Cambodia is making plans to finish developing large tourist areas along its coast on the Gulf of Thailand. Five years ago, Chinese investors began turning Sihanoukville, a small coastal city, into a large gambling center. But that ended with a ban on online gambling and the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 200,000 Chinese workers had to return home. Casinos closed and construction on many buildings was not finished. Now, many people in Cambodia want Chinese investment to return. “Many Cambodians want the Chinese investor to return because the property prices are dreadful, and we want the Chinese businesspeople to return to help the market to recover,” said Chantha Lack, a private Cambodian investor. Officials are making plans to complete work on more than 1,100 unfinished buildings in Sihanoukville. And they are thinking about ordering developers to either tear down buildings or finish the construction by 2026. Cambodia is also considering a plan to lower taxes and make it easier for people from other countries to come to the area.
