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Phnom Penh Airport Passenger Reviews and Phnom Penh Airport Traveller Reports
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PHNOM PENH AIRPORT customer review : 13 December 2012 by A Maile (Indonesia) |
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Rating : 6/10 |  |
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Recommended |  |
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Be very careful at the visa-on-arrival counter - I was short-changed by $10 and as I went back to the counter
to complain the officer automatically handed me $10 without even asking - makes me think there's an
organised scam going on there. My first contact here was this greedy, dishonest official. Not a
great introduction to the country! All other aspects of the airport were fine.
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PHNOM PENH AIRPORT customer review : 28 October 2012 by K Pardoe (Australia) |
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Rating : 10/10 |  |
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Recommended | |
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Arrived at airport by tuk tuk which is very pleasant. Only ticket holders allowed into the terminal which makes
for a very relaxed environment. Check-in, security and immigration straightforward. Good selection of shops
inside.
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PHNOM PENH AIRPORT customer review : 13 November 2011 by Pieter Hurter (Australia) |
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Rating : 8/10 |  |
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Recommended | |
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Traveled through twice this year and found it pleasant and efficient. The airport was clean - including the
bathrooms. Going through immigration was a breeze. Flying with Malaysian Airlines we did not have to pay
departure tax. There was a short queue at the airline check-in counter which moved rather slowly.
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Phnom Penh Airport customer review : 13 October 2011 by L Cronje (Cambodia) |
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Rating : 7/10 |  |
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PNH Airport has yet again been renovated lately in 2011 for the better. Everything is improving even airport taxes
are now being included in most ticket prices for flights departing, which is great especially if you forget to take
extra cash with you or for visitors that wasn't informed. There are a few amenities at the airport, nothing great
but just enough to keep you occupied for the short while to boarding. I live in PNH, from South Africa.
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Phnom Penh Airport customer review : 11 September 2011 by N Sutherland (UK)
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |
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There are basically 3 options/desks in the arrivals area - one for Cambodian nationals and ASEAN. Passport holders
who don't need a visa, a queue for passengers who already have a visa (either online or from an Embassy) and
longer queues for passengers requiring VoA. By far the best option is getting your visa online - I was through
immigration in 3 mins, a further few minutes waiting for the bags and I was in the Taxi 10 mins after getting off the
plane - excellent.
Phnom Penh Airport customer review : 27 November 2010 by E Baxter (USA)
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |
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Compared to the Pochentong airport of old (mid-90s) this is a gem. Arrival was efficient.
Visa on arrival cost $20, with an extra $2 if you don't have a photo, and was processed
without delay. No problems with immigration. baggage pickup, or customs - you fill out the
forms and are waved through. There is a transport desk with fixed prices (taxi and tuk-tuk) in
the arrivals area, so you don't have to hassle or bargain outside. (Take a tuk-tuk only if
you're feeling adventurous, it may not be for everyone.) We were not hassled in any way or
asked for money. There is a left luggage service at the airport (outside the arrivals area),
very useful if you need to leave your bags somewhere for a few hours. Check-in was a bit
slow, and we had to remove some items from our check-in bags to bring them down to the 23 kg
limit (maybe this is a Korean Airlines policy?). But the process was orderly and calm.
Paying the $25 exit tax is expected and straightforward. It's unusual for the tax to not be
included in the price of the ticket, but this has been the practice here for many years, even
if it has died out elsewhere. It's a legitimate charge. The departures lounge is small (eight
gates) but well laid-out and quiet, with a snack bar, bar, bookstore, and a couple duty-free
shops. Prices are higher than outside, but reasonable by international standards. There are
also a couple bars/simple restaurants pre-check-in near the arrivals area. Overall, I was
pleasantly surprised by the efficiency, ease-of-use, and well-designed layout of this small
airport, but my assessment is colored by memories of how it used to be a dozen years ago. The
experience may well be different for Cambodians. Some international travellers may be
nonplussed by the visa-on-arrival process and payment of the exit tax, but these are just
local particularities, not attempts to shake anyone down.
