‘Live’ maps

Cambodia Maps has some pretty cool ‘live’ maps of the Angkor area and the Sihanoukville coast. Made from Google satellite images, the Sihanoukville map makes for interesting reading because, at the rate things are going, if you’re not staying in one of the new $50 million beachside mega-resorts, it’s about the only way to ever see the place.

POSTSCRIPT: At Milk and Cookies, Paramotor has some video footage of a flight over Bokor and Kampot.

Otres evictions, update

VIA Drummond: The Cambodia Daily says that the Sihanoukville deputy governor says that the Sihanoukville governor’s eviction notice to Otres Beach vendors last week wasn’t really an eviction notice. Sure, the notice may have said “eviction,” but vendors misunderstood the words usage. Or something. Anyway, they can stay. Some of them. Maybe.

Otres Beach sold

Government officials yesterday told vendors at Otres Beach they had seven days to move out.

At least some vendors hold leases — ostensibly a legally binding agreement — and say they will try to fight the eviction order. A legal battle would likely prolong the eviction process, to months if not years. But the ultimate outcome seems unlikely to change. Otres Beach will go private, with a big fancy casino and resort, shops and conference centers.

Until yesterday Otres remained one of only two large beaches still available to the public. With Otres now gone, too, private beaches, in terms of hectares, far outnumber public ones. Perhaps as much as 90% of Sihanoukville’s beaches are now private. The west end of Ochheuteal remains the last public beach of any significant portion.

With Sihanoukville’s best beaches now sold out, speculators are already eyeing coastal lands in Stung Howe to the west and Ream National Park to the east. Although it would appear that the country’s national parks would be off limits, that is apparently not the case. Insiders say the government has already announced its intentions to unload the park to private investors, and cut beachfront property there into easily saleable lots.

Another beach goes private

Thompson Financial reports.

Queenco Leisure International Ltd said it has purchased 9 hectares of land in Sihanouk Ville, a coastal area in the south-west of Cambodia, for 10 mln usd, which it plans to develop as a destination beachfront resort and casino, including hotels and conference centres.

The casino developer and operator said as part of the acquisition, it has also acquired exclusive rights from the Cambodian government for the stretch of beach immediately in front of the site.

[...]

Today’s announcement follows the company’s acquisition of 48 hectares of land in Sihanouk Ville in February 2007, Queenco added.

Thompson doesn’t say which beach Queenco just bought, but considering the beaches that haven’t been sold off, and considering the size of the purchase, 57 hectares in total, there’s not many options, are there? Although it’s just speculation at this point, Otres seems the only candidate.

POSTSCRIPT: Shops on Otres beach got the notice yesterday — Happy New Year! Now get out.