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Thai-Cambodia border normal but Thai military on h1/8-10 (07:39)
The Thai-Cambodian border situation remains normal but Thailand's military is on high guard after a United Nations agency agreed to postpone discussions on the disputed management plan around the Preah Vihear temple proposed by the Phnom Penh government to 2011.

Thai troops are now posted some five kilometres from the historic temple on its eastern approach.

They are guarding the disputed area contested by the two neighbouring countries round-the-clock to ensure that Cambodian soldiers do not encroach the Thai territory.

In an attempt to boost morale of Thai soldiers guarding the border, Col Nirut Ketsiri, commander of 16th Infantry Battalion, visited them.

Thailand's foreign minister said Friday that the country is not disadvantaged after UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee (WHC) on Thursday postponed its scheduled discussions on the management plan to next year's meeting in Bahrain.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromyat praised the Thai delegation at the meeting, led by Suwit Khunkitti, minister of natural resources and environment, for voicing and explaining the Thai perspective on the impasse to heritage committee members until they decided to postpone discussion of the issue.

He said that Thailand should now find a way to resolve the Thai-Cambodian border demarcation problem and submit it to the House of Representatives for consideration.

The immediate challenge, Mr Kasit said, is that Thailand wants to refer to the temple as Phra Viharn, while Cambodia calls it Phreah Vihear. If it is agreed by Phnom Penh then both countries could move jointly to resolve their territorial disputes.

The Thai government wants to resolve the problem according to the 2000 land boundary demarcation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cambodia agreeing not to change any environment in the frontier zone, pending the survey and demarcation of the common land boundary.

Thailand will not allow its territory to be lost and the disputed, overlapping boundary must be settled by negotiation, he said, adding that the next round of talks should be done in a friendly atmosphere as the two countries are close neighbours.

Skrivet av: Kjell Andersson Skicka e-post till Kjell Andersson
familysiemreap.com for sale21/7-10 (07:38)
info@familysiemreap.com

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Thai are talented at running art museums… outside 21/7-10 (07:36)
The rooms are well lit and air conditioned, explanations are provided with eletronic headsets, and interactive videos provide good and entertaining information. The collection is, of course, outstanding – hundreds of buddhas and deities can be admired. All of this has ben built and run by the powerful Vilailuck family from Thailand, owner of the communication company, Samart. However, the museum does not stand in the center of Bangkok or in any city in Thailand. It is located in Cambodia, in Siem Reap and is called the Angkor National Museum.

The museum has been opened now for two years and offers eight galleries showing the evolution of Cambodian art from its origins to the end of the Khmer empire. Samart has won a 99-year concession to open and run the museum in Siem Reap city center, a few kilometers away from the fabled Angkor temples. The Vilailuck family has been in Cambodia since 1992, when it won a concession to run a telecom company, Samart Cambodia. The build-cooperate and transfer agreement for the museum was signed in 2003, and Samart invested approcximately US$15 million to complete the 20,000 m2 facility.

The museum was marred by controversies with UNESCO, as well as the National Museum in Phnom Penh. Relations have always been very sensitive – for the most - between Thailand and Cambodia. Angkor National Museum has been seen by many insiders as just a matter of money business between the Cambodian government, the APSARA Authority (administrating the Angkor Wat complex), and the private Thai company. UNESCO experts find the presentation as a way to propagate a Thai vision of Cambodian history. Phnom Penh’s National Museum has also limited its cooperation – originally it was supposed to transfer up to 1,000 pieces from its storage - with some 30 large pieces from collections that were due to be transferred to the new institution.

Meanwhile, far from geo-political acrimonies, visitors can only enjoy the galleries and their spectacular presentation. Displayed statues and bas-reliefs are stunning and at least are visible for tourists. Explanations are good enough to provide an overview on the evolution of Cambodian art. The highlight of the collection is the 1,000 buddhas gallery where the venered figures - mostly dating to the post-Angkor Wat period - surround visitors. Some experts pointed out that the gallery looks basically like a replica of a late Ayuttaya temple (in Thailand). The result still remains impressive.

A Thai private company has succeeded in building a cultural institution offering a modern and attractive museology. In contrast to that is Bangkok’s National Museum, run by the State. Despite its stunning art collections, buildings are in such a sorrowful state – crumbling walls, humidity, and dust everywhere - that it could easily qualify as a national disgrace. Last year, the textile gallery at the National Museum was renovated, not because of the state's generosity but because of funds collected by the National Museum Volunteers - a private association consisting of the museum's fans.

While there is obviously no money from the state to preserve its national assets, it might be time that private Thai companies step in and look for a partnership with Thailand’s Ministry of Culture to help renovate what should be Thailand’s flagship for culture and arts, a walk through Angkor National Museum would then be a source of inspiration, of a cooperation between the state and private partners.