Phnom Penh Airport customer review : 23 October 2010 by T Hodge (Australia)
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |
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I did not encounter any corruption of any sort. We arranged our Visas before our trip, which
saved some time. Immigration staff seemed disinterested and my passport was nearly thrown back
at me. The arrivals section is very basic. We were off the aircraft and out the door within
around thirty minutes. It has potential to be a great airport, but service needs to improve.
PHNOM PENH AIRPORT customer review : 27 March 2010 by L Sao (USA)
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |
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Agree with other Cambodians who's been here. When all 4 of my family and I arrived. We were
asked for a few dollars by the guy who did the Visa and also another few dollars by the guy
who stamped our passport. and then again by the guys in baggage claim? I want to report this
corruption, but who do we report it too? I'm sure anyone else who is Cambodian, can relate to
the corruption at this airport.
PHNOM PENH AIRPORT customer review : 4 March 2010 by Michael Nusbaum (China)
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Customer Rating : 2/5 |
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As a tourist and an American working in China, I'd have to say the airport was a very
unmemorable experience. I felt that I was nickle and dimed every time I turned my head. I
travelled throughout the country and realized that my caucasian appearance attracted hiked
prices. But the airport was simply being unfair! I was charged tax in our ticket and then had
to pay US$25 just to get out of the country ($18 for locals!). When I wanted to get a snack or
reading material, I noticed that the airport listed imperial prices as well. A simple sandwich
was five bucks and uncopied books were tagged over the original price on the back (also
resulting in a price hike). For all this, I would have crossed a border to fly from Saigon or
Bangkok. Bottom line - avoid this airport!
PHNOM PENH AIRPORT customer review : 17 January 2010 by C Kay (UK)
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |
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Went through here recently on flights to/from Bangkok. Airport was clean and efficient and
there were no signs that any airport staff were trying to rip us off. One tip - get an e-visa
in advance and skip the queues that form at the "visa on arrival" desk.
PHNOM PENH AIRPORT customer review : 14 January 2010 by Sokheang Heng (USA)
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Customer Rating : 2/5 |
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For those of you lucky enough to have not been hassled by the employees at the Phnom Penh
International Airport, the reason for this is that you are not Cambodian. Those who they take
advantage of the most are Cambodians that understand the customs in Cambodian and/or speak
Cambodian. This is because they realized that people of their own culture would not report
anything, if say an employee asks for extra money on the side. They are also sly in that they
understand that other foreigners, (Americans, Europeans, etc) will most likely realize that
something is amiss if they are being pestered at the airport, because that is not how most
airports are run. I am an 18 yr old Cambodian American and can speak and understand the
language. Upon my arrival at the airport, I expected to be hassled to a certain extent, but it
turned out that I was to talk my way out of any complications in Cambodian. Out of my brother
and sister, who I was travelling with at the time, I was the only person that was asked for
$20 by an employee that stamped me into the country. (However, I did not give him the money,
as I knew what he was up to.) This is because I am the only one that can speak Cambodian out
of us three. It wasn't this easy upon our departure. Checking in our bags took at least an
hour. For this reason I don't understand because there happened to be 3 men and 1 female
checking us in. They appeared to be hovering and taking their time because they were waiting
for us to slip them each some money. After finally getting checked-in, we thought that the
complicated part was over. However, as we were boarding, 2 of the men that were checking us in
appeared at the gate to let the three of us know that we couldn't take our carry-ons on board
because they didn't meet the carry-on requirement of 7kgs. I thought this was ridiculous
because they weighed all of our carry-ons at check-in to make sure that they weren't
overweight. This was what we got for not giving them money. They thought it would be easy to
pick on kids, because we were flying without our parents and that we would be gullible. We
didn't realize at the time what they were up to so we handed them the bags since they claimed
that our carry-ons would go on the flight. However, after returning to America, we have not
received those luggages. Isn't it a coincidence that all 3 of our carry-ons didn't make it
back?
