Not sure if you guys are aware of how land is administered in Cambodia, in cases like the islands, in which the state is in fact the owner of all the land. Basically, it's a territorial game. Like the biggest dog in the neighborhood pisses on the post, and it belongs to him. In the case of Sanloem, many of those with "contracts" were not paying their rents to the provincial authorities, but to their friendly neighborhood navy/coast guard admiral... It's his territory to manage until the higher ups come along... (and/or he helps persuade them to contract the land to richest guy he happened to meet while out boating one weekend a few years ago... Anything is possible...)

If you have been out there at all in the past two years, you would have noticed them ripping up the jungle to build a road behind Saracen over to the next next bay to the north, where a Chinese guy seems to have set up camp a few years ago. He also started ripping up the jungle to build a road over towards Saracen. But road construction stopped as soon as it had begun.

Behind Saracen Bay, the new roadway stops just before meeting the hill footpath that traverses the island from Saracen Bay to Sunset Beach.

Also, they began an unfinished road out of M'Pai Bay going south.

No telling how few trees will be left after the big developments starts building... Not sure what the provincial authorities mean about reserving the rest of the island for a nature preserve if they actually go ahead and rip along the ridge to finish those unnecessary roads. But that's what they like to do. Replace trees with concrete.

One of the investors in the two companies taking the big parcels of land is rumored to be a Cambodian, but the other is unknown.

Tobias Ziegler, owner of the Moonlight Resort located on Saracen Bay, said that on January 27 Preah Sihanouk provincial authorities ordered him and 11 other individuals who own resorts, restaurants and other businesses on Koh Rong Sanloem, to vacate their premises by February 6.

“I didn’t agree with this order,” he said. “It is unfair. I started this investment with nothing, and I helped Koh Rong Sanloem become a world-famous destination. I refuse to leave,” he said.

“We don’t know what is happening, or whom to contact regarding this situation. When we tried to confront the authorities, they referred us to contact Preah Sihanouk Provincial Hall. But nobody there is willing to meet with us.

“I have been doing business here since 2014 and I have a contract for 20 more years from today to continue. Before our huge investments, no tourists came to the islands. We have supported our staff and their families for the last 10 years,” he said.

You can't trust any lease here. If your property becomes too valuable, or gets in the way of the latest land grab, you will be turfed out with the full force and authority of the state.


https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501231710/ ... ss-owners/

PSD-Kiwi wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 2:51 am Got chatting to a bloke in a bar in PP yesterday, Tourist, who was all excited about his new investment in a resort on KRS....apparently he got it for a bargain, in fact just about every resort/bar/restaurant/guesthouse on the island was available at bargain prices....he wasn't happy when I showed him that Khmer Times article

Maybe hes the "unknown investor"

Canceled Bookings, Spray-Paint on Koh Rong Sanloem As Authorities Extend Deadline

Tourists began leaving Koh Rong Sanloem and canceling their bookings as authorities extended Thursday’s eviction deadline for businesses and resorts in the island’s Saracen Bay area, spray-painting resorts with new messages to demolish their businesses.

Authorities had initially told some businesses and resorts to vacate their properties by January 31, which was later extended to February 9. After construction work and excavators took over the island last weekend ahead of the second deadline, it was pushed forward again to February 16, resort owners said Thursday.

But pressure hasn’t let up: The owner of Sky Beach Resort in Saracen Bay, who asked to go by his first name Toch, told VOD Thursday that authorities had not attempted to remove or destroy bungalows themselves, but that they had traveled resort to resort tagging the buildings with red paint and driving out tourists.

“Third notification to finish demolition on February 16, 2023,” the spray-paint on Toch’s property reads.

;.....

A September 2021 letter from the provincial administration listed two companies as taking over the island: Emario Shonan Marine Corporation, which claims 1,124 hectares; and Koh Rong Sanloem Resort, with 1,066 hectares. The letter says both contracts date back to 2008.

Authorities have refused to share information about what the developments could ultimately entail or even which companies have claimed which parts of the island. Earlier this week, some business owners said they had entered discussions with the government, prompting them to retract their comments to the media.

More here: https://vodenglish.news/canceled-bookin ... -deadline/

Basta Binci must be hiding somewhere..his website is down.

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 11:10 am Canceled Bookings, Spray-Paint on Koh Rong Sanloem As Authorities Extend Deadline

Tourists began leaving Koh Rong Sanloem and canceling their bookings as authorities extended Thursday’s eviction deadline for businesses and resorts in the island’s Saracen Bay area, spray-painting resorts with new messages to demolish their businesses.

Authorities had initially told some businesses and resorts to vacate their properties by January 31, which was later extended to February 9. After construction work and excavators took over the island last weekend ahead of the second deadline, it was pushed forward again to February 16, resort owners said Thursday.

But pressure hasn’t let up: The owner of Sky Beach Resort in Saracen Bay, who asked to go by his first name Toch, told VOD Thursday that authorities had not attempted to remove or destroy bungalows themselves, but that they had traveled resort to resort tagging the buildings with red paint and driving out tourists.

“Third notification to finish demolition on February 16, 2023,” the spray-paint on Toch’s property reads.

;.....

A September 2021 letter from the provincial administration listed two companies as taking over the island: Emario Shonan Marine Corporation, which claims 1,124 hectares; and Koh Rong Sanloem Resort, with 1,066 hectares. The letter says both contracts date back to 2008.

Authorities have refused to share information about what the developments could ultimately entail or even which companies have claimed which parts of the island. Earlier this week, some business owners said they had entered discussions with the government, prompting them to retract their comments to the media.

More here: https://vodenglish.news/canceled-bookin ... -deadline/

Such a shame. Stayed at sky beach a few times, toch was a nice guy

February 13, 2023
Koh Rong Sanloem evictions delayed

Preah Sihanouk provincial administration has granted a brief reprieve for resort owners on Koh Rong Sanloem’s Saracen Bay to dismantle their resorts. The new deadline expires at the end of February.

Long Dimanche, Preah Sihanouk provincial deputy governor, said yesterday that the postponement is intended to give sufficient time for resort owners to remove property from their businesses in the area.

“We will go check and remind them to leave the island every 7 days, until end of this February. We call on resort owners to cooperate with the authorities to move as soon as possible,” said Dimanche.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501237512/ ... s-delayed/

It's only a few places that are on the site of a project that's breaking ground next month (amusement park) that are being closed.