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Romance in Vietnam and Cambodia For Lovers4/7-10 (21:56)
This twelve - night unique experiences showcasing Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoian – Saigon, Vietnam and Seam Reap Cambodia.

Luxury Travel Vietnam (www.luxurytravelvietnam.com) is providing an array of attractive packages at the most romantic and luxurious hotels and resorts in Asia. Guests can expect to be met and greeted with flowers and a welcome dinner on arrival day, with chocolates and flowers in their room.

Vietnam is fast becoming one of the most romantic and fascinating destinations in Asia. Travelers can now plan an unforgettable and extraordinary honeymoon or wedding anniversary celebration in this beautiful country.

“With the emergence of beach destinations and a growing number of luxury spa and boutique resorts, Vietnam is now defining itself as an attractive and exotic destination ideal for honeymoons or romantic trips” commented Luxury Travel Company’s Sales and Marketing Manager, David Nguyen.

Luxury Travel Vietnam has also added a few extra touches such as limo pick ups and transfers, hotel upgrades, champagne, couple spa treatment, private picnics, sunset private cruises and lots of other surprises for couples seeking romance.

“Southeast Asia captures the heart like nowhere else on earth. This trip “Romance in South East Asia” makes your honeymoon extra-memorable by embarking on a journey rich in history, culture and romance. You'll be both captivated and inspired on this twelve - night unique experiences showcasing Vietnam and Cambodia. You'll also be treated like royalty at four of our favorite hotels in Hanoi, Hoi An, Saigon and Siem Reap” added Dav.
Tour cost starts from 12000 USD per couple, valid through 31 Dec 2010, for tour information, visit www.luxurytravelvietnam.com .
Romance In Southeast Asia
12 Nights – Hanoi – Hoian - Saigon – Siem Reap - Available through December 19, 2010
Luxury Travel Company Exclusive Experience Includes:
- Nine nights accommodation
- Room upgrade upon arrival, if available
- Breakfast for two daily
- Experience a traditional Buddhist blessing ceremony, performed by local monks that reside in the beautiful pagoda of Wat Damnak that will bring good fortune to your married life
- Sightseeing with local English speaking guides
- All transfers
- Most meals
Luxury Travel rates start from $12,000 per couple
In addition to the three fabulous hotels on this trip, you'll also enjoy a romantic overnight aboard The Violet, a deluxe junk with just six luxurious cabins, as the couple explores Halong Bay.

Sofitel Legend Metropole, Hanoi
A favorite of visiting ambassadors, writers and heads of state
Located in downtown Hanoi
European luxury combined with Vietnamese hospitality
Fine dining including Le Beaulieu featuring French cuisine
Full-service spa

The Nam Hai
Luxury resort located on Hoi An Beach
Unobstructed views of the sea and close proximity to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Villas with indoor and outdoor sitting areas
Pool villas with private swimming pools
Tranquil spa with chromo therapy baths and steam showers

Park Hyatt Saigon Hotel
Luxury Hotel located in the heart of Saigon
Deluxe View Room faces to the garden and pool , provide a cozy residential ambience.
Xuan spa treatment
Designed to feel more like a contemporary Vietnamese residence rather than a hotel.

Hotel de la Paix
Stylish escape close to Angkor Wat
Guestrooms featuring Art Deco design with Khmer influences
Three-story Spa Indochine
Meric restaurant offering classic cuisine and seasonally inspired Khmer dishes

The Arts Lounge featuring chic cocktails and changing art exhibits

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Cambodia to protect land around Tonle Sap lake10/6-10 (22:22)
Cambodia announced plans Thursday to conserve forested shore areas around Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake.
Sam Nov, a deputy director of the country's Fisheries Administration, said that some 1.6 million acres (640,000 hectares) of forest land that floods during rainy season with be declared off-limits for development, including encroachment by farmers planting rice.

The lake covers about 618,000 acres (250,000 hectares) during the dry season and expands to about 3 million acres (1.25 million hectares) during the rainy season. It is the habitat for more than 200 species of fish, 42 types of reptiles, 225 species of birds and 46 kinds of mammals.

"The flooded forests are very vital shelters for several species ... and their offspring," Sam Nov said. "We urgently need to conserve this forest. If not we will lose it forever."

Several areas of flooded forest and wetlands have already been cleared by farmers and agribusiness companies in recent years to convert the land for dry season farming, he said.

Officials from the six provinces that surround the lake, located about 120 miles (200 kilometers) northwest of the capital Phnom Penh, will soon begin informing villagers of the ban on destroying the forest areas, said Sam Nov.

