Four Cambodian river cruise vessels denied docking in Vietnam

Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered his officials to intervene in helping four Cambodian river cruise vessels which are stuck at Vietnam’s water border as its authorities denied their docking due to fear of a COVID-19 outbreak.

On his Facebook post today, Mr Hun Sen ordered Public Works Minister Sun Chanthol to immediately intervene in helping the four river ships to dock in Vietnam after one of the cruise vessel managers sought help from him.

Phan Sobin, owner of one of the cruise vessels, wrote on his Facebook post that four Cambodian river vessels have carried passengers from Siem Reap province to Vietnam on Sunday but were denied docking in Vietnam.

Public Works ministry spokesman Heang Sotheavuth said that the vessels departed Siem Reap province all the way through Ka’am Samnor border checkpoint in Kandal province and bound for Vietnam.

“The four cruise vessels are now stuck at Vietnam’s water border,” he said, adding that passengers of one vessel have already disembarked at the port of Vietnam.

“We are now negotiating with the Vietnamese side, asking them to allow the vessels to dock in Vietnam,” Mr Sotheavuth said.

He said that 70 passengers and crew members are now onboard the vessels, with about seven nationalities, including US, French, Russian, Danish, Swiss, Canadian and Cambodian.

He said: “Most of the passengers are French and Danish.”

By Khuon Narim – Khmer Times – March 16, 2020