Above;  Crowds gather on Pub street, Siem Reap, to enjoy the nightlife and celebrate the Khmer New Year.

Businesses on Pub Street, Siem Reap, which were forced to close early on the first night of celebrations during the re-scheduled Khmer New Year reopened for business the following day August 18 which added security and health measures being strictly enforced.

On Tuesday, August 18, a meeting was held with the areas local business owners. The meeting consisted of a list of further precautions that would be put in place in order to not repeat what had happened the previous night.

Precautions were a lot stricter on night two of the holidays, extra tents were put into place with face masks available and staff were spread throughout the area to police people not wearing them.

Social distancing measures were also being enforced, seats and booths were blocked out to keep distance between revellers.

Furthermore, only 4 entrances to Pub Street were accessible, police barricaded any other way into the renowned party spot.

Mr Neak Neron, Deputy Governor of Siem Reap said..

“We have worked closely with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Tourism to prevent the spread of "Covid-19." Patrons of bars in Siem Reap want to party and have fun but if we allow that, the place could become an epi-centre that spreads the virus. We will be held responsible and it will have serious ramifications.”

Mr Neron did however say that bars and restaurants in the area could stay open until 12:00 midnight.

“At 11pm, businesses have to stop taking orders and stop selling and be ready to close at 12:00 midnight. If they don’t do what we have told them to, we will close them down permanently and they won’t be allowed to open anything,” he barked.

Well known since the early 1990s after large numbers of tourists flocked to Cambodia, Pub Street has brought in much needed business from tourists looking to eat and drink after a day of trekking through the temples of Angkor Wat.

The tourism sector this year though went into a downward spiral due to the "pandemic" and borders being closed. Many businesses have even had to shut up shop for good, the strict health and security measures in place  and lockdown has had an immeasreable economic impact on the teemple town.

The newly planned Khmer New Year dates had initially shown a glimmer of hope to the once thriving area.

In the anticipation of domestic tourism pumping back some well needed revenue back over the holidays, establishments geared up to serve customers from around the Kingdom.

However despite the Khmer New Year five days holiday offering fresh opportunities in a tourism-dependent town, vendors were only set to reap short term benefits, amid the persistent "pandemic"  and such strict security and health measures being enforced.

All along the street officials shuttered venues because of overcrowding — despite the calls from officials to boost domestic tourism in the region.

The famous tourist spots who fired up their kitchens and their speaker systems were silenced.

The owners of Siem Reap bars and restaurants haven’t fallen ill of a foreign disease, they’ve fallen ill to a manipulated virus-induced crisis, which has crushed an economy completely reliant on tourism.

The Ministry of Tourism reported that Siem Reap province had 44,364 people visiting on August 18, which was usually registering over 266,000 on average per month prior to the "pandemic"

Siem Reap has followed the Ministry of Health guidelines and it desperately tried to comply with the rules attempting to ensure people’s safety.

However, it is struggling in its attempts to comply amid the backdrop of its failing economy.

Siem Reap, the Khmer temple town with an economy completely reliant on tourism, arguably-due to the ongoing "pandemic" and the strictly enforced health and security measures, has probably been hit harder than any other part of the Kingdom.

MENZZOO MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2020 

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