BANTEAY MEANCHEY: The Stung Bot-Ban Nong Ian international border gate is now more than 80% complete (as of mid-March), while National Road No. 5 is still under construction.

On Monday, 20 March 2023, the Minister of Public Works and Transport, Senior Minister Sun Chanthol, led a Ministry delegation to inspect the progress of the project to upgrade National Road No. 5 from Serey Sophorn to Poipet, as well as the project to construct Stung Bot-Ban Nong Ian International Border Gate.

Senior Minister Sun Chanthol stated that the international border gate will be completed by the end of May 2023, and as of 14 March, around 82.3% of its construction was complete.

The General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia has confirmed that local authorities and relevant provincial specialized units are ready to coordinate and cooperate with Thailand in opening a temporary border checkpoint at this point.

The Senior Minister said that the 366 km-long National Road No. 5, which connects the border gate all the way to Phnom Penh, is almost complete, with construction divided across three sections of the road. The southern part of the road, from Prek Kdam to Thlea M’am, is 135.25 km long, and 98% complete. The central section, from Thlea M’am to Battambang and Serey Sophorn to Poipet, is 146.04 km long and 69% complete. Lastly, the north section of the road, from Battambang to Serey Sophorn, is 84.74 km long and 100% complete.

It should be noted that the Stung Bot- Ban Nong Ian international border gate began construction on 22 April 2019 with a total budget of approximately US $26.42 million. The Covid-19 pandemic, along with floods and changes in contracts caused construction to be delayed twice.