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Cambodian Jungle Woman Found in Outdoor Toilet8/6-10 (23:56)
Her family feared she had gone back to the jungle.
A 29-year-old Cambodian woman who apparently lived for 18 years in the jungle before emerging three years ago had vanished 11 days ago while bathing in a well behind their home, and her family thought they had lost her again.
But Rochom P'ngieng was found Monday in an outdoor toilet about 300 feet from her home, the man who says he's her father, Sal Lou, told Agence France-Presse. A neighbor had heard her crying.
"She was discovered in a 10-meter deep toilet. It's an unbelievable story. She spent 11 days there," he said, adding that she was soaked with waste up to her chest.
"We are still wondering how she could get into the toilet," he said. The toilet has a small hole covered in wood, he said.
P'ngieng, dubbed "jungle woman" after being found the first time, was admitted to a hospital after being rescued from the sewage pit, Lou said.
She was found without food or water, The Telegraph reported, adding that she ripped out an intravenous drip administered by a doctor and refused other treatments.
"The villagers pulled my daughter out of the lavatory, and we cleaned her up, but now she looks pale and weak," the father told the newspaper. "She has no strength. She has been sleeping all the time."
Lou says he's the woman's father but he has refused to take a DNA test, the Telegraph said, adding that there are theories that she did not grow up in the jungle but is really a victim of captivity and abuse.
P'ngieng vanished in 1989 while herding water buffalo when she was a young girl. She came out of the jungle in 2007, naked and bent over like a monkey, looking for food. She was identified after trying to steal food from a village and reunited with her family, who live in Rattanakiri province, about 960 miles northeast of the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.
But she had trouble fitting back into society. She hasn't learned either of the local Cambodian languages and preferred to crawl instead of walk. She also refuses to wear clothing.


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Cambodias wild Jungle Woman believed to be back in29/5-10 (23:29)
A woman who was living wild in the jungles of Cambodia for most of her life until being discovered three years ago, has disappeared and is believed to have returned to the forest.
Rochom Pngieng, known as the Cambodian Jungle Woman, was caught by a villager in 2007 when she was trying to steal food from him. She was naked, hunched over like a monkey, filthy and wild. She could only speak by grunts and unintellible words.
Sal Lou claimed to be the womans father and took her into his home to be cared for. According to Sky News, the family believed Pngieng was their long-lost daughter, who disappeared when she was eight-years-old while out herding buffalo in 1988.
Rochom Pngieng went missing this past Tuesday while she was bathing near her home. Her father believes she escaped back into the forest.
He said: There is no sign indicating that her disappearance could be foul play. I am sure she went back to the forest. She tried several times before to leave home and live back in the forest but she could not. This time her wish came true.
Pngieng was hospitalized last year for mental illness.
The investigating police do not believe Pngieng was kidnapped or killed.
According to Wikipedia, there is much controversy surrounding the identity of Pngieng. There are some who believe she is not the daughter of Sal Lou, but a woman who was held captive by someone, bound by her wrist and ankle because of the deep scars remaining.

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Siem Reaps night markets23/5-10 (22:16)
SIEM REAP, Cambodia: Tourists heading to Angkor Wat can now take a stroll among over 600 stalls in Siem Reap's four night markets, offering even cheaper leisure and shopping pleasures. These fairs, which are called night markets by tourists, have each become more unique due to the increasing competition.

The Siem Reap Night Market opposite Siem Reap's Pub Street just opened for business last month, and has made Siem Reap's nightlife even livelier.

All kinds of tourist attractions are competing fiercely with one another, bringing prices down and making businesses devise all kinds of stunts to lure customers. For example, there's a spa at the night market that offers foot reflexology for US$2 with a free drink. There are also businesses that hire children from orphanages to put on performances such as clown shows and apsara dances in the street to attract customers.
The night market as another selling point for Cambodia's tourism began in Siem Reap. Unfortunately, due to ever-changing government policies, Night markets have opened for business and then shut down, with new ones sprouting up. Since businessmen have no long-term guarantees for investment, they use the simplest and most economical spaces to sell their wares which are little different from one another in quality.

Despite this, even when the economy is bad and tourists are tightening up their belts, night markets remain an affordable shopping option for locals and tourists alike.

The night markets in Siem Reap are growing in number, resulting in fierce competition. The newest night market to open in town is located on Sivatha Road diagonally across from Pub Street.

The night markets neon sign arcs across the street in a dazzling display. Another night market invested by South Koreans is located on the street on the opposite bank of Siem Reap River.

The night markets have not only created a business opportunity for small tourist items, but their culture has also spread to Phnom Penh.

