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An illustration of a riverside "vendor hub." (Nakvathnak Chanrith)

Opinion: Any Redesign of Riverside Must Include Street Vendors

Phnom Penh should lean into the role street vendors play in our lives, and provide them with clean, orderly, dedicated places in which to do their work — starting with a hub on the city’s riverside, writes Future Forum junior researcher Prak Norak.

Soun Chanraksmey, who took out a $15,000 microfinance loan before being evicted from Angkor Archaeological Park, pictured in Run Ta Ek on January 18, 2023. (Fiona Kelliher/VOD)

‘Everyone Has Loans’: MFIs Used Angkor Land as Collateral for Years

As thousands of families evicted from Angkor Wat move to a desolate relocation site, they are leaving behind plots of land they have used as collateral for microfinance loans — putting them in the tenuous position of having to repay loans without income or access to the land itself.

The front facade of Golden Sorya Mall before it was closed. (William Russell)

The Rise and Fall of Phnom Penh’s Pub Street

The Golden Sorya Mall, which billed itself as Phnom Penh’s Pub Street, has finally been taken down after over a decade of being a famous part of the seedier side of the city’s nightlife.

A huge fire engulfs the Grand Diamond City Casino in Poipet city on December 29, 2022. (Banteay Meanchey Provincial Police Facebook page)

Poipet Casino Fire Highlights Cambodia’s Opaque Fire Safety Rules

Blocked exits, poor access for fire trucks, lack of sprinkler systems, poorly designed stairs, wrong mix of occupants — buildings commonly fail to meet the standards of Cambodia’s fire code, an inspection company said. But these assessments are not made public.

The facade of a new Khmer pagoda in Vietnam which was inaugurated amid large celebrations from December 30 to January 1. (Meng Kruypunlok/VOD)

Pagodas in Vietnam Guide Rejuvenation of Khmer Traditions

Organizers say half a million Khmer Krom people attended the opening of a new pagoda in Vietnam’s Soc Trang province over the three days leading into the New Year, as the community sees pressures selectively easing and traditions experiencing a revival.