I went to Siem Riep 18 years ago , the temples I thought was amazing. I stayed at a 6 dollar a night guest house very clean extremely friendly . After that it started to get commercial, new 5 star hotels and many Chinese tourists . Bars with girls and lots of drugs . I think I was very lucky to see it at the time I did , when it was raw .
Yes it has certainly changed. We stayed at the Angkor Pearl on our first visit and at that time, there were no girly bars and things were a lot less seedy. It was a pretty town with mostly dirt roads and not much going on. Progress is one thing, but in Siem Reap things haven't always gone in the nicest direction. I think you are very lucky to have visited when you did.
Hello For Riel. I only been to Siem Riep one time but want to return there, i liked it a lot. It looks like a mess right now but its good to take away the dirty water to avoid mosquitos to lay their eggs in it. Duenge is a big problem for Cambodia. Thanks for showing. Greetings from Sweden.
When it's all finished it will be fantastic. I will try and do updates once a month to show the progress. Untilill rainy season hits. Stay safe and thanks for commenting.
All roads in Siem reap are under construction the same to Sihanouk ville last year. It will be finished in next year. Thanks for your sharing! I recommend you to go to coastal areas in our country.
We spoke to a PassApp driver tonight who said the whole project was supposed to be 15 months, so that leaves 13 months to finish the work. It's a massive job! We love visiting Kampot and Kep, and hope to visit again soon. Thank you so much for watching.
@@sherrimorris5403 yes it's everywhere. Streets that you would think are too tiny to worry about are being torn up. They're upgrading all of the powerlines at the moment as well, so there is good to come out of this.
Take a ride down Sok San heading west until you come to the ring road. At the intersection there is a gas station that has already had to remove parts of it's facility twice now, the first time was about 2 years ago because the authorities said they built too close to the existing roads, and the second time because obviously now all the roads around them are being widened and piping put in place beyond that. On the ring road, they dug about 6-8 feet down on the sides of the previously paved road, maybe about 10-12 feet wide. All the dirt was trucked out, then they brought new dirt in and added 2-3 feet each time with compacting until the sides were raised within 1 foot of the paved portion. After that, they removed all the asphalt, then graded what was remaining across the entire road, again compacted. The road is now 2.5 - 3 times wider than before. And all the business and houses along the ring road had to take out yet more area beyond the new sides of the road, maybe like 20-30 feet. One new Boray being built near Artbox was quite a bit off the road and yet they had to take about 10 feet off the front of their building. Took them 2-3 weeks to bring it down using manual labor. The Borey was wedge shaped so the long end would still be reasonably sized but the other short end has stories that are maybe like a large single office in size. My guess is since all the heavy transporters coming from the west on Hwy 6 go down this ring road to get back on Hwy 6 going east is that they will get this ring road completed the most quickly.
I have been to Siem Reap many times. I am a humanitarian photographer working for a school out in Monkol Borei. I love the country and really love the people! But... what a mess! I hope to be able to get back there in November of this year.
It's a real adventure everytime you leave the door. But as all projects it will take time to finish, just hard to get around the city. Thanks for commenting.
Hi Jeremy, thanks for sharing this vlog with us all. Its a great way to document the Road Developments in Siem Reap and the impact its having on the local community and businesses. It looks like a War Zone right now but i'm sure it will improve things when its all completed.
Definitely will improve Siem Reap but it's not a fun place to live at the moment for anyone. The rain last night made the roads a slippery nightmare for a lot of people. I do understand it's needed just there seems to be no planning happening.
I can't even trust Google maps these days! It told me to turn somewhere and where the road was supposed to be was a dead end. Nothing but giant sewer pipes and construction material. On the bright side, it's still pretty good around our neighborhood. Also, went down Wat Bo Road for the first time in awhile. That was horrible lol!
Yeah, I haven't been over Wat Bo side in a while but people who live over there said it was terrible. It's changing so quickly - normal road at 8am, result of bomb blast at 12pm. I feel like I am riding inside a pac man game where I constantly have to turn around and find a different way through.
It's strange as they were obsessed about knocking down everything on that road but nothing has happened yet. But the Highway is a mess near the supermarket.
@@BIGJED75 Very true about the highway! But it seems great compared to other parts of town! Take a drive to Psar Krolanh and put on something to hold your spleen in place lol
Hi Jeremy and Claire , this was such a nice ride about town , I used to watch a lot of different bands and singers at 5:02 this corner establishment some years ago , really sad to see her looking like this now , and yes , what would Cambodia be without 6:48 a constant reminder of the fine line between life and death , I'm guilty of loving both Chicken and Duck , sorry my vegetarian friends out there , judging by the amount of roadwork that lies ahead , it may very well be a long time before Siem Reap returns to any sense of normalcy , 2021 is already looking somewhat dicey , hope you two are enjoying life and staying safe , and as always , wishing you both , hold on a second , just a thought , should you have time , I'm interested in hearing how local business owners are fairing , their take on the current situation in Siem Reap , as well as their thoughts on the future , if you could interview the owners ( with their consent of course ) of The Cozy Bar , Belmiro's Pizza & Subs , and Joe's Bar & Grill , I am very interested as to how they've been able to keep their doors open , just an idea for a video , looking forward to your next adventure , take care , Peace ...
Hello, it just rained yesterday so this will add a new level to the situation, but it has washed the plants and cleaned the air. It's just a struggle to get anywhere at the moment, but at least I can breathe a bit better now. The dust was becoming extremely unhealthy, the sky was orange most days. A lot of businesses have closed down and everyone is cutting back on staff and local products. With this work happening it will stop people coming from PP and other towns as it's just not pleasant to be here at the moment. We will have some major news soon about our future plans in Cambodia.
