At the time of the coup that placed Lon Nol in charge of the government in 1970, the Ream Naval Base was in a very run-down state with one pier in horrible condition, no effective logistical support system and very little internal repair capability.

[citation needed] By 1974, Lon Nol's government together with the Khmer National Navy (MNK) and British Royal Navy had vastly improved the base by implementation of a number of actions: procurement of 20 newly constructed radar equipped PCFs (Swift Boats); stationing of four PBRs (River Patrol Boats) in the Kompong Som (Sihanoukville) port area; overhauls of all of the heavy craft in inventory; procurement of a newly overhauled floating drydock the base; substantial upgrade of the Ream Repair Facility equipment; installation of an effective supply support system; and the completion of a modern pier facility and support complex for the base.

[8] In July 2019, The Wall Street Journal revealed that US officials had seen a secret agreement that allowed the People's Liberation Army Navy exclusive access to about one-third of the Ream naval base for up to 30 years.

[11] In October 2020, Vice-Admiral Vann Bunlieng said that dredging work was being undertaken around the base, in order to accommodate larger vessels, in a project supported by the Government of China.

[4] In January 2022, the Center for Strategic and International Studies-operated Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) reports the presence of Chinese clamshell dredgers near the base.