Cambodia Expats Online: Forum | News | Information | Blog

What's happening with Siem Reap Airport ?
Tough compensation negociations ahead as the Cambodian government ditches its agreement signed with the French company Vinci, majority owners of Cambodia Airports. Out with the old and in with the new, as a company run by the Chinese government (YIHL) prepares to build a brand new airport at Siem Reap to replace the present airport.

Siem Reap airport’s future up in the air
Thu, 2 February 2017
Matthieu de Gaudemar and Cheng Sokhorng

The government is ready to move forward with negotiations on compensation for stripping a French company of its concession to operate Siem Reap’s international airport, while plans for the construction of a new Chinese-operated airport to serve the provincial capital are close to being finalised, a state official said yesterday.

In October, the Cambodian government reached an agreement with China’s state-run Yunnan Investment Holdings Ltd (YIHL) to build a new $880 million airport to serve Siem Reap. The agreement gave YIHL and its construction and airport management subsidiaries an exclusive 55-year build, operate, transfer (BOT) concession on the new airport, replacing the current exclusive agreement with Cambodia Airports, a company majority-owned by France’s Vinci Group, which was set to expire in 2040.

The Post reported in December that a government decree signed by Prime Minister HE called for the formation of an eight-person committee to lead compensation talks with Cambodia Airports, while YIHL would be responsible for distributing the settlement amount once its new airport begins operations...

The government’s decision to prematurely end Cambodia Airport’s concession could have broader repercussions with international investors, especially if the negotiations are mismanaged or if the company suffers financial losses, Hem [partner at BNG Legal] noted.
“In the transitional period of the negotiation arrangement for the concession contract, there may be a slight impact on the investors who want to invest in Cambodia, especially those who wish to sign concession contracts for land and infrastructure projects in the country,” he said.

“However, the impact may become stronger if the concessionaire incurs great losses following the negotiation.”...

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/s ... future-air

I thought the SR airport had just been rebuilt in the past year or two.

Username Taken wrote:I thought the SR airport had just been rebuilt in the past year or two.

Rebuilt is maybe too strong a word....

Hopefully the new one will have proper gates. It's not such a good introduction to wonders of Angkor by flying in late, stumbling around the tarmac in the dark and rain, just to reach the airport entrance.

wow, this will give lots of confidence to other investors, shld be appropriate to rename cambodia to chinkodia now

that loud hissing sound is the economy deflating.
between donor fatigue and chinese mainlanders becoming the major portion of growth in the tourist market it is bound to get very ugly soon for ordinary Khmer.

Timeframe set for Siem Reap airport construction
17 August 2017
- Construction of Siem Reap’s new international airport, which is being developed by China’s state-run Yunnan Investment Holdings Ltd (YIHL), could start in early 2018.

According to [Sinn Chanserey] Vutha, the construction of the airport, which is set to span 750 hectares in Siem Reap’s Sout Nikom district, will be undertaken in three phases. About $500 million will be spent on the first and second stages which will allow medium-sized airplanes to land, while the third phase will cost $300 million.

Chhay Sivlin, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents (CATA), welcomed the investment of a new airport in Siem Reap.

“This airport will surely attract more tourists than before, and will be able to welcome giant-sized planes,” she said.
“Other than this, I believe that the airport will provide job opportunities for people within the service and transportation industry due to its substantial distance from Siem Reap [city].”
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-prope ... nstruction

frank lee bent wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2017 11:15 pm that loud hissing sound is the economy deflating.
between donor fatigue and chinese mainlanders becoming the major portion of growth in the tourist market it is bound to get very ugly soon for ordinary Khmer.

Yes! It seems China is buying Cambodia. Sometimes when taking tenders, it's not always a good way to take the highest price. But I think it's what may be offered in the back pocket here what counts for now. The country is certainly at change.

Why would​ HE support the French. They are FUNCIPEC. Just as bad as the US. The west's big mistake was greed. First too greedy to build up China preferring to grab and run. Then too greedy because it sold all its industry and that heritage for a few bucks to China, thereby handing over economic power to change the world. Result equals the big kickback - Trump and the Chinese increasingly calling the shots.

The ones accumulating the excess contract monetary dollars dont care. They have exit plans other locations to move to thanks to prior planning.

i.e. the boss rats are just collecting what they can before a possible loss at the polls issues that will take place and then whomever wins will have to sort out the leftovers.

Yes .. The general population will suffer.