Hi Brian, do you mean the Hard Rock Cafe? I don't know if it's even open anymore. Just the scale of the road work is amazing. They have definitely pooled the nation's earthworks equipment in Siem Reap right now. Funny you asked about local restaurants. I've got a food and restaurant video ready to go on Saturday!
Hi Jeremy... what was the name of that clinic again? Sounded like you said Nip dup clinic. I'm coming back to Siem Reap... might be good to know about that clinic and what street intersection it is on. Thank you. Oh wait.... I think I found it,. I think it is the Neak Tep Clinic and hospital. 7 Makara St, Chun Lung Village, Sangkat Sala Kamroeuk, Krong Siem Reap. Open 24 hours, seven days a week. They have two other branches.. one in Phnom Penh, and one in Poy Pet..(Poipet) on the Thai border.
That's the one! Neak Tep on 7 Makara. It's a great facility and you really feel like they are doing everything they can there. Always good to know where you can go in an emergency.
Hi Peter, I think they are storm water. I saw the pipes they were removing, and they were only about 20cm diameter, so these are way bigger and will make a huge difference to flash flooding in the rainy season.
Look what has happened to Sihanouk ville last year and what is changed in Sihanouk ville right now? They took the style of their succeed in repairing the infrastructure in Sihanouk and now apply it in Siem Reap. Take your time to Sihanouk ville , you will wishes Siem Reap for changing the same way as there.
Unfortunately people still have to live here and it's hard to do so with the amount of air pollution at the moment. BBU road has been a mess for over 2 years, it needs a road crew to help with road upkeep.
Noice vlog mate - featuring ALL of the dust! Its just carnage everywhere isn't it. I really hope it gets better before it gets really hot in April and May. You are right that in 2019 tourism numbers dropped off before C19. It was pretty quiet when we were there so the place was already struggling.
It's more you never know what road is going to be ripped up next. Then you don't know if it's a road upgrade or the infrastructure upgrades. One road they did the pipe work on is still a mess a year on. I don't want to be negative but it's just a mission just anything here at the moment.
It makes getting around town quite difficult. We've seen shops that are right on the edge of a 1 metre drop to the road. I don't know how they can put in a ramp because it would have to encroach on the new road.
@@ForRiel Yeah i suppose it makes the most mundane of outings all of a sudden become a chore. bugger i hope it gets better (Dang this video is going beautifully too!)
I'm sure it will improve the city in the long run but the cost to local businesses is huge. Hopefully they will start fixing things back up soon. Thanks for commenting.
I love your videos. I am awaiting my visa from the Cambodian consulate. I am strongly leaning towards Siem Reap. It's nice to know what I'm walking into. I don't see the road construction as a deterrent, but a timely heads up from you.
Thanks, we love making them. If you need to work ie teaching Siem Reap and PP are good, if not I would head to Kampot for a few months till the roadwork has settled down. Our Kampot Vlogs could have been better but we were very sick for most of it. Just had luck, but I did lose a few kilos.
Thanks so much for watching! Have you been to Cambodia before? You have done well to be able to score a visa in these times - no easy feat from what I read. Keep us posted on your progress :)
@@ForRiel I have been twice- once to Siem Reap and of course the ruins and once to Phnom Penh. Awaiting visa. Sent the worst possible week, record snow and cold weather in Texas.
@@BIGJED75 I'm definitely keeping plans loose. Have an FB friend that has been gracious enough to tell me a LOT about the happenings in Siem Reap. It's one thing to hear about the roads. It was cool actually seeing what was happening with that in another one of your videos. Really solid work you two are doing. Thanks!
Here's an article about the new Siem Reap airport they're building. It's 51km out of town, whereas the current airport is 7km. www.khmertimeskh.com/50812043/new-siem-reap-airport-construction-confirmed-as-on-schedule/
Been watching the progress of both airports Phnom Penh and Siem Reap , both will be amazing when finished , many times i heard i don't know where i am hmm how did you make it back to S/R ?? was it the knowledgeable bus driver perhaps !!! best way to explore go get lost then find your way back .. loved the roads there mayhem, lol catchya...
Thanks for your video...I was in SR for some time going back a few years ago...looks like the economic damage must be hitting the locals hard? So many shops and restaurants closed..
I understand the construction work is needed but it's insane the amount of roads ripped up at the moment. At one stage we went down four separate roads to get home and all were ripped up. Unsure how businesses keep going.
So many were closed already due to the downturn, and now they have to cope with this. Many won't survive or will just board up, go to their homelands, and come back when things improve.
Actually 6 months after your video the roads looked quite good then compared to what they are now. Since then part of the Old Market has been demolished with all the surrounding roads destroyed or turned into dirt roads including Pub Street. Much of Srivatha Boulevard is dirt road or covered in sand. As I mentioned under one of your other videos - the roads are not actually being widened: only the footpaths are being widened. Sok San road was not part of this project - it was improved by the provincial government before the project started - that's why it is finished while nothing else is.
Yeah Sok San road looked really good - even had drains on either side. I saw some video of Sivutha the other day and it just looked like a wasteland. How is the other side of the river faring? Wat Bo road was a mess and all the way along to Sala Kamruek too. I wonder if they imagine that cyclists will use the footpaths instead of the roads. I also wonder how far off completion the whole project is. Thanks for the insight.
@@ForRiel Sorry to say that I almost never go to the other side of the river so do not know how it is there. Travel outside your sangkat is forbidden. Completion (if ever) is doubtful. There is supposed to be a grand opening in November but activity has almost come to a standstill now. I suspect there may be some sort of dispute with the contractors - e.g. not getting paid. There have been many worker strikes for non-payment. I doubt that the footpaths will be usable by cyclists. The kerbs are too high and most of the footpaths lead to nowhere so you would have to go up and down constantly.
