Krong Koh Kong

Koh Kong (transliterated as Krong Koh Kong) is the capital of Koh Kong Province. It is located near the mouth of the Kah Bpow river in Smach Mean Chey district on the Gulf of Thailand. The city lies only 10 kilometres from the Thai border. However, it is 138 kilometres by secondary road to National Highway 4 at Sre Ambel and a further 133 kilometres to Phnom Penh. Koh Kong has long had a reputation as a Wild West frontier town. Until recently, access to the town from Cambodia was mostly by sea or air due to the poor road conditions. In this relative isolation, illegal logging, wild animal smuggling, banditry, gambling have given Koh Kong its frontier town reputation. However, with the building of the Thai-Cambodian bridge across the river and the upgrading of the road to the national highway, industry and investment has increased and the town is becoming a modest tourist destination.Local tourist attractions, aside from the casinos, include boat tours to the uninhabited Koh Kong Island and trekking in the Cardamom Mountains.