Hey guys, I thought this was interesting.....

All bars, restaurants and guesthouses along O’Tres Beach near Sihanoukville, and some on neighboring O’Chheuteal Beach, must close up shop within a month or face forced eviction, local officials confirmed on Tuesday. According to a statement dated February 12 and signed by Preah Sihanouk provincial governor Yon Min, businesses on O’Tres and those on the southern end of O’Chheuteal have until March 13 to move out, citing environmental concerns.

“[A]ll vendors in these…areas must demolish their places of business on these public state beaches between February 13 to March 13. After this date, provincial authorities will take action to clear them by ourselves and will not be responsible for any property destroyed,” the statement said.

“[T]he National Committee for Cambodia Bay Management and Development wants to develop the beaches and wants to improve and take care of the environment,” it added.
Mr. Min on Tuesday blamed the affected businesses for ignoring authorities in the past.

“The authorities have tried to prevent them [from building] for a long time, but they just keep on building,” the governor said. “Now the government wants to implement this measure to make the beaches nice. We have to do it and ask them to move.”

Sihanoukville governor Y Sokleng said only establishments on the beaches would be ordered to close down, and that he was not aware of plans to develop the area once they left.

“Those buildings are close to the sea—the construction should be more than 100 meters away. In fact, when the tide is high, it often touches the buildings,” he said.

“The provincial authorities do not know what will happen after those businesses have gone and whether there will be construction of new hotels. That will be the government’s decision after they decide how many meters from the sea they can build.”
Mr. Sokleng said that although business owners had been asking for monetary compensation in ex-change for moving, they were occupying state land and had never paid taxes for the privilege. Business owners on O’Tres Beach have reacted to the order with a mix of defiance and fear. “I’ll tell you what my reaction to this is: It’s that I will stay until they f—king shove me off here,” said Joseph McCourt, co-owner of the Sea Garden Bungalows.
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Maybe I have got this wrong???

So - remove the fences - tick - remove the business - tick - change any future development approval from 50 to 100 meters, make way for the dozers, and now we have enough room to build some large expensive concrete resorts - yup, that will beautify and protect the environment...... - no we won't allow development, it is for environmental reasons, but they will allow development....

I have seen lots of businesses being advertised for sale down that way, the business owners have got to be pissed! I wonder what happens if you have signed, say a 20 year lease or something?????

I think this has been in the wind for a long time anyway - has it not? I heard a lot of Chinese companies were supposedly doing deals, buying up land and so forth to build resorts.... you guys probably know more about this than me about this.....

Regards

i heard about this the other day too, im sure ive heard these warnings a few times before but nothing happened??
ive heard similar rulings about how close the guesthouses can be built in kampot from the river etc... but theyve still built them right on the river
i like how theyre going to clear out the businesses then decide what theyre going to do with the land rather than deciding first then clearing everyone out

Hey Jamie,

Yup, I agree with you, I have heard the same things, it was just a matter of time...

To me it sounds like they have already decided to build resorts or develop the area, (to a certain extent) and it is just a matter of how far from the beach/waterline the development will be....or maybe it is just a question of what type of development they will allow..... I think it will be developed, I can't see them cleaning the area up and planting a whole lot of palm trees or something?

It's that time of year again! Make them sweat and offer big donations for not to clear the land, once they do hand over the tea money, the enforcers can stock up on booze for the coming new year and do the same again next year!
When they finally clear buldoze the land it will just sit empty, maybe for years until the chinese or some others pay the inflated prices for planning more casinos and hotels with probably dirty money! The local owners of these shacks will get little compo so will most likely have to start begging or robbing.
Goodbye to the quieter rustic charm of Otres beach where alot of folk prefer. Another nail in coffin for western tourists!

You got to remember: there is a new police chief, a new governor who came from PP, a new deputy governor also from PP, a new mayor, a new chief of the tax department, also from PP, etc. etc. Yes it has been rumored a long time and nothing ever happened. This time it is different. They are demolishing the walls already, they cleared all the signs along the streets if they were on city/state land, etc. The surest sign now is that they used to come to the business to collect their taxes. As of Jan. 01 this was stopped and businesses have to file monthly tax returns and take the money to the tax department. Fines for being late will be levied.
I agree that they put the wagon before the horse; why not wait until high season is over and give businesses a little more time.
All the bungalows and restaurants along Otres I and II rented their land from the Sangkat. They were allowed to build non-permanent structures there. If they leased from a private party they are up shit creek already. They may get a moratorium, but they will have to move. As for new developments, they will all be across from the dirt road, a boon for the land owners there. Prices are pretty steep there already. I am not sure it will be only Chinese developers, they have proved to be somewhat unreliable looking at all their high-flying plans for resorts in Ream and other places. The land may just sit there for a while as has been happening with the land for the planned holiday park on Otres. But those businesses had to move too back in 2008 (? I forgot when). The old buddies' network in town is pretty much a thing of the past. An acquaintance of mine, part of that network, says he can't influence many things anymore, and he used to be good friends with the previous two governors.

Yes, I heard that the old network had somewhat dissolved....

I agree, it won't just be Chinese developers (if that happens). I had seen the photo's of walls being jack-hammered out...

Something similar happened in Mai Khao Beach in Phuket many years ago, (just North of the Airport). There was a quiet campground - a few bungalows and things near the beach - was very very nice, quiet location - it was pretty awesome actually. The people who owned those Bungalows and the people a kilometer or so away (prawn farms and so forth) were leasing the land from the National Parks (?? - or some government body??). My father was looking at some property there - we could have bought a great block of land for $25K AUD (not $US) back then, virtually 1 minute walk to the beach - like at Otres - across the road.

Anyway for whatever reason Dad did not purchase, then Marriot and Anantara Resorts come along -(or there was speculation that they were looking at putting a resort at Mai Khao at that time) the locals then wanted $250K + for the same/similar blocks of land around the place once the word got out.... The resorts had not even started on construction. I don't know what the price there is now... I know there were a few rubber plantations a few Klms North as well - towards the Sarasin Bridge. Would be interesting to know if they are still there.

I wish I had $25K (or more) back then, I bet you my old man does to!

Anyway will be interesting to see where this goes....

March 14 could prove interesting. Or not.

The first place I ever stayed at on Otres was Cory's Place.

When I met her, she was in the middle of relocating the place. Maybe not the "middle," but was still setting up shop at the new place.

A few years later she was going to have to move yet again, and just called it quits.

Everyone on that beach has known it's just been a matter of time, again and again...

Oh well, they'll just move down the beach as always (if it even happens).

Anything on the beach side of the dirt road at Otres has always been likely to go, less than 5 years ago a lot were knocked down. It's well known and the leases can only be for 1 month, the same applies to most of Occheuateal (even though some people claim to have longer leases and bullet proof legal documents. The bit of there that article refers to is most likely where the sewage works should discharge into the sea. About 2 years ago this time the Gov built a little garden area there, October that year that got covered by bars and restaurants... and the far end of Otres is clearly in for the same with restaurants
built with in a few meters of the sea. I wonder if they will apply this to the main busy stretch of Occheuateal.

Well, if you invest dollars in a business that is only on a month to month lease, you know it could end with virtually no notice.....

Load up and move'm down the beach!!!

WOW...

Sihanoukville beach vendors protest eviction notice.
http://m.phnompenhpost.com/national/sih ... ign=buffer
Those photos they are carrying are so sad. It's as if they are praying for a divine intervention (which they sort of are.)