The Angkor temple complex near Cambodia’s border with Thailand has seen a sharp drop in visitors after renewed military clashes and border closures led to dozens of deaths and many cancellations. Local guides, tuk-tuk drivers and vendors report steep income losses — one guide says his December bookings fell by 80% — while Angkor ticket sales were down about 17% year-on-year from June to November. Industry experts say overland travel disruption and damaging headlines about regional scam networks have worsened the decline, though some tourists on site say they feel safe. Officials and business owners remain hopeful arrivals will recover once the fighting ends.
Deadly Thai Border Clashes Leave Cambodia’s Angkor Temples Unusually Quiet — Tourism Revenue Plunges
Tourists visit the Bayon temple in Siem Reap province (TANG CHHIN Sothy)(TANG CHHIN Sothy/AFP/AFP)
Tour guide Bun Ratana, who earns a living by escorting visitors around the ruins of Angkor, says bookings have almost vanished since renewed fighting flared along the Thai border — despite it being the region’s peak travel season. The UNESCO-listed Angkor complex, including Angkor Wat and the Bayon, sits near Siem Reap, roughly a two-hour drive from the frontier, and has been noticeably quieter amid the violence and travel disruptions.
Border Closures and Cancellations Hit Local Incomes
Local businesses report heavy losses. Bun Ratana says he lost more than ten tours in December alone and that his income has dropped by about 80% to roughly $150 compared with the same month last year. Tuk-tuk drivers and market vendors report similar declines: one driver, Nov Mao, said his takings have halved since the clashes began.
Overland crossings were closed after fighting reignited in May, and fresh flare-ups in July and this month prompted further cancellations and suspended bus and minivan services that used to ferry tourists between Thailand and Siem Reap. Tour operators in both Cambodia and Thailand say uncertainty over access has choked cross-border travel and tightened bookings.
Numbers And Wider Impact
Tourism makes up about 10% of Cambodia’s GDP. After a record 6.7 million arrivals last year, Angkor Enterprise reported ticket sales to the temples were at least 17% lower year-on-year between June and November — a decline that steepened after a five-day bout of fighting in July that killed dozens.
Beyond the direct travel disruption, industry experts say reputational damage has compounded the downturn. Heavy media coverage and a high-profile film about organised internet scam networks operating in parts of the region have amplified tourists’ fears, even though the main tourism hotspots remain largely secure.
“Some tourists are scared, but here in Siem Reap it is safe,” Bun Ratana told AFP.
Industry Response And Outlook
Hospitality consultant Arnaud Darc of Thalias Group said Cambodia’s industry depends heavily on Angkor and a few key entry points, especially overland routes. He noted that disruption is concentrated in regional land travel rather than a collapse in global interest, pointing to fewer Thai visitors but continuing arrivals from other markets.
Siem Reap provincial tourism director Thim Sereyvudh acknowledged that reports linking the country to transnational scam operations have hurt tourism, but expressed confidence that visitors will return once the fighting stops. “The sooner the war ends, the sooner they will come back,” he said.
For now, shopfronts and tuk-tuks around the archaeological park remain quieter than usual, and many small businesses face a precarious winter season as they wait for stability and tourists to return.