Corrupted government never builds a good road and the road will be bad in a few year. I had a friend who is a civil engineer in the States. He was the one who tested the road is compact to meet civil engineering standard or not by using a nuclear device after the roller rolled on the dirt. If it doesn't meet the standard, he will ask the contractor to pour more dirt and roll it over again. Then, the contractor can pour asphalt to finish it up. I believe at least 4" thick of asphalt. This is very poor workmanship the way they do construction. They don't put a safety barrier or clean up anything. In the States, this will be failed by city safety inspector and they will order to shut it down.
There was an old saying "Ancient Khmer built the Angkor Wat to last a thousand year but they now couldn't even build the roads to last a few years." Be safe travels and getting 1K subs very soon!
Funny enough the roads around Angkor Wat are amazing. I understand the construction while the boarders are closed, but this is insane. We are very lucky to have great subscribers and look forward to your comments. Our channel is to promote Cambodia, but not to cover over problems it is having.
@@ForRiel We drove to Mondulkiri Province northern part of Cambodia and the highway was built for only a few years ago and now they have to resurface them as the potholes are scattered along the way. It also happened to the highway to Koh Kong Province in the northwest. They were built by Chinese companies!
@Andrew Lee They should take their time to build it right. If they keep redoing the same thing over and over, it's just wasting so much time and money!
Oh yes, we've seen videos coming out of Siem Reap these last few months and it has been dreadful. There was some rain before we left, and the fine dust turns into the most slippery and dangerous covering all over any roads that are still left. I have seen cars and trucks up to their windows in mud pits. Makes me shudder and look at the beautiful roads in Kampot with something close to love.
They are saying the end of the year, but honestly I've only seen one fully completed road( which they have dug up in a few spots already). I do hope it all works out but I'm not very optimistic.
I don't understand the reasoning behind this video. All major infrastructure jobs cause problems, but surely it makes sense to do all this work now, when there are no tourists. It's not as if the roads are busy, other than the usual local bikes. If the sewers need replacing/improving - then get it done now in one go rather than piecemeal. Siem Reap seems fortunate to have the money to get all this work done.
It's more that the local businesses were already suffering so much due to the fact that there has been no tourism for over a year. It is really difficult to convey how extensive this roadwork is in Siem Reap, and how close to impossible it is to keep a business going through this major disruption. Many businesses that were just hanging on by a thread will not be able to withstand this further blow. Yes, it will be great once it's finished, but our concern is for the casualties along the way.
Totally agree major infrastructure is needed and causes problems. But also it's a city and it needs to at least have some good roads to be finished before starting 3 more. There are roads that have been ripped up for piping and then covered and left for over a year. Siem Reap is one of the poorer areas in Cambodia so the money is coming from China for the roads and the ADB (Asian Development Bank) for the drainage work. I was just showing what is happening and the impact it's having. Thanks for commenting.
The improvements are definitely needed, but I think they should have done the work in stages. They can't redo all roads simultaneously in parallel, there's not enough equipment and manpower for that. It's not just the total impact on businesses all at once, all the fences, buildings, etc that need to be destroyed and re-fixed are at the owner's expense. I heard somewhere if you don't get it done, the government charges $30 square meter to do it.
@@jimellis1810 they made everyone knock buildings down and then didn't do anything on those streets. But then rip up streets that wasn't that bad. But honestly it's annoying but you get used to it.
@@BIGJED75 Yep, there is one road near us that had been redone in concrete within the last year. It was wider already than the average road in Siem Reap. They broke that road up into chunks with those backhoes that have the giant jackhammers instead of buckets , laborers then broke them up more to remove the rebar, and all the debris was hauled off.
I don’t see the message of this Video. What do you want to tell us? For sure it is a mess, it even will get worse when rainy season starts. But they improve infrastructure during the right time when tourism is covid dead. I see it positive and look forward to a much nicer city next year.
Indeed we are also looking forward to the end result of all of this construction. I think it is difficult to convey the scale of it through a video. The message is that there are many months of tough times ahead for locals who were already struggling. Businesses affected are of all kinds - moto repair shops, local restaurants, hardware stores, hair salons, pharmacies - the kinds of businesses that aren't reliant on tourism but are just hanging on because fewer and fewer locals can afford anything more than basic food supplies. I am sure the end result will be better than it was before, but it's going to take at least a year, probably more like 18 months. Thank you for your interest and for commenting. It's a good discussion to have. :)
I'm very curious to see what Siem Reap will look like after the road construction finishes but all I worry about right now is businesses losing money. It will cause negative impact to a lot of locals (especially tourism company) Hopefully covid will be gone soon. Prayers to every lives in the World right now that are struggling.
Welcome Aspect, first thanks for commenting. It will be very interesting to see when it starts to return to some sort of functional road system. The work is dotted all over the city, so dirt is everywhere. A lot of businesses have had to close due to not being able to actually open, due to huge holes stopping them getting to there building.
I know of a handful of expat-run businesses that had managed to stay open until these roadworks started, but in the last week or so have just decided that enough is enough. It must be about 1000 times worse for local people who are trading on a much smaller margin to begin with, and probably holding 1000 times the debt of expats running businesses here. We try to help out where we can, but the scale of this road construction makes the level of need difficult to comprehend.
@@ForRiel You're right, Since the whole Siem Reap is full of road constructions right now dust is everywhere but thank god they are not doing road upgrades in my area.
@@aspect9857 the strangest thing is there was a mad rush to knock down buildings to close to the road. But nothing has really happened to most of those streets, except the buildings being moved.
In August 2019, around 170 people were killed and 428 injured in 314 traffic accidents in Cambodia. At least 5 people die in road accidents each day of the year. www.phnompenhpost.com/national/least-five-people-die-cambodian-roads-each-day
You must have gotten a lot of new subscribers in the last month...it's now showing 1.23K... Angkor Night Market street off Sok San looks like a war zone... I was following you OK until you turned right of Wat Bo and then I was lost.... How do they do so much road work all at the same time...seems like it would be hard to get the materials, equipment, and qualified workers...Did they get a big cash infusion from China??? Thanks for the video
Hey Stitch! I hope you've been keeping well. We had a lot of new subscribers in the past month. I think a couple of people shared a few videos and things took off. I am not sure where the funding for the roadwork came from but every single piece of earthmoving equipment on the planet is in Siem Reap right now. It's completely crazy!