Although Phnom Penh is Cambodias capital, in terms of number and the scale of stalls, the night markets there cannot match those in Siem Reap due to poor management and lack of tourists.


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Climate Helped Bring Angkor To Its Knees31/3-10 (23:42)
Throughout written history there have been many abrupt ends to empires and civilizations that have little explanation. Political climates deteriorate, passions rise, revolts happen and the next thing you know--the culture is a thing of the past relegated to a short chapter in a textbook.


The natural world leaves a record in the form of tree rings, which can be read like a very detailed book, covering a long period of human history. Now a team of researchers has correlated the demise of Angkor, the capitol of the Khmer Empire in Cambodia, with a decades-long drought interspersed with intense monsoons in the 14th and 15th centuries.

Brendan Buckley of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University and his colleagues have put together a high-resolution record of periods of drought and moisture in Southeast Asia that is over three quarters of a millennium long from 1250 to 2008 AD. Their research was funded by the National Science Foundation's Paleoclimate Program, which is part of the directorate for geosciences.

Just as satellite photos do--large sets of information like this tree ring data bring into focus patterns and phenomena that are larger than one lifetime. In fact they are on the scale of civilizations.

A look at tree ring data, and an analysis of rain, drought and temperature can show a remarkable link from climate in the environment to climate in the king's court. And this has been shown to be true for the enigmatic demise of Angkor, an empire that stood strong from the 9th to 13th centuries.

Angkor was a city that relied heavily on water. The National Science Foundation-funded work of Buckley and his colleagues reveals that the mid- to late 1300's experienced persistently dry conditions that spanned decades, followed by several years of severe wetness that may have caused damage to the city's infrastructure. Afterwards, a shorter but more severe drought in the early 1400's may have been more than this urban complex could handle.

Bringing insights such as these into focus in the 21st century, there is a sense of urgency in interpreting what the natural world is telling us. The very cypress trees (Fokienia hodginsii) that allow the long-range glimpse backwards are becoming more and more rare as their wood is harvested for the illicit timber trade. The highlands of Vietnam and Laos are home to some of the region's most diverse biota, and are under threat of over-exploitation.

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COOLING OFF AT THE CHAA ONG WATERFALL IN BAN LUNG,24/1-10 (06:59)
Cambodia has a very clearly defined tourist path that involves some time in Phnom Penh, and then the Angkor Wat temples. But because I’m living there it was possible to try and see a different facet of Cambodia, to explore some unusual and unique places that are a little bit off the beaten path. This photo was taken in the province of Ratanakiri, in the northeast corner of Cambodia. It’s quite remote; it takes two days or a little bit longer to get up there by a series of local buses. There are still some forested areas left in that part of Cambodia: it hasn’t all yet been logged and converted over to plantations or rice paddies. But there’s a lot of development. To get to the waterfall I had been cycling through kilometer after kilometer of plantations with rubber trees planted all in rows. I was thinking about the way in which development is happening and the landscape is changing and just how special that waterfall is, how important it is. It was sort of a small oasis. I guess I shouldn’t use the word ‘oasis’ to describe a waterfall. But it was an oasis.

Skrivet av: Richard Pearshouse Skicka e-post till Richard Pearshouse
HAPPY NEW YEAR1/1-10 (02:26)
Cambodian 'jungle woman' starts speaking:
Cambodia's "jungle woman", whose story gripped the country after she apparently spent 18 years living in a forest, has begun speaking normally instead of making animal-type noises, her father said.
Rochom P'ngieng, now 28, went missing as a little girl in 1989 while herding water buffalo in Ratanakkiri province around 600 kilometres (400 miles) northeast of the capital Phnom Penh.
In early 2007 the woman was brought from the jungle, naked and dirty, after being caught trying to steal food from a farmer. She was hunched over like a monkey, scavenging on the ground for pieces of dried rice.
She could not utter a word of any intelligible language, instead making what Sal Lou, the man who says he is her father, calls "animal noises."
Cambodians described her as "jungle woman" and "half-animal girl" and since rejoining society Rochom P'ngieng has battled bouts of illness and was hospitalised in October after refusing food.
But Sal Lou said late Wednesday that this month his daughter had started to understand Cambodia's Khmer language and could even speak the language of his ethnic Phnong tribe.
"She is becoming a normal human being like others. She has been starting to speak out now -- she speaks the language of Phnong," Sal Lou told AFP by telephone.
"She can ask for food, water and so on when she feels hungry," he said.
The apparent breakthrough happened after Rochom P'ngieng's hospitalization, when doctors gave her injections to treat a nervous illness for a few days, Sal Lou said.
"She is very gentle and I am very happy with her progress," he said adding that her condition appears to be improving from day to day.
Sal Lou said his daughter had stopped trying to flee into the jungle as she had in the past.
"Even though we tried to take her into jungle, she wanted to stay at home," he said, adding that she is able to eat food now.
The jungles of Ratanakkiri -- some of the most isolated and wild in Cambodia -- are known to have held hidden groups of hill tribes in the recent past.
In November 2004, 34 people from four hill tribe families emerged from the dense forest where they had fled in 1979 after the fall of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, which they supported.

