pass cuts through the mountains between O Smach and Chong Chom. This pass has been used since ancient times to travel between the plains of lower Cambodia and the Khorat Plateau. Beginning with the Cambodian Civil War and lasting until the surrender of the last remaining Khmer Rouge who had taken refuge in Anlong Veng, the Khmer Rouge controlled the area and generated income by illegally trading Cambodian timber across the border in Thailand. After the final surrender of the Khmer Rouge in 1999, the region surrounding the O Smach pass once again became stable and safe for travelers and, in 2003, the Cambodian and Thai governments opened an international border crossing. The border crossing suffered intermittent closures again between 2008 and 2011 during the Cambodian–Thai border dispute.
The Thai government agreed to fund the extension of Cambodian National Road 68 from the provincial capital of Samraong to O Smach with an unspecified loan amount. Immediately, two casino hotels and a market were built in a strip between the two international passport control counters to cater to Thai nationals coming to Cambodia to gamble. Gambling in Thailand is illegal but in Cambodia it is legal, although only for holders of foreign passports. This arrangement ensures Thai citizens can leave Thailand to gamble in O Smach and then return home without having to pass through Cambodian immigration. Thais living close to Chong Chom are responsible for the bulk of cross border activities. The O Smach border crossing is the least used among the Thai/Cambodian checkpoints. Most tourists en route to Siem Reap, where Angkor Wat is located, cross the border at Poipet which is also the more popular gambling destination due to the relative ease of access from Bangkok.
O Smach benefits more from international trade. As of 2012, O Smach and its Thai counterpart, Chong Chom, had all the necessary customs facilities except for an agricultural quarantine officer. The main product exported from Cambodia through O Smach is cassava. There is also a large market for second-hand bicycles which are imported to Cambodia from Japan, taken to O Smach and sold across the border to Thais at the Chong Chom market. The primary imports at O Smach is used farm equipment, mostly tractors and trucks. Construction materials and petroleum products are also imported to Cambodia through O Smach.
As of 2015, the only vehicle crossing between Cambodia and Thailand is at Poipet. Vehicles other than those given special permission by their respective central government are not allowed to cross the border at O Smach. However, starting in 2015, a Cambodian company began running a direct bus route from Siem Reap to O Smach. The 2.5 hour 160 km trip costs passengers USD 12.50 and caters to "hospital tourists", Cambodians who are heading to the Thai town of Surin, where the Northern Khmer dialect is commonly spoken, for more trustworthy medical treatment. After producing passports or border passes and paying 10,000 riels (USD 2.50), they cross the border on foot and board a Thai minivan that shuttles passengers on the final leg of the trip, a 45-minute stretch from O Smach to Surin for an additional 80 Baht (USD .50).[4] Also in 2015, at a trade meeting in Siem Reap, Thai and Cambodian officials and entrepreneurs agreed to invest in an air-conditioned bus service between Thailand and Siem Reap through O Smach. The service was expected to begin before the Surin Elephant Round-up and facilitate Cambodian visitors to the annual event.
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Guest Name: Ms. Morgane
Country: United Kingdom
City: Singapore
N.of Person: 2 pax
Travel date:
Booked: Beng Mealea Motorbike Discovery
Tour Style: Adventure Tours
Duration: Full-Day
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