Yep looks like a bit of a mess, has the road work equated to more work for the local people on the road construction. Getting lost when out exploring only adds to the whole experience. Take care out on the roads, and thanks for the bumpy dusty ride.
It rained so less dust, but now mud. It would be great for businesses if they actually finished a road before tearing up another. Plus it would show the look they are good for. There are roads they ripped up over a year ago still in terrible condition. It has ruined many businesses and caused a lot of accidents.
From what I see there is quite a bit of local workers involved, certainly it seems like every available local dump truck is in use. Also, the destruction and rebuilding of fences, buildings, etc involves local workers, paid for by the owners of course. A lot of times you'll see a new fence being built behind the old fence, and then after that's done the old fence is torn down.
Savi in the house, wow! I'm one half of For Riel. It's changed massively over the last year. A lot of businesses have closed and most of the roads around the town area have been dug up for pipe work. Night market area is mostly torn down. A lot of people doing it tough. Any chance you heading back for a tour, I'm sure it would surprise you. Anyway thanks a lot for commenting means so much! Stay safe and always be For Riel.
Developments need to be planned so they run smoothly. Just leveling out the footpaths after they have finished would be a start. I understand it will get better but ripping up so much at once is causing a lot of businesses to close.
Visitor numbers from most countries have been on the decline for a number of years. The only country that increased prior to COVID was China. Tourist numbers in Cambodia are usually calculated according to the number of foreign tourists purchasing an Angkor Pass. Angkor Enterprise publishes these statistics monthly. It's quite interesting if you are into that kind of thing. Here's the link: www.angkorenterprise.gov.kh/
I'm not the smartest cookie, mixed with my brain focused on not getting killed I'm amazing I can talk at all. This is all done as I ride not dubbed in after, so "Ok" means I'm not dead.
Sorry the mask and thick dust makes it a bit hard to breath so wheezing may occur. As there are a lot of large potholes there maybe a few groans from time to time. I'm very sorry and I will learn to internalise the pain from now on, thanks for commenting.
I went to Siem Riep 18 years ago , the temples I thought was amazing. I stayed at a 6 dollar a night guest house very clean extremely friendly . After that it started to get commercial, new 5 star hotels and many Chinese tourists . Bars with girls and lots of drugs . I think I was very lucky to see it at the time I did , when it was raw .
Yes it has certainly changed. We stayed at the Angkor Pearl on our first visit and at that time, there were no girly bars and things were a lot less seedy. It was a pretty town with mostly dirt roads and not much going on. Progress is one thing, but in Siem Reap things haven't always gone in the nicest direction. I think you are very lucky to have visited when you did.
Hello For Riel.
I only been to Siem Riep one time but want to return there, i liked it a lot. It looks like a mess right now but its good to take away the dirty water to avoid mosquitos to lay their eggs in it. Duenge is a big problem for Cambodia. Thanks for showing.
Greetings from Sweden.
When it's all finished it will be fantastic. I will try and do updates once a month to show the progress. Untilill rainy season hits. Stay safe and thanks for commenting.
All roads in Siem reap are under construction the same to Sihanouk ville last year. It will be finished in next year. Thanks for your sharing! I recommend you to go to coastal areas in our country.
We spoke to a PassApp driver tonight who said the whole project was supposed to be 15 months, so that leaves 13 months to finish the work. It's a massive job! We love visiting Kampot and Kep, and hope to visit again soon. Thank you so much for watching.
It will be hopefully amazing and finished by the middle of next year. Just so much dust and smoke in the air at the moment.
@@ForRiel Is this through residential area as well?
@@sherrimorris5403 yes it's everywhere. Streets that you would think are too tiny to worry about are being torn up. They're upgrading all of the powerlines at the moment as well, so there is good to come out of this.
Take a ride down Sok San heading west until you come to the ring road. At the intersection there is a gas station that has already had to remove parts of it's facility twice now, the first time was about 2 years ago because the authorities said they built too close to the existing roads, and the second time because obviously now all the roads around them are being widened and piping put in place beyond that. On the ring road, they dug about 6-8 feet down on the sides of the previously paved road, maybe about 10-12 feet wide. All the dirt was trucked out, then they brought new dirt in and added 2-3 feet each time with compacting until the sides were raised within 1 foot of the paved portion. After that, they removed all the asphalt, then graded what was remaining across the entire road, again compacted. The road is now 2.5 - 3 times wider than before. And all the business and houses along the ring road had to take out yet more area beyond the new sides of the road, maybe like 20-30 feet. One new Boray being built near Artbox was quite a bit off the road and yet they had to take about 10 feet off the front of their building. Took them 2-3 weeks to bring it down using manual labor. The Borey was wedge shaped so the long end would still be reasonably sized but the other short end has stories that are maybe like a large single office in size. My guess is since all the heavy transporters coming from the west on Hwy 6 go down this ring road to get back on Hwy 6 going east is that they will get this ring road completed the most quickly.
Wow, that gave me a headache just reading the layers of crazy. The ring road is a truck racing track at the moment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Jeremy for sharing this Video and will love to see your next Video. Stay safe.
Thank you so much for watching! We're working on our next video right now :)
I have been to Siem Reap many times. I am a humanitarian photographer working for a school out in Monkol Borei. I love the country and really love the people! But... what a mess! I hope to be able to get back there in November of this year.
Would love to meet you. Thanks for this!