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Cambodia opens road building link to Thailand5/12-09 (20:47)
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen opened Saturday a road building link to the Thai border in northwestern Cambodia.

The 117-kilometer long National Road No. 68, which runs from Kralanh district in Siem Reap province to O' Smach in Udor Meanchey province, will be completed in two years time.

Hun Sen said the construction and restoration of the road which costs 33 million U.S. dollars will be fully financed by the Royal Government of Cambodia to respond to the people's actual needs, in spite of the current global financial and economic crisis.

Thailand signed an agreement with Cambodia in August this year to provide loans amounting to some 41 million U.S. dollars for building this road, but Cambodia canceled it late last month, and instead used its own funding.

Hun Sen said he had identified the area as an economic pole, among Cambodia's other poles, as it is favorable for agriculture and tourism development.

"Thus, after the construction of the National Road No. 68 has been completed, this area will become an important and real economic pole in Cambodia," Hun Sen said.

He added that his government is firmly committed to the restoration and development of all sectors, especially the restoration, maintenance and development of transportation infrastructure which is the prioritized policy of his new fourth-term government beginning from 2008 through 2013.

He said the efforts in building infrastructure apply to Cambodia's slogan that says "wherever there is road there will be hope."

He added that this road network is located on two main corridors that serve both national and international transport purpose from western to eastern part.

The first corridor is the northern sub-corridor of the first southern corridor of the Greater Mekong Sub-region which runs through Laos and heads to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

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Cambodia allows foreigners to own property5/12-09 (10:16)
The Cambodian government on Friday approved a draft law allowing foreign ownership of buildings such as apartments and office buildings to boost economic growth, the country's cabinet said.
The draft law approved in a meeting chaired by premier Hun Sen was aimed at "attracting investors, facilitating the growth of real estate market, and pushing the development", a cabinet statement said.
But Information Minister and government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said foreigners will be permitted to own only buildings and apartments, not the land beneath them.

"We will allow foreigners to have ownership of buildings from the first floor up," he told AFP.
The draft law is expected to be approved by Cambodia's parliament and senate, and then will be promulgated by King Norodom Sihamoni.
The move comes after the private sector in recent years urged the government to allow foreign ownership of properties such as apartments or factories, saying a liberalised real estate market would spur the economy.
Under the current rules, foreign property investments can only be made through the name of a Cambodian national, and many are unwilling to risk losing their assets to potentially unscrupulous local partners.
The cash-strapped country's investment law was amended in 2005 to allow foreign ownership of buildings, but the legislation had yet to be implemented and the initiative floundered.
Despite current restrictions, billion-dollar skyscraper projects and sprawling satellite cities promising to radically alter Phnom Penh have bloomed over the past few years.
But many projects have been halted or slowed down as Cambodia has been buffeted by the world financial crisis after several years of double-digit growth fuelled mainly by tourism and garment exports.
The International Monetary Fund in September predicted Cambodia's economy will contract 2.75 percent this year amid the slowdown.

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Made-in-Cambodia car that talks 4/12-09 (01:08)
The gold-coloured convertible turns heads on impoverished Cambodia’s roads – not least because of creator Nhean Phaloek’s outlandish claim that it can be operated telepathically.
"I just snap my fingers and the car door will open. Or I just think of opening the car door, and the door opens immediately," says the 51-year-old as he proudly shows off the homemade car, named Angkor 333-2010.

Onlookers gasp as he demonstrates the trick, and with the fibre-glass vehicle having cost him US$5,000 (RM16,955) and 19 months of labour, he is in no mood to reveal the remote control system behind it.

But as with a handful of other Cambodians who make their own curious cars, he dreams the two-seater will help foster an car industry in the country, still poor after decades of conflict.

"I’m very excited and proud of this car because many people admire me and keep asking me how I made it," Nhean (right) says, adding that it reaches speeds of up to 100kph.

Kong Pharith, a 48-year-old former maths and physics teacher who has also produced his own car, says a car industry is about to blossom in Cambodia.

The inventor, who first came to national attention in 2005 for building a solar-powered bicycle, thinks he has now hit on a truly unique product with his orange, jeep-like vehicle with solar panels on its roof.

