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Phnom Penh construction report
Heritage buildings update, the temple-shaped National Bank building, the fake Paris on Diamond Island, bad urban planning on the Tonle Sap riverfront, a new urban area rises on a disappeared lake, the bird nest towers, and booming BKK1
James Clark
February 10, 2025
Phnom Penh construction and infrastructure report (December 2024).
I’m a frequent visitor to Phnom Penh (usually once a year), and it’s always a joy to return. I usually start my first morning back by going for a walk along Sisowath Riverside Park. This is the best city river park in Southeast Asia, and I was happy to read the city had planned to make a walking street on the weekends. I missed the opening for that, so I will check it out next time.
Phnom Penh is a great city for wandering around. It’s an unusual city for Southeast Asia as it has a planned street grid.
I said that Phnom Penh is a great city for wandering around, but I didn’t say it was easy. The streets are a continual obstacle course, with only a few metres at a time of usable sidewalks.
My first day back in any familiar city usually involves a walk around to make sure the classic buildings are still standing. The post office now has a Starbucks attached.
Starbucks at Phnom Penh Post Office
The building that concerns me the most is the old police station near the post office. This building has been boarded up for years and it is now growing a mini forest.
One of the most eye-catching buildings under construction in the city centre is the National Bank of Cambodia's new head office.
National Bank of Cambodia building under construction
The building is inspired by the main temple of Koh Ker.
Future National Bank of Cambodia
The Foreign Correspondents Club has been under renovation for years, but this project has stalled and there have been no updates on their websites or social media. They had a bar that overlooks the river with an open balcony, and it was a great place to catch a river breeze and watch the world go by.
FCC renovation, or has it closed?
The iconic Hotel Cambodiana was poised to be replaced with a skyscraper before the pandemic.
The hotel is still standing with the only hint of redevelopment coming from the Royal Group sign.
I always check on the site of the proposed Thai Boon Roong Twin Tower World Trade Center.
The world’s tallest twin tower was proposed to be built here (525m), but there is no word about the developer. The same developer was building an apartment block in Kampot, which I visited after Phnom Penh.
The proposed Thai Boon Roong Twin Tower Trade Center
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