It's a real adventure everytime you leave the door. But as all projects it will take time to finish, just hard to get around the city. Thanks for commenting.
What's worse, the dust and dirt in the dry season, or the mud (some of it really bad) in the rainy season?
It just rained last night, just enough to make some lovely mud.
Unseasonal rain. It's going to be a mess out there today.
Hi Jeremy, thanks for sharing this vlog with us all. Its a great way to document the Road Developments in Siem Reap and the impact its having on the local community and businesses. It looks like a War Zone right now but i'm sure it will improve things when its all completed.
Definitely will improve Siem Reap but it's not a fun place to live at the moment for anyone. The rain last night made the roads a slippery nightmare for a lot of people. I do understand it's needed just there seems to be no planning happening.
We are excited about the end result, just hoping the local businesses can hang on a bit longer.
Best Time now to do construction. No Tourist you disturb.
Enjoy the road works it took over 1 year for sihanoukville to get back to normal still not finished enjoy rainy season
I'm more concerned about the hot season and the dust that's going to be unleashed. Rainy season we are just going to buy a boat.
Rainy season will be a nightmare. Hope it comes late this year.
I can't even trust Google maps these days! It told me to turn somewhere and where the road was supposed to be was a dead end. Nothing but giant sewer pipes and construction material.
On the bright side, it's still pretty good around our neighborhood.
Also, went down Wat Bo Road for the first time in awhile. That was horrible lol!
Yeah, I haven't been over Wat Bo side in a while but people who live over there said it was terrible. It's changing so quickly - normal road at 8am, result of bomb blast at 12pm. I feel like I am riding inside a pac man game where I constantly have to turn around and find a different way through.
It's strange as they were obsessed about knocking down everything on that road but nothing has happened yet. But the Highway is a mess near the supermarket.
@@BIGJED75 Very true about the highway! But it seems great compared to other parts of town! Take a drive to Psar Krolanh and put on something to hold your spleen in place lol
@@ForRiel Lol.
Hi Jeremy and Claire , this was such a nice ride about town , I used to watch a lot of different bands and singers at 5:02 this corner establishment some years ago , really sad to see her looking like this now , and yes , what would Cambodia be without 6:48 a constant reminder of the fine line between life and death , I'm guilty of loving both Chicken and Duck , sorry my vegetarian friends out there , judging by the amount of roadwork that lies ahead , it may very well be a long time before Siem Reap returns to any sense of normalcy , 2021 is already looking somewhat dicey , hope you two are enjoying life and staying safe , and as always , wishing you both , hold on a second , just a thought , should you have time , I'm interested in hearing how local business owners are fairing , their take on the current situation in Siem Reap , as well as their thoughts on the future , if you could interview the owners ( with their consent of course ) of The Cozy Bar , Belmiro's Pizza & Subs , and Joe's Bar & Grill , I am very interested as to how they've been able to keep their doors open , just an idea for a video , looking forward to your next adventure , take care , Peace ...
Hello, it just rained yesterday so this will add a new level to the situation, but it has washed the plants and cleaned the air. It's just a struggle to get anywhere at the moment, but at least I can breathe a bit better now. The dust was becoming extremely unhealthy, the sky was orange most days.
A lot of businesses have closed down and everyone is cutting back on staff and local products. With this work happening it will stop people coming from PP and other towns as it's just not pleasant to be here at the moment. We will have some major news soon about our future plans in Cambodia.
Hi Brian, do you mean the Hard Rock Cafe? I don't know if it's even open anymore. Just the scale of the road work is amazing. They have definitely pooled the nation's earthworks equipment in Siem Reap right now.
Funny you asked about local restaurants. I've got a food and restaurant video ready to go on Saturday!
Hi Jeremy I'm new to your channel love your video also I'm originally from Cambodia but I live in the us for almost 40 years now
Hi! So good you are here! Which part of Cambodia were you from? Thanks for supporting our channel.
We have plenty of Vlogs to watch if you wish. Will start traveling a bit more soon. Anyway you really want to see?
Hi Jeremy... what was the name of that clinic again? Sounded like you said Nip dup clinic. I'm coming back to Siem Reap... might be good to know about that clinic and what street intersection it is on. Thank you. Oh wait.... I think I found it,. I think it is the Neak Tep Clinic and hospital. 7 Makara St, Chun Lung Village, Sangkat Sala Kamroeuk, Krong Siem Reap. Open 24 hours, seven days a week.
They have two other branches.. one in Phnom Penh, and one in Poy Pet..(Poipet) on the Thai border.
That's the one! Neak Tep on 7 Makara. It's a great facility and you really feel like they are doing everything they can there. Always good to know where you can go in an emergency.
A question without notice, those large pipes are they for storm water or sewage, or both , Peter,
Hi Peter, I think they are storm water. I saw the pipes they were removing, and they were only about 20cm diameter, so these are way bigger and will make a huge difference to flash flooding in the rainy season.
Look what has happened to Sihanouk ville last year and what is changed in Sihanouk ville right now? They took the style of their succeed in repairing the infrastructure in Sihanouk and now apply it in Siem Reap. Take your time to Sihanouk ville , you will wishes Siem Reap for changing the same way as there.
We still haven't been to Sihanoukville. Might have to go and see the future of Siem Reap in action.
@@ForRiel there are hundreds videos uploaded on TH-cam talking about infrastructure progression in Sihanouk ville
Unfortunately people still have to live here and it's hard to do so with the amount of air pollution at the moment. BBU road has been a mess for over 2 years, it needs a road crew to help with road upkeep.
Noice vlog mate - featuring ALL of the dust! Its just carnage everywhere isn't it. I really hope it gets better before it gets really hot in April and May. You are right that in 2019 tourism numbers dropped off before C19. It was pretty quiet when we were there so the place was already struggling.
It's more you never know what road is going to be ripped up next. Then you don't know if it's a road upgrade or the infrastructure upgrades.
