Wild camping in Cambodia: is it legal? (2026)

The 2023 Code on Environment and Natural Resources — which supersedes the 2008 protected-areas law — prohibits ordinary visitor access to the core zone. Camping is barred through the access prohibition, not by a rule of its own.

• The exceptions are listed: responsible officials on duty, natural-science researchers with prior ministry authorisation, and little else.

Access is prohibited, whether or not you erect a shelter.

An ordinary visitor may not enter or remain in the core zone to sleep in a vehicle.

Access requires prior authorisation from the official responsible for protected-area management. And note: that access authorisation is not a camping authorisation — you also need the manager's approval for the site and activity.

The same prior access authorisation, and the same distance between entering and sleeping.

Same: access authorisation first, and the manager decides the rest.

The less restrictive zones of a protected area don't bring an independent camping permission either. With no rule located, there's no answer to give.

A layer worth having in mind in the dry season: the Code treats fire in a protected area on its own terms.

Cambodia's concrete example: camping within a managed park product, on its conditions. It isn't wild camping, it's a product.

We found no national right to pitch. Official tourism material points to named campsites and official providers — that shows a managed-product pattern, not open access elsewhere.

Get the occupier's consent, but we haven't verified it as a complete legal route: land use, local public order, fire and accommodation rules may still apply.

Lawful parking is necessary, and we don't treat it as accommodation permission. No official source we located classifies sleeping inside the vehicle.