Poipet Location Profile

Aside from the international border demarcation and the strip of hotels and casinos in Poipet, it lacks many major landmarks.

The Kbal Spean Traffic circle on the road before he passport/immigration control is often cited as a meeting and easy navigation point.

In early 2020, the construction of Sokha Residences Sanco, an affordable housing development in Poipet town with capital investment of around $151 million, was announced and is set to be completed in early 2023.

Most western food and beverage offerings in Poipet are inside the casinos and hotels with mainly Chinese or Thai food also common. Some of the casinos offer buffets with a mixed spread.

Other reputable restaurants include Destiny Café, Palm Coffee, Border Restaurant HARU, and Hangout Restaurant/Café. These restaurants serve a mix of Cambodian, Asian, and Western cuisine. 

Destiny Cafe (7am-7pm) is an NGO supported cafe with a range of breakfast options as well as lunch items.

Most other restaurants or food stalls in Poipet cater to travellers stopping for a meal on their way to or from Thailand.

Some more regional and international franchises have opened in Poipet including True Cafe, Amazon Cafe and The Pizza Company.

The casinos in Poipet offer a range of nighttime entertainment, but they each may have their own restrictions and dress codes. The entertainment may include live music, shows, and other events.

There are some local beer gardens and KTV which are popular with Cambodians.

Poipet does have a reasonable selection of accommodation and some hotels may also have music and entertainment.

The Poipet border is a terminus of the Cambodia railway system, with trains only reaching the station in 2018 after the railway line was reactivated. The train route will eventually connect Poipet to Thailand and could in the future carry passengers from Phnom Penh to Bangkok.

Tuk tuks or the remork-moto is a carriage attached to a motorcycle and popular in the major cities, while newer smaller tuk tuks have also entered the market in recent years and are popular with a number of ride-hailing apps which are commonly used in Cambodia.

The Poipet town is also relatively easily covered on foot and on bicycle.

Poipet is well connected with reasonably priced buses to various points in the country including Phnom Penh, Battambang and Siem Reap. The bus station is located in the city center near the southwest end of Pub Street. 

Taxis are another popular means to reach Poipet and can also be used to head to other Cambodian destinations for the northwestern city.

Poipet has good access routes and can be located on the fully paved National Highway 5 which runs to Sisophon and onto Tonle Sap Lake to Battambang and Phnom Penh. 

At Sisophon, National Highway 6 branches off and offers an arterial route along the north of the Tonle Sap to Siem Reap and onto Phnom Penh.

Poipet is largely a Cambodian city but some expats have relocated here for work in the casino and hotel industry and some also reside in the town to teach English.

More and more development projects are being announced for Poipet and if the international train starts operating between Thailand and Cambodia it will become an even more important travel and tourism hub.