One road they did the pipe work on is still a mess a year on. I don't want to be negative but it's just a mission just anything here at the moment.
It makes getting around town quite difficult. We've seen shops that are right on the edge of a 1 metre drop to the road. I don't know how they can put in a ramp because it would have to encroach on the new road.
@@ForRiel Yeah i suppose it makes the most mundane of outings all of a sudden become a chore. bugger i hope it gets better (Dang this video is going beautifully too!)
@@MarcsMildlyInteresting someone must have shared it. Outrageous! 🤩😆
Thank you very much beautiful sharing im new friend
Thank you so much for watching, we really appreciate it!
good see development in siem reap keep up the great videos miss Cambodia
I'm sure it will improve the city in the long run but the cost to local businesses is huge. Hopefully they will start fixing things back up soon. Thanks for commenting.
Thank you so much for watching! 🍍🍍🍍
Thanks Again For Sharing
Thanks for always commenting.
We're happy to have you along. 🍦🍰☕
I love your videos. I am awaiting my visa from the Cambodian consulate. I am strongly leaning towards Siem Reap. It's nice to know what I'm walking into. I don't see the road construction as a deterrent, but a timely heads up from you.
Thanks, we love making them. If you need to work ie teaching Siem Reap and PP are good, if not I would head to Kampot for a few months till the roadwork has settled down. Our Kampot Vlogs could have been better but we were very sick for most of it. Just had luck, but I did lose a few kilos.
Thanks so much for watching! Have you been to Cambodia before? You have done well to be able to score a visa in these times - no easy feat from what I read. Keep us posted on your progress :)
@@ForRiel I have been twice- once to Siem Reap and of course the ruins and once to Phnom Penh. Awaiting visa. Sent the worst possible week, record snow and cold weather in Texas.
@@BIGJED75 I'm definitely keeping plans loose. Have an FB friend that has been gracious enough to tell me a LOT about the happenings in Siem Reap. It's one thing to hear about the roads. It was cool actually seeing what was happening with that in another one of your videos. Really solid work you two are doing. Thanks!
@@stanh922 yeah the weather over there has been insane!
It’s easy to be cynical and difficult to believe things will be better if they ever finish.
True. Trying to stay positive as much as possible!
Can only think positive, but also be realistic. Wait and see, life is full of unknowns.
Your video made me miss Siem Reap so much because I just left there a few days ago. I live pretty close to Wat Domnak temple
Why did you leave?
I like it over that way. Are you coming back?
@@BIGJED75 my vacation was only 3 months there and had to come back to the states
@@ForRiel hopefully I can visit my friends and family over in Siem Reap again next year 🙏
@@ForRiel I just subscribed your channel by the way, and please keep the vids coming out about Cambodia specially Siem Reap 🙏
Here's an article about the new Siem Reap airport they're building. It's 51km out of town, whereas the current airport is 7km. www.khmertimeskh.com/50812043/new-siem-reap-airport-construction-confirmed-as-on-schedule/
Been watching the progress of both airports Phnom Penh and Siem Reap , both will be amazing when finished , many times i heard i don't know where i am hmm how did you make it back to S/R ?? was it the knowledgeable bus driver perhaps !!! best way to explore go get lost then find your way back .. loved the roads there mayhem, lol catchya...
@@heymaddo I completely agree that getting lost is the best! It's easier now because streets that were familiar are unrecognisable.
Thanks for your video...I was in SR for some time going back a few years ago...looks like the economic damage must be hitting the locals hard? So many shops and restaurants closed..
I understand the construction work is needed but it's insane the amount of roads ripped up at the moment. At one stage we went down four separate roads to get home and all were ripped up. Unsure how businesses keep going.
So many were closed already due to the downturn, and now they have to cope with this. Many won't survive or will just board up, go to their homelands, and come back when things improve.
The Road look like Sihanoukville in 2020
😊 now its better.
There is hope! :)
They will have the major highway between Sihanoukville and PP done by 2022 I think. That will be a game changer. Thanks for commenting.
@@BIGJED75 First half of 2022 if there are no delays.
@@melluzi "no delays" ...... They are spreading gravel around so, fingers crossed.
@@BIGJED75 www.phnompenhpost.com/business/phnom-penh-sihanoukville-expressway-schedule says at least in Nov 2020 they were on schedule.
Actually 6 months after your video the roads looked quite good then compared to what they are now. Since then part of the Old Market has been demolished with all the surrounding roads destroyed or turned into dirt roads including Pub Street. Much of Srivatha Boulevard is dirt road or covered in sand. As I mentioned under one of your other videos - the roads are not actually being widened: only the footpaths are being widened. Sok San road was not part of this project - it was improved by the provincial government before the project started - that's why it is finished while nothing else is.
Yeah Sok San road looked really good - even had drains on either side. I saw some video of Sivutha the other day and it just looked like a wasteland. How is the other side of the river faring? Wat Bo road was a mess and all the way along to Sala Kamruek too. I wonder if they imagine that cyclists will use the footpaths instead of the roads. I also wonder how far off completion the whole project is. Thanks for the insight.
@@ForRiel Sorry to say that I almost never go to the other side of the river so do not know how it is there. Travel outside your sangkat is forbidden. Completion (if ever) is doubtful. There is supposed to be a grand opening in November but activity has almost come to a standstill now. I suspect there may be some sort of dispute with the contractors - e.g. not getting paid. There have been many worker strikes for non-payment. I doubt that the footpaths will be usable by cyclists. The kerbs are too high and most of the footpaths lead to nowhere so you would have to go up and down constantly.
