sociopath wrote:
was thinking maybe its a right hand versus left hand drive issue but no china and cambodia are same,
was also wondering why chinese dont drive to cambodia, while back they were driving into chiang mai
never seen any chinese registered cars in pp
not as though cambodia has a domestic vehicle industry to protect
was thinking previously that electric cars may be too taxing on the domestic electricity supply but recent announcements say cambodia shortly will be able to meet electric supply
I think the original poster was curious about Chinese car brands in Cambodia not Chinese license plates i.e. tourists from China driving to Cambodia. However, here are some points to consider as to why there aren't any Chinese registered cars in PP or elsewhere in Cambodia.
1) It's fucking far. Who has the time to drive from China to Cambodia? There are plenty of flights from all over China to Cambodia now, not only PP and Siem Reap but also Sihanoukville.
2) It's expensive; consider the amount of fuel needed, expensive tolls on Chinese expressways, temporary import permit fees and involves driving through Laos.
3) The roads are crap. Much of Yunnan and northern Laos involves driving through endless twisting and winding roads.
4) Foreign cars are routinely prevented from entering Cambodia coming from Laos. Even bribery doesn't work. Unless you have a permit from Phnom Penh, chances are you won't get in there. Even Lao cars have difficulty, but at least they stand a chance. Chinese, Thai, Malaysian cars = highly unlikely.
5) As soon as a foreign license plate is spotted driving along Monivong or Norodom boulevards, the police pounce and will demand a fine. They will threaten to impound the vehicle although you can usually get away with paying a nominal amount (like US$3-5) depending on your bargaining skills and you will be released. If you were driving something a bit more luxurious like say a BMW or Porsche SUV then be prepared to cough up something more substantial (like US$20-50). The few Thai and Vietnamese cars driving in Phnom Penh usually have a story of being pulled over. I know from personal experience too.
6) Chinese cars can no longer drive to Thailand since June 2016 without first going on a tour. As a consequence, the number of Chinese cars driving to Chiang Mai, Bangkok and even Phuket has dried up and is now virtually zero, because no one wants to pay for an expensive permit, tour and guide (now required, though there are claims of being able to go without a guide, but not sure if that's legit).