PHNOM PENH AIRPORT customer review : 19 September 2009 : by B Sumuan
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Customer Rating : 3/5 | |
A very decent and well-organized facility. Arrived here from Singapore with a full A320
aircraft I experienced a quick Visa on arrival service (USD 25) and there was no queuing on
the immigration counters. The departure hall reflected a newly built/renovated building. The
ground floor has nothing except only the check in kiosks and an airport tax counter (USD 25
international airport tax, quite expensive compare to other airports in the region). Up to the
1st floor were the departing lounge, passport control, some shops, cafeterias and a book
store. 4 airbridges were attached to the boarding lounge. Looking at the apron on the airside
of the airport, seems like none of the 2 aisle airplanes were fit to these gates.
PHNOM PENH AIRPORT customer review : 22 September 2008 : by K Sterry
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Customer Rating : 4/5 | |
I've encountered no corrupt officials at the airport on my five international visits this year so
far. If you apply for a visa on arrival, it costs $25USD, if you already have a visa, then there's
no "arrival tax". International departure tax is also $25USD and it applies to everyone. You get
your ticket stamped for this before going upstairs where someone else will check you have paid.
This tax is not a disgrace, it's what keep the airport running well as it does and it's extremely
low compared to other airports in the region! I agree with comments that facilities are lax
downstairs and is the only area that the airport needs improving. There are no facilities in the
immediate vicinity outside the airport. Upstairs, it's much better, but its international prices at
these facilities. The airport is well-run, queues are minimal, and current improvements are for a
new runway/apron by the looks of things which hopefully means planes don't have to do a u-turn on
the runway itself before take-off or after-landing to reach the airport.
PHNOM PENH AIRPORT customer review : 30 April 2008 : by N Mascurine
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Customer Rating : 3/5 | |
Extra money for stamping? I just flew out of there at the end of March and wasn't asked for anything
extra. I didn't mind paying the Airport tax as that is cheap in comparison to the UK where it is a
hefty 40 pounds included into the price of your ticket. I did find that Phnom Penh airport could
provide more facilities for passengers that need to wait a while for their flight check-in, we had a
2.5hr wait as we were in transit from our flight from Siem Reap, there was nothing to do pre-check-
in, however the departure lounge was quaint and provided better facilities, pity some of those were
not available downstairs. It is a very basic airport and I thought the food prices were
considerably high in comparison to outside, but some of their food was triple the outside. And since
we couldn't safely leave our baggage anywhere as well as not knowing what conveniences were
surrounding the outside of the airport as there are no information clerks to be seen, we felt a bit
put out.
Phnom Penh Airport review by R Silverio
15 April 2008 Customer Rating :
The airport is small, less crowded and has lots of charm. It's very clean and well maintained. The
hefty departure charge amounting to USD25 is indeed worth to pay.
Phnom Penh Airport review by James Gimpeau
26 August 2006 Customer Rating : n/a
Phnom Penh airport is a pleasure compared to many other airports. I have
travelled through it on dozens of occasions over the past 2 years. It's
clean, well-designed and uncrowded (though this may change in the
future). It's generally very quick to get through, although there are
occasional queues at immigration. Complaining about the $25 departure
tax is a little naive - taxes higher than this for other airports are
hidden in the price of tickets. I am also mystified about the
allegations of bribery - I have never been asked for any cash. The
retail and catering outlets are limited (especially for vegetarians),
but what is there is good quality.
Phnom Penh Airport review by Ussa Seang
6 May 2006
It's a pretty cute nice airport, been flying out of it several times. I
like the friendliness of the staff even though they do expect you to
drop a few riels, but I can live with that! And the fact that you can
converse in their language always bring you an extra value to the
service they provide.
