Some 130 luxury cars were on display at Cambodia’s Angkor temple complex on Tuesday for the Gumball 3000 – an international car rally that raises money for charity by showcasing iconic vehicles at scenic sites.
Bughattis, Lamborghinis, Rolls Royces and other “supercars” arrived in Siem Reap on Monday evening as provincial authorities closed several major roads.
Some of the fancy cars were parked in a row on Tuesday in front of Angkor Wat, the 12th century temple that is shown on Cambodia’s national flag. Others were seen driving single-file past the Bayon, one of the more recognizable temples at the sprawling UNESCO World Heritage site.
A concert stage was constructed in front of the Royal Palace, where more luxury cars were on exhibition for the event, which the government hopes will give a much-needed boost to tourism in Cambodia.
The Gumball 3000 was founded in 1999 by British entrepreneur Maximillion Cooper. This year’s week-long car rally is traveling across five countries in Southeast Asia, with participants spending between US$50,000 and US$85,000 per person.
The rally started in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday and went through Phnom Penh on Sunday before it moved on to Siem Reap.
Cooper met with Prime Minister Hun Manet last month.
“The prime minister reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to welcoming the rally and highlighted its potential economic benefits and tourism opportunities,” Hun Manet’s Telegram account said.
Hopes for revived tourism
The number of visitors to Cambodia suffered a massive decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, and officials have been searching for ways to reinvigorate the tourism industry.
In April, China sponsored a kung fu performance by monks from the famous Shaolin Temple at the Bayon.
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In July, Hun Manet visited Siem Reap's Pub Street to talk to shop owners and tourists as he sought feedback on how to lift tourism numbers.
Siem Reap resident Chhor Reaksa told Radio Free Asia that he hopes the Gambol 3000 participants will give a three-day income boost to people in the town.
“It helps our society to have a good economy and also encourages people to visit Siem Reap,” he said.
But human rights activist Soeung Senkaruna said the images of luxury cars in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap don’t contrast well with the country’s economic inequality.
“Cambodia is in a miserable situation,” he said. “People are migrating to work overseas, they have debt trapped loans and now they are showing off supercars. This is not good.”
RFA couldn’t reach Ministry of Tourism spokesman Top Sopheak for comment.
The Gumball 3000 organization has pledged to raise US$200,000 to support the Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap and to build a floating soccer field in Kampong Khleang, a large floating village near the town.
The drivers head to head to Thailand and Malaysia next, and then to Singapore where the rally finishes on Sept. 22.
Translated by Yun Samean. Edited by Matt Reed.