Corrupted government never builds a good road and the road will be bad in a few year. I had a friend who is a civil engineer in the States. He was the one who tested the road is compact to meet civil engineering standard or not by using a nuclear device after the roller rolled on the dirt. If it doesn't meet the standard, he will ask the contractor to pour more dirt and roll it over again. Then, the contractor can pour asphalt to finish it up. I believe at least 4" thick of asphalt. This is very poor workmanship the way they do construction. They don't put a safety barrier or clean up anything. In the States, this will be failed by city safety inspector and they will order to shut it down.
There was an old saying "Ancient Khmer built the Angkor Wat to last a thousand year but they now couldn't even build the roads to last a few years." Be safe travels and getting 1K subs very soon!
Funny enough the roads around Angkor Wat are amazing. I understand the construction while the boarders are closed, but this is insane. We are very lucky to have great subscribers and look forward to your comments. Our channel is to promote Cambodia, but not to cover over problems it is having.
Haha I think the roads in Siem Reap will be great, it's just a painful process right now.
@@ForRiel We drove to Mondulkiri Province northern part of Cambodia and the highway was built for only a few years ago and now they have to resurface them as the potholes are scattered along the way. It also happened to the highway to Koh Kong Province in the northwest. They were built by Chinese companies!
@@KhmerMinnesnowta This is a worst corruption country in south east Asia. Contract pass on an envelope . the minister sign of the completion works.
@Andrew Lee They should take their time to build it right. If they keep redoing the same thing over and over, it's just wasting so much time and money!
They need to invest in some form of mechased road sweeping/cleaning equipment asap! Dread to think what it's going to be like in the rainy season 😨
Oh yes, we've seen videos coming out of Siem Reap these last few months and it has been dreadful. There was some rain before we left, and the fine dust turns into the most slippery and dangerous covering all over any roads that are still left. I have seen cars and trucks up to their windows in mud pits. Makes me shudder and look at the beautiful roads in Kampot with something close to love.
SIEM reap ❤️I miss my friends Cambodia ❤️🤞🌷👍
❤️❤️❤️❤️ hard times in Siem Reap right now.
Ģreat video Jeremy such a mess there at the moment . Do they have a end date for all this ? Hopefully soon. Take care 🙂❤
They are saying the end of the year, but honestly I've only seen one fully completed road( which they have dug up in a few spots already). I do hope it all works out but I'm not very optimistic.
There has to be a tipping point where things start to improve. Hopefully for the business owners that isn't too far away.
wow amazing landscape 😍😍💝💝😍😍
It's a very special time to be in Siem Reap.
Siem Reap landscape is changing forever :(
I don't understand the reasoning behind this video. All major infrastructure jobs cause problems, but surely it makes sense to do all this work now, when there are no tourists. It's not as if the roads are busy, other than the usual local bikes. If the sewers need replacing/improving - then get it done now in one go rather than piecemeal. Siem Reap seems fortunate to have the money to get all this work done.
It's more that the local businesses were already suffering so much due to the fact that there has been no tourism for over a year. It is really difficult to convey how extensive this roadwork is in Siem Reap, and how close to impossible it is to keep a business going through this major disruption. Many businesses that were just hanging on by a thread will not be able to withstand this further blow. Yes, it will be great once it's finished, but our concern is for the casualties along the way.
Totally agree major infrastructure is needed and causes problems. But also it's a city and it needs to at least have some good roads to be finished before starting 3 more. There are roads that have been ripped up for piping and then covered and left for over a year. Siem Reap is one of the poorer areas in Cambodia so the money is coming from China for the roads and the ADB (Asian Development Bank) for the drainage work. I was just showing what is happening and the impact it's having. Thanks for commenting.
The improvements are definitely needed, but I think they should have done the work in stages. They can't redo all roads simultaneously in parallel, there's not enough equipment and manpower for that. It's not just the total impact on businesses all at once, all the fences, buildings, etc that need to be destroyed and re-fixed are at the owner's expense. I heard somewhere if you don't get it done, the government charges $30 square meter to do it.
@@jimellis1810 they made everyone knock buildings down and then didn't do anything on those streets. But then rip up streets that wasn't that bad. But honestly it's annoying but you get used to it.
@@BIGJED75 Yep, there is one road near us that had been redone in concrete within the last year. It was wider already than the average road in Siem Reap. They broke that road up into chunks with those backhoes that have the giant jackhammers instead of buckets , laborers then broke them up more to remove the rebar, and all the debris was hauled off.
I don’t see the message of this Video. What do you want to tell us? For sure it is a mess, it even will get worse when rainy season starts. But they improve infrastructure during the right time when tourism is covid dead. I see it positive and look forward to a much nicer city next year.
Indeed we are also looking forward to the end result of all of this construction. I think it is difficult to convey the scale of it through a video. The message is that there are many months of tough times ahead for locals who were already struggling. Businesses affected are of all kinds - moto repair shops, local restaurants, hardware stores, hair salons, pharmacies - the kinds of businesses that aren't reliant on tourism but are just hanging on because fewer and fewer locals can afford anything more than basic food supplies. I am sure the end result will be better than it was before, but it's going to take at least a year, probably more like 18 months. Thank you for your interest and for commenting. It's a good discussion to have. :)
Unfortunately people actually live here. It's not a town without locals trying to live there lives. The scale is unbelievable.
I'm very curious to see what Siem Reap will look like after the road construction finishes but all I worry about right now is businesses losing money. It will cause negative impact to a lot of locals (especially tourism company) Hopefully covid will be gone soon. Prayers to every lives in the World right now that are struggling.
Welcome Aspect, first thanks for commenting. It will be very interesting to see when it starts to return to some sort of functional road system. The work is dotted all over the city, so dirt is everywhere. A lot of businesses have had to close due to not being able to actually open, due to huge holes stopping them getting to there building.
I know of a handful of expat-run businesses that had managed to stay open until these roadworks started, but in the last week or so have just decided that enough is enough. It must be about 1000 times worse for local people who are trading on a much smaller margin to begin with, and probably holding 1000 times the debt of expats running businesses here. We try to help out where we can, but the scale of this road construction makes the level of need difficult to comprehend.