Phnom Penh Airport review by Frits Mulder
5 March 2006
As I am living in Cambodia, I have used Phnom Penh International Airport
several times. Never did an airport official ask me for extra money, so
I don't know what the previous poster is talking about. Phnom Penh
Airport indeed doesn't have much to offer in the way of shopping or
eating, but for smokers it has one of the best smoking lounges I've ever
seen: comfortable chairs, tv screens, sometimes even free cigarettes as
the lounge is operated by the manufacturer of 555 cigarettes. As for the
departure tax of $25: yes, that is ridiculously high, but most of that
money goes into the hands of the French airports operator.
Phnom
Penh Airport by Mallie Chan
21
April 2005
Pochentong International Airport-very nice and clean but the food in the airport is overpriced.
This is our third times visiting Phnom Penh. Each times the airport employees would asked for extra
cash when they are stamping our passports and also when we are leaving the country. It is bad
enough that we have to pay the $20 for airport tax.
Phnom
Penh Airport by George Jones
5
May 2004
Pochentong International airport, Phnom Penh works well and is very clean.
But, the airport tax
of $25 is a disgrace. It is typical of the small minded, greedy attitude of the Cambodian Government
who try to squeeze every last dollar out of the foreign tourist or worker.
Why bite the hand that feeds you?
Phnom
Penh Airport by Sideth Dy
15
April 2004
Phnom Penh International Airport is small and nice with clear direction and headways. However, the
duty-free goods are much more expensive than goods at the city supermarkets. There should be more
souvenirs about Cambodia available and at a reasonable price for passengers. Pls also improve the
toilet facilities.
Phnom
Penh Airport by John Bruno
28
March 2004
I think PNH is one of the nicest (smaller) airports in Asia. From the waterfall outside, to the
natural woods and Cambodian figures that line the halls on the inside. I do agree, the duty free
shopping is very limited - and the departure tax is very expensive. Overall, I was very surprised
to find such a modern, elegant, and user friendly airport in that region of Southeast Asia.
Phnom
Penh Airport by Shane Lee
16
March 2004
I agree with all the positive points mentioned below. Top marks all round.
I question whether it is overpriced though. USD $3.50 for coffee and a cake is hardly extortion for
an International Airport.
Phnom
Penh Airport by Shane Tarr
4
February 2004
Phnom Penh Airport is over-priced by comparison with airports in neighboring countries - Vietnam,
Laos and Thailand - but it is a whole lot better than airports in Vietnam and Laos. The worst thing
about travelling through Phnom Penh Airport is you want to ask why the rest of Cambodia, especially
in the public sector, is so poorly run. Top marks to the administrators and workers at this airport.
Phnom
Penh Airport by P Chao
16
October 2003
The terminal is newly renovated. We arrived on the same day when the airport was opened by the Prime Minister Hun Sen. The
media crew was still packing their equipments by the time we arrived. Disembarked thru Aerobridge
into the terminal. Hallway leads the arriving pax to lower level. First, the health questionnaires
were taken, then proceed to visa counter where tourist apply the visa on arrival. Make sure to bring
a passport photo and have a blank page on your passport since the visa sticker takes up one full
page on your passport. Visa fee US$20 payable at the same time. Then proceed to visa control then to
baggage claim. Everything is spotlessly clean and fresh and well lit; quite an impression.
Departure check-in is on the ground level. Pay US$20 after checking in. Then proceed to upper level
where the passport control and security check. There is plenty of natural light in the departure
lounge - nice and clean.
Phnom
Penh Airport by Bryan Chao
8
October 2003
It's know as Pochentong and recently officially named as Phnom Penh International Airport. It's a
compact airport and recently renovated. It's lean even the toilets. Everything is electronically
registered and it certainly meets the international standard. International passengers are required
to pay $20 airport tax after check-in. There is adequate seating. Do not expect to do the last
minute shopping or a good meal before the flight as there are limited shops and restaurants and they
are overpriced.
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