[5] The decking for the original pier laid in 1958 consisted of 137 pre-stressed concrete beams, each 35 m (115 ft) long and weighing around 90 tons.

Before and during the period of the French Protectorate, no deep water port existed to handle international marine trade.

Kampot was Cambodia's only marine port, on the Tuk Chhou River around 5 km (3 mi) inland, which could not be accessed by deep-water vessels.

The French colonial administration preferred to use Saigon for international trade and the Mekong River for further distribution.

[2]: 1–3 A number of sites were initially considered suitable for the new facility, including Kampot, the small outpost at Ream, and Sre Ambel.

However, the deep waters off a rocky promontory near Koh Pos at the mouth of the Kampong Som Bay were finally chosen as the site for Cambodia's first ocean port.