In addition to a luxury resort and hotel, the proposed project includes a new hospital, school and residential housing 

A NEW development project is in the works in the Modol Seyma district of Koh Kong province designed to attract tourists and investors to the province, a representative from the company leading the development told the Post Tuesday.

Long Sarin, general manager of the Souy Chheng Investment Co, said development plans for the province include resorts, hotels, residential housing, shopping complexes and infrastructure improvements expected to include a new hospital and school for local residents.

The new development - the first of four commercial and residential projects planned for the area - is slated for a 127-hectare area one kilometre outside Koh Kong town, Long Sarin said.

Improving infrastructure

He said the first stage of development will include a $20 million investment in infrastructure improvements, residential apartments and an outdoor market, Long Sarin said, adding that his company is in negotiations with a prospective partner in Singapore for additional stages over the next five years.

In its second stage, the project will add a luxury hotel and resort, commercial office space and a modern shopping complex, the company said.

He said the province's natural beauty and its proximity to Thailand make it an ideal location for developmental investment.

"We will build a modern city, a hotel, commercial buildings, markets and other shopping facilities, a clubhouse and resort, and a school and hospital," he said.

"This is not a land concession from the government. We purchased this land ourselves, and the project will not negatively impact local people."

Targeting tourism

Long Sarin said the development aims to make Koh Kong a major target destination for tourists, particularly from nearby Thailand.

"In the past, Koh Kong province was difficult for travel," he said.

"Now everything is different due to infrastructure improvements and a new bridge connection with Thailand that will boost trade as well as tourism in the province."

Long Sarin said the company has already cleared land in the first zone of construction and has installed drainage and electricity systems as well as roads.

He said several investors have already purchased land at the site with legal land titles and the option of contracting with Souy Chheng Investment to build them a home.

Improving local economy

Chan Sophal, president of the Cambodia Economic Association, said crowding in Phnom Penh and its satellite cities has pushed new development further into the provinces, creating new opportunities for investment and employment for local residents.

But bolstering tourism remains a central part of the new development.

"The number of tourists [in Koh Kong] has increased year on year, especially after the bridge to Thailand was completed," Bun Bich, director of the provincial Tourism Department, told the Post.

"Most visitors come here for our beach," he said. "Koh Kong has 237 square kilometres of beachfront."