Kong says it took him four months to design and put the final polish on his ‘tribrid’ car which operates on solar energy, electricity and petrol, and has a 2,000-Watt motor.

The car is made from imported parts and domestically-made tyres.

"(Cambodians) put more attention into their cars than the clothes they buy," says Jean Boris Roux, who imports Ford vehicles to Cambodia as the country manager for RM Asia.

"I think it’s very important for Cambodians to show the success in their professional life through the vehicles they drive," he adds.

The Angkor 333-2010 is the third car Nhean has built, and the first to talk.

When he slams the door, a voice out of the dashboard moans: "Why do you close me too strongly?"

"Dozens of local and foreign guests have come and seen my car," Nhean says with a smile.

"One British man told me that it is the Cambodian James Bond car."

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Thai-Cambodia tension eased29/11-09 (10:44)
The diplomatic dispute between Thailand and Cambodia has been eased after the latter allowed the mum of jailed “Thai spy” to meet her son at Prey Sar prison, Democrat Party spokesman Buranat Samutrak said on Saturday.

Mr Buranat said the political movements by ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra received no responded from the armed forces of the two countries.

He said Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh had on Friday clearly said that the legal trial case against the arrested Thai engineer, Sivarak Chutipong, had nothing to do with politics.

Thai and Cambodian defence ministers vow to keep peace. They agree that a recent diplomatic row between two countries will not lead to conflict on border.

The Thai-Cambodia general border committee meeting in Pattaya concluded on Friday that only peaceful means should be used in settling border disputes between the two countries.

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Swedish businessman murdered in Cambodia15/11-09 (20:45)
A Swedish businessman has been found dead in Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Embassy officials confirm that local police suspect murder.
"We have received information that the body has been found and that he has been identified. With all probability it is question of murder," Karl-Anders Larsson at the Swedish embassy in Phnom Penh told news website DN.se.
The 45-year-old man disappeared from his hotel room in the Cambodian capital on Thursday. His body was found in Kandal province south of the city on Friday.
The man has lived in the south-east Asian country for several years and ran a hotel operation in the coastal city of Sihanoukville, according to the Expressen newspaper.
The man is reported to have met a woman over the internet and on Thursday evening was seen leaving his hotel in her company.
The man's safe deposit box in his hotel room was later found forced open and police suspect that he was murdered in the course of a well-planned robbery.
Phnom Penh police are investigating the crime and have secured close circuit television material from the hotel, according to the Expressen newspaper.
The Swedish foreign ministry has been informed and the 45-year-old's next of kin have been contacted.

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Business community hopes Thai-Cambodian rift to be12/11-09 (22:48)
Businesspersons who have invested in Cambodia are expressing hope that the rift between Thailand and Cambodia will not lead to the border closure and expect the tensions can eventually be resolved peacefully.

In a seminar on "Thai feelings and business in Cambodia" held at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Somsak Rinruengsin, chairman of the Thai Business Council of Cambodia, said the problem between Thailand and Cambodia was the rift between the two countries' governments.

The Thai government had reiterated that it will not let the problem affect people-to-people relations and the investments of the business community, he said.

Mr Somsak said he wished to convey the message to fellow businesspersons investing in Cambodia not to panic over the problem and said that Thai businesses are still operating in Cambodia as usual, though with some concern.

"The private sector believes the government of Thailand and Cambodia are able to finally find a joint solution. I have been doing business in Cambodia for 10 years and have sailed through various incidents in Cambodia. I therefore believe that the problem will not accelerate but I worry about spreading rumours which could incite both sides," he said.

However, he said, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam are all neighbours they could escape to nowhere when they have problem but should living together with happiness.

Preeda Samkaew of PD Intertrade 92 said that his company had been doing business in Rong Klua border market for quite a long time and he sees Cambodians as important customers.

He did not want to see the border closure as it could affect people in business there.

Wichai Kulwutvilas of Smilephun said the diplomatic spat between Thailand and Cambodia could restrict sales opportunities for Thai products in the Cambodian market as there will be more competition from Vietnamese and Chinese companies.

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familysiemreap.com for sale11/11-09 (18:36)
Send mail to info@familysiemreap.com

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Cambodia to celebrate 56th anniversary of independ8/11-09 (23:21)
Cambodia will celebrate its 56thanniversary of Independence Day next week in Phnom Penh, a government official said Saturday.

Chea Kean, deputy secretary general of National Committee for Festivals said King Norodom Sihamoni will preside over the celebration of the event which will be held on Monday at Independence Monument.

Other leaders and participants to the event will include Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, as well as diplomatic corps, students, police and military.

Chea Kean, however, said this year, there will be no military parade even though the Nov. 9 is also the 56th anniversary of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.

