The Mekong Times
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Hang Sot, director of the Preah Vihear National Authority (PVNA), indicated on Thursday that an Indian company wants to invest in an airport and an electric cable car system in the Preah Vihear Temple region which is a major tourist zone in the north of the country, along the Thai border.
In an interview, Professor Hang Sot indicated that India’s Skill Company, which has previously successfully invested in cable car in Vietnam, and it has completed a project feasibility study to find the location for the construction last month. Hang Sot said that the company plans to build an airport on a 2-km-by-5-km field, located 32 km from the temple, the road system for the cable car will be 2,400-meter long, located near the ancient stair steps, and the road will be enlarged from 8 to 10-meter wide.
Hang Sot said: “We don’t know as yet when the project will start or how much it will cost, but we hope that it will see the daylight if the results from the discussion between the company representatives and vice-prime minister Sok An are positive.
According to an anonymous official close to this investment plan, the Skill Company plans to spend $600 million to develop the temple area. Regarding this investment, Ho Vandy, director of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, welcomed the project. “We support this development plan, but we must know how this development will affect our temple. We welcome it if this plan really exists,” Ho Vandy said.
Currently, there is no strong development to attract tourists to come and visit this temple located near the Thai border, due to a lack of proper infrastructure in this region. Regarding this latter issue, Hang Sot said: “Right now, we receive only 300 to 400 visitors per day who come to visit Preah Vihear Temple, and the majority of them come from Thailand. However, in the future, i.e. after the construction of the infrastructure, we hope that this region will attract a large number of tourists, and that the majority of them will come from inside Cambodia.”
Hang Sot added: “I trust that the number of tourists will increase by six folds in Preah Vihear, at the end of the development plan, in particular after the construction of road infrastructure.”
In an interview, Professor Hang Sot indicated that India’s Skill Company, which has previously successfully invested in cable car in Vietnam, and it has completed a project feasibility study to find the location for the construction last month. Hang Sot said that the company plans to build an airport on a 2-km-by-5-km field, located 32 km from the temple, the road system for the cable car will be 2,400-meter long, located near the ancient stair steps, and the road will be enlarged from 8 to 10-meter wide.
Hang Sot said: “We don’t know as yet when the project will start or how much it will cost, but we hope that it will see the daylight if the results from the discussion between the company representatives and vice-prime minister Sok An are positive.
According to an anonymous official close to this investment plan, the Skill Company plans to spend $600 million to develop the temple area. Regarding this investment, Ho Vandy, director of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, welcomed the project. “We support this development plan, but we must know how this development will affect our temple. We welcome it if this plan really exists,” Ho Vandy said.
Currently, there is no strong development to attract tourists to come and visit this temple located near the Thai border, due to a lack of proper infrastructure in this region. Regarding this latter issue, Hang Sot said: “Right now, we receive only 300 to 400 visitors per day who come to visit Preah Vihear Temple, and the majority of them come from Thailand. However, in the future, i.e. after the construction of the infrastructure, we hope that this region will attract a large number of tourists, and that the majority of them will come from inside Cambodia.”
Hang Sot added: “I trust that the number of tourists will increase by six folds in Preah Vihear, at the end of the development plan, in particular after the construction of road infrastructure.”
