CEO Forum VII

Travel Documents (Visa and Entry Requirements)

Please make sure that you have all the documents/personal needs/subsistence allowance with you prior to your departure for Siem Reap. These should include:

• Valid Passport with visa stamp of the Kingdom of Cambodia in your respective country (if visa is needed);
• Roundtrip ticket (itineraries confimed);
• Letter of invitation from Rural Development Bank with programme of activities;
• Personal medicines, if needed; and,
• Personal Travel accident insurance

Foreign nationals must be in possession of a current passport or other internationally recognized travel document. They must be endorsed for traveling to Cambodia and have a period of validity of at least six months. All foreign visitors require a visa to enter Cambodia except from Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam. A visa is available on arrival at the international airports in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh but not available for the following countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Arab Saudi, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan and China.

If you wish to get your visa electronically, please view the Kingdom of Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation website: https://www.mfaic.gov.kh

Host Bank/Conference Organizer

Arrival Information

Siem Reap is a province located in Northwestern Cambodia, on the shores of the Tonie Sap Lake with 315 km. distance from Phnom Penh and via Kampong Thom province by road No. 6. The provincial capital is Siem Reap City which is located near the famous ruins of Angkor Wat, the gateway to the Angkor Wat region and is Cambodia’s main tourist destination.

Siem Reap International Airport is a 6 km., 10-minute drive from town center. In Siem Reap, taxis, motor taxis and Tuk Tuk are the main options. Car, taxis run US$7 and Tuk Tuk are US$5. Most taxis are metered taxis and adhere to a fixed-rate fee schedule. However, negotiations or bargaining for motor taxi and Tuk Tuk are very common.

Upon arrival, after clearing with immigrations and customs, all delegates should proceed to the arrival terminal of the Siem Reap Airport where they will be greeted by a representative of the host bank, Rural Development Bank and ushered to Sokha Angkor Resort Hotel. The name and mobile phone numbers of the following RDB representatives in charge of airport reception are as follows:

In case the RDB representative/s cannot be located for one reason or another, please contact the mobile numbers of the RDB representatives at their respective mobile phones mentioned above or board a taxi and give the address of Sokha Angkor Resort Hotel, National Road No. 6 & Sivatha Street Junction, Siem Reap. Please refer to Annex 1 for the Siem Reap International Airport map.

Departure Information

All participants will be brought to the airport for their respective departures and should be ready 3 hours prior to their flight departure.

Hotel Accommodation

Sokha Angkor Resort, Siem Reap, Cambodia*****

Address: National Road No.6 & Sivatha Street Junction, Siem Reap, KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA

Tel No: +855 63 969 999
Fax No.: +855 63 969 998
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Web Address: www.sokhahotels.com

Sokha Angkor Resort Hotel is strategically located in the heart of Siem Reap City, walking distance to the Old Market Place popular for local handicrafts, a 10 minute-drive to the airport and 15-minute drive to the famous Angkor Wat Temples. This 5-star hotel is decorated with traditional ancient and modern Khmer design for comfort with a choice of city view or pool view. Sokha Angkor restaurants and bars serve variety of delicacies ranging from Cambodian, Western, Khmer and Japanese cuisines. Sokha Angkor Resort has many facilities such as the fitness center, salt water swimming pool, meditation room and beauty salon. Sokha Angkor offers luxurious resort living in central Siem Reap. The hotel offers wellness and relaxation with spa treatments and facilities. Free internet is available. Please refer to Annex 2 for the hotel map.

