PHNOM PENH: The southern part of Cambodia consists of 443 square kilometers of coastline with four provinces – Sihanoukville, Kampot, Kep, and Koh Kong – standing along the blue crystal sea overlooking forestall islands, while the undersea provides plenty of opportunities for diving and snorkeling to see Cambodian underwater flora and fauna. The tasty fresh seafood and instant fishing Kep crabs are a must-try, followed by green Kampot peppers dipped in local spicy sauces that enhance the flavor of your dishes.
A country of opportunities and a high-growth economy figure, Cambodia is now attracting investors from anywhere around the globe.
These opportunities should not be looked over by the risk-taking investor in a variety of industries. Still, the south coast offers additional options to investors interested in entertainment, real estate, and business hubs.
Koh Kong
Koh Kong province has attracted major investment projects such as Dara Sakor Airport, a deep sea port, National Road 48, and National Road 10, among other development projects.
Dara Sakor, a Sino-Cambodian port development project, is located in the province. The project is expected to cover 45,000 hectares and includes casinos, golf courses, and resorts. A 20-kilometer stretch of coastline will be transformed into a deep-water port for cruise ships and freight. Near the port, an airfield with a 3,400-metre runway is too long for commercial flights, and its turning bays are too small for civilian aircraft.
Kampot
Kampot is one of the 25 provincial capitals in Cambodia, bordering Kampong Speu and Sihanoukville to the east, Takeo to the east, Kep to the south, Sihanoukville to the west, and the Gulf of Thailand to the west. It covers a total area of 4,873.2 km2. There are 9 cities, districts, 93 communes, Sangkat, and 491 villages, with 23 of them being forest, mountain, or seaside.
Many large projects are currently underway or in the planning stages, such as a new International Multi-Purpose Logistics and Port.
The project located in the center of Kampot’s southwestern province is expected to cost $1.5 billion and will be built on 600 hectares of land with a depth of 15 meters to accommodate vessels weighing up to 100,000 tons. The project will be implemented in three phases, with the first beginning operations in 2025. The seaport’s total handling capacity will be 300,000 TEU in 2025, increasing to 600,000 TEU by 2030.
Kep
Highway 33 runs from Kampot town to Kampong Trach District and then to the Vietnamese border, traversing the province from west to east. The No 33A lane of the No 33 detours at the Kep White Horse Monument in Damnak Chang’aeur District, running along the coast before rejoining the No 33 3 km (2 mi) to the east.
Kep province’s economy is primarily based on agriculture, fishing, tourism, and salt production. In 2008, agriculture employed 92% of the province’s population (75% of whom were rice farmers).
There were ten registered guest houses that year. In 2013 there were 16 main hotels enlisted by the Department of Tourism and 65 by the local Tourist Association according to www.visitkep.com.
Kep Expo is a government-sponsored initiative to promote Kep province as a tourist and development destination, as well as its artists, production, and environmental protection.
Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville is located in southwestern Cambodia, near the coast, 230 kilometers from Phnom Penh via National Road 4 and 260 kilometers via National Road 3, and is home to the Kang Keng International Airport, International Water Port, and Expressway. The distance between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville is 187.5 kilometers.
The province has a population of about 310,000 people, according to the 2019 census data. Agriculture employs 23.60% of the population, handicrafts 1.80%, and services 74.60%. The annual per capita income rate is US $ 4,18, and the province’s economic growth rate is 6.8%, which will reduce the province’s poverty rate to 1.86% by 2022.
Sihanoukville is a province with significant economic sectors such as industry, trade, tourism, and agriculture, all of which are priority sectors for the Royal Government’s national economic development. Deep Sea Port, 11 SEZs (3 operational and 8 planned), Sihanoukville International Airport, and beautiful beaches nicknamed “Southwest Star” are among the potentials.
Between 2018 and 2022, Sihanoukville Province received 1,588 investment applications in the construction sector, with a total construction area of 14,644,190 square meters and a total investment capital of $ 7,9 billion.