He said Cambodia had already conducted a huge military parade last year at the 55th anniversary.

After Cambodia was under the French protectorate for 90 years, Cambodia claimed complete independence from France in 1953.

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Kingdom of Cambodia National Day8/11-09 (23:16)
The Kingdom of Cambodia celebrates its National Day Nov. 9, Monday. On this day in 1953, King Norodom Sihanouk declared the country’s independence from French colonial rule.

Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Cambodia were formally established in 1957.

Although our relations were affected by the Khmer rouge regime in 1975, the Philippines and Cambodia have maintained cordial ties since the resumption of diplomatic relations in 1995 and the reopening of the Cambodian Embassy in Manila in 1999. The two countries have concluded agreements on economic and trade relations, agricultural and agribusiness collaboration, and tourism cooperation.

Cambodia is a member of the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2004 and attended the inaugural East Asia Summit in 2005.

Cambodia has established diplomatic relations with numerous countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, and Russia. As a result of its international relations, various charitable organizations have assisted with both social and civil infrastructure needs.

We congratulate the people and government of the Kingdom of Cambodia headed by His Majesty, King Norodom Sihamoni, and H.E., Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen, and its Embassy in the Philippines led by Ambassador In May, on the occasion of their National Day.

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Cambodia To Pave Road To Preah Vihear Temple3/11-09 (20:53)
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces ( RCAF) will begin paving the 80 km dirt road from Oddar Meanchey province's Anlong Veng district to Preah Vihear temple before Nov 25, China's Xinhua news agency reported, citing officials from RCAF as saying in a local media.

"We will begin pave the road by the end of the month. The total distance is about 80 km. It may cost about US$10 million and it will be finished by June 2010," Kwann Seam, director of RCAF's engineering department, was quoted by the Cambodia Daily as saying.

He said that his team would begin surveying the road after the Water Festival in Phnom Penh is finished.

By April 2010, RCAF will begin paving another 22 km dirt road, this time to Ta Moan temple from Kork Mon commune in Oddar Meanchey province's Banteay Ampil district, he said.

Seam said that the paving of roads in the area is part of a larger project to pave all northern roads in the country.

"We hope that by 2013, all the roads in the northern area will be paved," he said.

Major General Srey Dek, commander of RCAF Division 3, said that despite ongoing tension between Cambodia and Thailand over Preah Vihear temple, tourists should not worry about safety.

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After the killing fields1/11-09 (08:44)
Foreign visitors to Cambodia today tend to stay in Siem Reap, a small town in the north-west of the country from which they can explore the magnificent temples at Angkor. Built by Cambodian, or Khmer, kings between the 10th and 13th centuries, the temples have long served as symbols of Cambodian nationhood, and they are among the most important monuments in the region.

Siem Reap is reminiscent of Luxor in scale and character, and, like its Egyptian counterpart, it owes its prosperity to monuments and temples that attract tourists from across the world to what is otherwise still a sometimes little-understood and certainly under-appreciated country.

However, few such visitors may be aware that just a few decades ago Siem Reap, like the rest of the country's north-western region, was under the control of the Khmers rouges, Cambodian communist party forces or "Red Khmers", whose period in government in the 1970s made them a kind of by-word for brutality.

From April 1975, when Khmer rouge forces overthrew the US-backed Cambodian government in the capital Phnom Penh, to their own overthrow at the hands of invading Vietnamese forces in 1979, up to 1.7 million people are believed to have died as a result of Cambodian communist party rule of the country then dubbed Democratic Kampuchea.

Some of these people were murdered by the regime, dying on the infamous "killing fields" where anyone suspected of opposing Khmer rouge rule was bludgeoned to death. Others died of starvation or sickness in a country in which forced labour became the norm, and where communist party rule, supposedly aimed at economic self-sufficiency and industrial development, succeeded in turning the country into a kind of vast labour camp.

Communist party authorities carried out a bizarre experiment in social engineering, involving the forced evacuation of urban areas -- two million are believed to have been evacuated from Phnom Penh alone to work on labour camps in the countryside -- the abolition of money, the destruction of the family and the attempted eradication of religion, the aim being to transform the country along Maoist lines and carry out a kind of irreversible revolution.

Anyone visiting Cambodia 30 years later, struck perhaps by the unearthly beauty of the countryside and the grace and friendliness of the people, will want to know how such a nightmare could have descended on this country of some 14 million people and what steps are being taken to bring those responsible to justice.

Such questions have a better chance of being answered today than they have had at any time since the collapse of the Khmer rouge regime in 1979. Starting in February this year after decades of delay, a UN-sponsored mixed tribunal made up of Cambodian and international judges has been trying surviving senior members of the regime that ruled Democratic Kampuchea for crimes against humanity and on other lesser charges.