Social Activities

Rural Development Bank will host the Welcome Dinner to be held on Wednesday, 17 November, at 7:30 pm as well as the Closing Dinner to be held on Thursday, 18 November at 7:30 pm as part of the social interaction activities among host, local and foreign participants. Announcements will be made for these activities with regards to final venue.
A one-day Tour of the Angkor Wat temples, a world class heritage, will be organized specially for the delegates and their accompanying persons. Rural Development Bank will provide transportation and guides while the entrance fee and lunch will be covered by the conference fee. (Attached is the One-Day Tour Itinerary of Angkor Wat)
Suggested Attire for Angkor Wat Tour, Day 3, Nov. 19: Comfortable pants, shirt, sandals or walking shoes are recommended. Please bring sunglasses or shades/hat/folding umbrella for sun protection. Please refer to Annex 3 for the One-Day Angkor Wat Tour.

Visa Information

For delegates with no need for visa or whose visa was issued in his/her own respective country please bring Rural Development Bank’s formal letter of invitation together with your travel documents (passport/confirmed roundtrip airticket and US$20 for visa fee).

For delegates with visa on arrival arrangements, please bring with you the following:

1. Four (4) colored passport photos
2. Letters of invitation issued by Rural Development Bank
3. Original Passport
4. Confirmed Ticket
5. US$20, visa fee

Visa application form will be issued and completed at the Siem Reap International Airport upon arrival.

Weather / Clothing

During November, the temperature is expected to be slightly cool, around 20 – 30 degrees Celsius. May to November is the rainy, monsoon season in Cambodia. Please bring folding umbrella.

Business attire would be most appropriate for the Conference for Day 1, November 17 and Day 2, November 18. For the Welcome and Closing Dinners, national attire or business attire would be most appropriate.

Language

“Khmer” is the official language in Cambodia. However, English and French are widely used in the capital and largest city, Phnom Penh. English and French languages are also spoken in most hotels, shops and restaurants in major tourist areas.

Currency and Credit Cards

The monetary unit in Cambodia is the Riel (KHR) (US$1 = ~4200 Riel). Foreign currency is difficult to exchange with the exception of US Dollars. Most transactions require cash. Most hotels and many restaurants and shops set their prices in US dollars. Small transactions (less than a dollar) are usually done in riel. Always carry some riel for small purchases, motodup fare, beggars, etc. Foreign currency can be exchanged at the banks or one of the many currency exchange shop. Several exchange shops, such as Dina Exchange at Phsar Kandal, are located along Sivutha Blvd.
Credit cards and travelers checks are accepted at most upscale hotels, shops and restaurants, some mid-range place and a growing number of other businesses. The most commonly accepted credit card is Visa, MasterCard and JCB. AMEX is becoming more widely accepted. Most businesses charge a 2%-4% fee to accept credit cards.
When accepting US dollars, inspect the bills carefully. Marred riel is acceptable tender, but the tiniest tear in a large US note renders it worthless in Cambodia.

Taxes and Tipping

There is a 10% government value added tax (VAT) applied to goods and services sold in Cambodia. However, tourists are not able to refund. Tipping is not obligatory but has now become widely practiced in hotels and restaurants in addition to the service charges shown on bills. It is customary to tip porters and hotel staff who have given good personal service. On tours with private sightseeing, gratuities of $25 – $30 for travel guides per person per day may be given. However, it is not necessary to tip taxi drivers and cinema ushers.

Business Hours

Business hours are generally from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday. Most private offices in Cambodia operate on a five-day week, from 8 am to 5 pm. Government offices are generally open between 7:00 am to 5:30 pm. Private business and shops generally follow the same schedule, although some department stores may remain open longer. Banks are open Monday-Friday between 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. except on public holidays.

Communications

Most hotels have direct dialing facilities. The international access code for Cambodia is +855. The outgoing code is 001 followed by relevant country code. Phnom Penh area code is (0) 23; the code for Siem Reap (0) 63. Three mobile phone operators cover Phnom Penh and other major cities. Prepaid telephone cards are available in post offices, hotels and supermarkets for public phones around Siem Reap. The country uses GSM networks, so US phones are not compatible. Mobile customers are advised to check with their network operators for their roaming status before traveling, as roaming capability must be ‘turned on’ in your home country. Internet cafes provide a fast and inexpensive service in Siem Reap and other main towns.

