SIEM REAP - This ancient city will be beautified - both the place and its people

- if governor Tuon Chay has his way.

The governor said he wanted to

improve roads, create parks and gardens and make people dress better, in order

to make Siem Reap town look nicer.

His plans included establishing a

three square kilometer park, with grass and rest benches, stretching from the

town to Angkor Wat.

He said he would use civil servants and ordinary

citizens to do the work, which would keep them out of trouble as well as

improving the town.

"Firstly we can stop civil servants from wasting

their time drinking, gambling and flirting with girls. Secondly, we will have a

very good recreation site for people to relax on."

Other projects

included laying tarmac on the 21km of road around Angkor Wat and on the way to

Banteay Srei temple.

The road from the airport to the provincial capital

would also be upgraded, and "we will ask the people living along the way to

plant aquatic trees on the existing ponds in front of their houses".

A

garden area would be constructed along Siem Reap river, leading from the Tonle

Sap lake to the north of the town.

Tuon Chay said he expected the

projects to use a lot of labor but not cost too much money.

Meanwhile, he

was also planning an education program to get the people of Siem Reap to be

better-washed and dressed.

The first step would be to make his officials

dress well permanently, he said, which would impress other people. When others

saw this fine example, they would follow suit.

Tuon Chay said he would

appeal for assistance from companies to help fund his ideas.