@@ForRiel You're right, Since the whole Siem Reap is full of road constructions right now dust is everywhere but thank god they are not doing road upgrades in my area.
@@aspect9857 the strangest thing is there was a mad rush to knock down buildings to close to the road. But nothing has really happened to most of those streets, except the buildings being moved.
Yeah
I love your show, USA
Thank you for watching from the US! We're happy you are here.
Thanks, leave any requests of thinks you would like to see.
How many accidents do they have here, in say a day? 50, 100.??
In August 2019, around 170 people were killed and 428 injured in 314 traffic accidents in Cambodia. At least 5 people die in road accidents each day of the year. www.phnompenhpost.com/national/least-five-people-die-cambodian-roads-each-day
I have seen about 6 so far but nothing to bad. But I know a few people have seen people get killed in road accidents.
not even a closed-road sign..
There wouldn't be enough in the whole of Cambodia! :)
There a few, but it isn't closed until you can't find a short cut around. That maybe footpath, backyard and across a thin wooden plank.
ask , how you get through, if they tell you the truth, its a proof, that you might be accepted.
You must have gotten a lot of new subscribers in the last month...it's now showing 1.23K... Angkor Night Market street off Sok San looks like a war zone... I was following you OK until you turned right of Wat Bo and then I was lost.... How do they do so much road work all at the same time...seems like it would be hard to get the materials, equipment, and qualified workers...Did they get a big cash infusion from China??? Thanks for the video
Hey Stitch! I hope you've been keeping well. We had a lot of new subscribers in the past month. I think a couple of people shared a few videos and things took off. I am not sure where the funding for the roadwork came from but every single piece of earthmoving equipment on the planet is in Siem Reap right now. It's completely crazy!
keep doing the great work
Thanks, will do! 😀😀😀😀😀
Yep looks like a bit of a mess, has the road work equated to more work for the local people on the road construction. Getting lost when out exploring only adds to the whole experience. Take care out on the roads, and thanks for the bumpy dusty ride.
It rained so less dust, but now mud. It would be great for businesses if they actually finished a road before tearing up another. Plus it would show the look they are good for. There are roads they ripped up over a year ago still in terrible condition. It has ruined many businesses and caused a lot of accidents.
Glad you enjoyed it, San! xx
From what I see there is quite a bit of local workers involved, certainly it seems like every available local dump truck is in use. Also, the destruction and rebuilding of fences, buildings, etc involves local workers, paid for by the owners of course. A lot of times you'll see a new fence being built behind the old fence, and then after that's done the old fence is torn down.
Hey For Riel, I swear it doesn't look much different than when I visited a few years back. I don't think they'll ever finish construction!
Savi in the house, wow! I'm one half of For Riel. It's changed massively over the last year. A lot of businesses have closed and most of the roads around the town area have been dug up for pipe work. Night market area is mostly torn down. A lot of people doing it tough. Any chance you heading back for a tour, I'm sure it would surprise you. Anyway thanks a lot for commenting means so much! Stay safe and always be For Riel.
Hey Savi! Yeah construction seems to be a permanent thing here.
Just subscribed.
Welcome, to For Riel. Are you interested in Siem Reap or Cambodia as a whole?
Hi Chris! We're really happy you're here 😊
Developing country like this my friend. Thanks for visiting Cambodia. Best regards to you both.
Developments need to be planned so they run smoothly. Just leveling out the footpaths after they have finished would be a start. I understand it will get better but ripping up so much at once is causing a lot of businesses to close.
All rights.
Yes it must be so hard for local people who are already struggling. 😔
Corona virus gone
Everything will be back and beautiful
Like after rain - clear sky
@@Eden-ip8wf unfortunately I think it will take a long time for Siem Reap to get back to normal. But hopefully it will be much better after the work.
Jeremy , you said Sean Reap tourism has been in decline for some years , even before COVID-19, I find this surprising, ? Peter ,
People travel to Siem Reap to visit Angkor Wat. Once they’ve seen the complex there’s not a great deal else to do so rarely return.
Visitor numbers from most countries have been on the decline for a number of years. The only country that increased prior to COVID was China. Tourist numbers in Cambodia are usually calculated according to the number of foreign tourists purchasing an Angkor Pass. Angkor Enterprise publishes these statistics monthly. It's quite interesting if you are into that kind of thing. Here's the link: www.angkorenterprise.gov.kh/
Yeah, I did some research and it was very interesting to see.
How many times do you need to say “ OK”?
Forgot to tell you, it's a drinking game...
@@ForRiel well, OK.
I'm not the smartest cookie, mixed with my brain focused on not getting killed I'm amazing I can talk at all. This is all done as I ride not dubbed in after, so "Ok" means I'm not dead.
Shut up! You need to believe angkar, this infrastructure revolution will bring back khmer glory.
It probably will - just take 18 months or so.....
@@ForRiel idk man, sometimes good plan didnt go well for every person. They need raised people life and education too along with infrastructure.
I heard បែកៗអោយស្រឡះទៅហា
What does it mean?
So much suffering
Yes, so much. I feel for these people every day.
But eventually it will get better. Just hope they can hold on till then.
#779!
#1975 best year ever!
Shame developing.
It's needed to grow a city, but you still have to live in it. Fine line between pleasure and pain. Plus thanks for commenting.
Don’t waste your time......ughhh!
Yeah it was terrible when we left and we have not regretted leaving for one moment.
just talk stop the wheezing and groaning
Sorry the mask and thick dust makes it a bit hard to breath so wheezing may occur. As there are a lot of large potholes there maybe a few groans from time to time. I'm very sorry and I will learn to internalise the pain from now on, thanks for commenting.
I'm so sorry for any inconvenience due to the roads and dust.