Electricity supply

The electrical current in Cambodia is 110/220 Volt – 50 cycle AC power.

Major Visiting Places in Siem Reap

1. Angkor Wat : 6km north of Siem Reap Town. Prasat Angkor Wat, the biggest tourist draw of Cambodia. Angkor Wat is visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking. It is surrounded by a moat and an exterior wall measuring 1300m × 1500m. The temple itself is 1km square and consists of 3 levels surmounted by a central tower. Angkor Wat is constructed by SuryavarmanII in theform of a massive ‘temple-mountain’ dedicated to theHindu god, Vishnu.
2. Angkor Thom : is a 3km square walled and mooted royal city and was the last capital of the Angkorian Empire. Jayavarman VII constructed Angkor Thom as his new capital city. There are 5 entrances (gates) to the city, one for each cardinal point, and the victory gate leading to the Royal Palace area. Each gate is crowned with 3 giant faces. The South Gate is often the first stop on a tour.
3. Bayon: The giant stone faces of Bayon have become one of the most recognizable images connected to classic khmer art and architecture. Bayon was the JayavarmanVII’s state-temple and in many ways represents the pinnacle of his massive building campaign. It appears to be, and is to some degree, an architectural muddle, in part because it was constructed in a somewhat piecemeal fashion for over a century.
4. The Elephant Terrace : is an impressive, two and a half-meter tall, 300 meter long terrace wall adorned withcarved elephants and garudas that spans the heart of Angkor Thom in front of Baphuon, Phimeanakas and the Royal Palace area. The northern section of the wall displays some particularly fine sculpture including the five headed horse and scenes of warriors and dancers. Constructed in part by Jayavarman VII and extended by his successor.
5. Banteay Srey lies 38 km from Siem Reap. Banteay Srey loosely translates to ‘citadel of the women,’ but this is a modern appellation that probably refers to the delicate beauty of the carvings. Built at a time when the Khmer Empire was gaining significant power and territory, The temple was constructed by a Brahmin counselor under a powerful king, Rajendravarman and later under Jayavarman V. Banteay Srey displays some of the finest examples of classical Khmer art.
6. Ta Prohm : This temple was one of Jayavarman VII’s first major temple projects. Ta Prohm was originally constructed as a Buddhist monastery and was enormously wealthy in its time, boasting of control over 3000 villages, thousands of support staff and vast stores of jewels and gold. This quiet, sprawling monastic complex is only partially cleared of jungle overgrowth. Intentionally left partially unrestored, massive fig and silk-cotton trees grow from the towers and corridors offering some of the best ‘tree-in-temple’ photo opportunities at Angkor.
7. Preah Khan : is a huge, highly explorable monastic complex. Full of carvings, passages and photo opportunities. It originally served as a Buddhist monastery and school, engaging over 1000 monks.
8. Phnom Bakheng : The construction of this temple mountain on Phnom Bakheng (Bakheng Hill), the first major temple to be constructed in the Angkor area. Bakheng’s hilltop location makes it the most popular sunset location in the area, offering a view of the Tonle Sap Lake and a distant Angkor Wat in the jungle (A good photo of Angkor Wat in the distance requires at least a 400mm lens.) The temple is usually overcrowded at sunset, sometimes even completely overrun by tourists.
9. Phnom Krom : It was built in the end of the ninth century beginning of the tenth century by Yasovarman I dedicated to the Hindu Trinity- Siva, Visnu and Brahma, with following to Prasat Bakheng art style. Prasat Phnom Krom is approximately 12 kilometers (7 .4 miles) southwest of Siem Reap near the north end of the Tonle Sap Lake. It is located on a mountain 137 meters (449 feet) highs.

Useful Khmer Phrases:

Khmer is the official language of Cambodia. However, most people especially working and living in the tourist areas can understand and speak English.