Cambodia - Development Continues Unabated

Although the growth in tourists visiting Sihanoukville has stalled, the tourists continue to flock to Siem Reap in ever increasing numbers. That the economy as a whole grows at a high rate, which is evident in the increasing number of cars on the roads of Phnom Penh. The river bank has become a promenade while the road running along this promenade has become a traffic nightmare.

The luxury cars parked outside Phnom Penh’s fancy night clubs indicate the existence of a class of noveau riche with plenty of cash to spend.

That the Pizza Company (Thailand’s copy of Pizza Hut) has opened up in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville is an indication that the Cambodian middle class is expected to grow. The huge Olympia development a stone throw from the king’s palace is another example of that somebody is willing to bet big money on Cambodia’s future.

During my road trips around Sihanoukville, I ended up west of the refinery and oil terminal. Out there, they were putting the finishing touches on a new power station (co-financed by the Asian Development Bank) as power transformers from China were about to be installed at the substation. I also noticed that work is on-going to (re-) build rail road tracks from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and to Sihanoukville. So, Cambodia wants to become a “modern country”.

An aspect of this is the pursuit of development is the popularity of learning English. Since the government schools are of pretty low standards, people attend private schools in droves. This has resulted in a huge number of private schools or “academies”, which then has forced some ingenuity in terms of naming schools. For example, American Idol International School and Rockefeller School.   

All this makes me conclude: Anybody new to this region better hurry – visit Cambodia now before the good old days with laid back atmosphere and grand old architecture are gone.

Or skip the main tourist destinations and visit Kep or Kampot.