Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI): 2026 Arrival & eVisa Guide

To protect the foundations of the 12th-century Angkor Wat temple complex from aircraft vibrations and noise, Cambodia closed the legacy Siem Reap International Airport (formerly IATA: REP) in October 2023 and opened Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (IATA: SAI) in Soutr Nikom District, roughly 45 kilometres east of downtown Siem Reap.

In 2026, SAI is more important than ever for regional itineraries. Because all Thailand–Cambodia land border checkpoints — including the formerly busy Poipet / Aranyaprathet crossing — remain closed in both directions since 2025, travellers combining Bangkok, Chiang Mai, or Phuket with Angkor Wat must fly directly into SAI (or into Phnom Penh’s Techo International Airport, KTI). You can compare both Cambodian hubs in our Techo Airport (KTI) vs Siem Reap Airport (SAI) guide.

Most international flights into SAI arrive on short-haul regional hops from Bangkok (BKK and DMK), Singapore (SIN), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), Hanoi (HAN), Da Nang (DAD), and Kunming. Check-in agents at those departure airports verify your Cambodian entry documents before issuing your boarding pass.

Even if you already hold an approved eVisa or a visa-exempt ASEAN passport, you must also complete the Cambodia e-Arrival Card within the seven days prior to landing at SAI. Note that if you first fly into Phnom Penh (KTI), clear immigration there, and later take a domestic flight from KTI to SAI, you only clear international immigration once at KTI.

Why do seasoned Angkor visitors overwhelmingly prefer a pre-approved eVisa over Visa on Arrival at SAI? Because SAI sits 45 kilometres outside Siem Reap town. When two or three regional A320 or ATR-72 flights land within 15 minutes of each other, the cash Visa on Arrival counter quickly backs up for 30 to 45 minutes, delaying your 50-minute highway drive into town. Read our Cambodia eVisa vs Visa on Arrival comparison to see how the two options stack up.

Once you step off your aircraft onto the airbridge at SAI, the walk to the immigration hall takes less than five minutes beneath the terminal’s golden traditional Khmer roof motifs.

Because SAI is 45 kilometres east of the Old Market (Psar Chas) and Pub Street via the dedicated 24.5-kilometre airport expressway and National Road 6, traditional open-air tuk-tuks are rarely the best choice for the highway transfer, especially in midday heat or monsoon rain. Instead, choose one of four reliable ground transport options: