Battambang Town During Khmer New Year 2012
Being so far from hometown long time and just short visit
during Khmer New Year, Battambang Town of Battambang Province has been being
more and more interesting and beautiful as the green town in the west. Year
2012 is the year of changing the perspectives on Battambang Town. These last
few years, local businesses have been interestingly increasing in town. Many
luxury hotels and apartments are growing mostly along Sangker River on the
other riverside of Battambang Town. Small romantic foreign style restaurants
are welcoming all foreign tourists with variety of Khmer, Thai, and other
foreign food. New bridges being just built several years ago are facilitating
the traffic over Sangker River much busier. Riverbank changed to the stone
better looking with new garden on both riversides. Riverside garden on old
Battambang Town full of old flats from previous generation seems so beautifully
green. Big trees with good shade have been being grown in row along the Sangker
River. Palm trees also grew to show local and foreign tourists about the
representation of Khmer nation. In the front patio of each flat, green plants
are being grown to make the city full of green. Not only had the government to
grow green plant, each house in the town already grew variety of plants and
flower in front patio looking so cool, especially in the morning under the sun
rise. Some new statues could be seen in the roundabout such as Preah Neareay,
Neang Romsay Sork, etc. On the other riverside garden, the width is bigger than
old town side garden full of green grass and field for citizens to do jogging,
dancing exercise, etc. Big areas of department of education, youth, and sport
has been changed to be the suburb with new flats while new building for this
department is along National Road No.10 with other departments a bit far. New
supermarket with new suburb flats is along town road No.3 instead of old town
prison. Exercising town center for various sport services was reopened after
closing for years since the fall of town into the hand of Khmer Rouge Regime in
April 17, 1975. Tourists have increased recently since there is the comfort of
transportation system including nice place to stay and visit. Nakta Dam Bang
Kro Nhoung roundabout is still the main focus for all travelers through
National Road No.5 as well as the local people going to pray. Lastly, rubbish
management in town could be 95% achieved needing more commitments to be 100%. “Being
a good model for city development, Battambang Town could be a good lesson for
other new and old towns’ development!” Good Town Management! Green Trees! Freshly
Happy Life!!!!!!
By: POK Panhavuth
