The government had terminated the contract of the previous privately owned ticketing agent at the end of last year. The Sokimex Group had held the concession to collect the entry fees at the UNESCO listed temples since April 1999.
The agreement was terminated following vociferous complaints that contracting entry fee duties out to a private firm did not benefit the Cambodian people. Business magnate Oknha Sok Kong owns Sokimex. Among its diverse holdings, Sokimex has interests in luxury hotels and petrol stations.
Revenue from ticket sales to Cambodia’s number one tourism draw is not small change and topped US$60 million last year. APSARA is the management authority for the temples. The authority recently released figures for 2015 which showed a total of 2.1 million people visited the Angkor temples.
The entry fee for the Siem Reap and Angkor temples is US$20 for one day. Three-day tickets are US$40 and seven-day ones are US$60. Siem Reap is around 300kms from Phnom Penh. 12GO ASIA offers tickets for this route on first-class buses operated by Giant Ibis.
Cambodian state agency takes over ticket duties at Angkor Wat
News in Asia
A brand new state operation has taken over admission ticketing duties at Cambodia’s famed Angkor temple complex. Angkor Institution took over the task of collecting fees and issuing entry tickets for Angkor Archaeological Park at the beginning of the month.