While the tribunal has attracted criticism, with neither the Cambodian authorities nor the UN nor international human rights agencies apparently always being happy with the results, it has had the effect of opening the events of 30 years ago up to inspection in a country that has sometimes seemed too traumatised by the past to look too deeply into it.

While the former Cambodian communist party leader Pol Pot, "Brother Number One", real name Saloth Sar, died in mysterious circumstances in 1998, other senior members of the regime, including foreign minister Ieng Sary and minister of social affairs Ieng Thirith, the regime's second in command, Nuon Chea, and former head of state Khieu Samphan, all now in their 80s and sometimes in poor health, are in custody awaiting trial in Phnom Penh.

Only a comparatively lowly member of the hierarchy, Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, governor of the regime's state security prison of Tuol Sleng in Phnom Penh, has thus far been put on trial, and a verdict is expected following closing statements in November.

Over the months and years to come, former senior members of the Khmer rouge regime will be brought before the court, it is hoped bringing some measure of explanation and psychological closure to those who suffered so terribly at its hands.

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Siem Reap Angkor wat28/10-09 (15:48)
Best known as the gateway town to the ancient Khmer temple complex of Angkor Wat, Siem Reap has become a compelling destination on its own, juxtaposing sophisticated hospitality with traditional arts and culture.

Watch a traditional Khmer dance performance, complete with elaborate costumes, talented musicians and stylized movements in the elegant setting of the Apsara Theatre.

Dine on a gourmet seven-course seasonal Khmer tasting menu, incorporating exotic ingredients such as dried snake and ...


/Robert
Cambodias fastest growing city26/10-09 (23:44)
Two decades after the collapse of the Khmer Rouge, Siem Reap is finally regaining its footing as one the most popular destinations on earth.
Siem Reap is undoubtedly Cambodia's fastest growing city, welcoming over 100,000 international tourists every year and gaining recognition from locals as the 'tourist town'. The city comprises of over 116 hotels with continuing developments, a far cry from its mere two properties just three years ago.
Tuk tuk's are the best way to get around the city, drivers often knowing exactly where you want to go so long as you say it slowly. In some cases, drivers even have translation cards for major landmarks or tourist areas.
If you wander around independently, you will find that the most activity is in the Old Market Area (Psah Chas) which runs alongside the Siem Reap River. There, streets are filled with restaurants, spas, hotels, markets and bars. In particular, Pub St (where the name speaks for itself) turns into a hub of tourist activity at night, clubs pumping foreign pop and rock music while tuk tuk drivers scramble to grab the next customer stumbling out of a bar.
Apart from Pub St, the best place to be at night is at the Angkor Night Market, where over 200 huts showcase some of the best traditional Cambodian handmade products such as clothing, silk art, jewellery, scarves, wood and stone carvings and other handicrafts. If your feet are sore from shopping, head to the back of the market to get a US$2 foot massage or go to the market's Dr. Fish stall and have fish nibble the dead skin off your feet and legs!
But tourists simply cannot say they've been to Siem Reap if they haven't visited its biggest claim to fame - Angkor Wat. Built in the early 12th century, Angkor Wat is one of few UNESCO world heritage listed sites and Cambodia's most valuable monument. Angkor Wat is breathtaking, to say the least, and Siem Reap owes its booming tourist numbers to this majestic site.
With Angkor Wat standing as a reminder of such a grand past, it's no wonder that Siem Reap has picked up the pieces so diligently and drawn in the world once again.

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Cross-border bus service planned between Laos and 22/10-09 (22:58)
Laos and Cambodia are planning to allow cross-border bus services to operate in a bid to boost tourism and trade between the two neighbouring countries.
Deputy Director of the Transport Department Bouaphet Xayasan said the agreement was reached last month and the department is now in the process of granting permits to Lao public bus companies to run the service to Cambodian towns.
The Lao government has granted permission to the Pakxe Public Bus Association to provide a bus service between Champasak, southern Laos, to Siem Reap, home to Cambodia's famous Angkor Wat temple complex, and Phnom Penh.
Cambodian bus operators have agreed to provide services on the same route.
Bus travel between Pakxe and Phnom Penh will take a whole day, said the state-owned newspaper.
The bus service between Laos and Cambodia would boost tourism in the two countries because tourists would have more options and cheaper ways of travel.

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Fler

Press here to get in touch with us Local Cambodian time: 20:25
Family Guesthouse, No19, Mondul 2, Khoum Svay Dangkom, Siem Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia
Phone: +855 926 484 62, info@familysiemreap.com, www.familysiemreap.com