Thailand’s allure is strong in Srei Snam

Dry, parched ground – evidence of severe dry season drought – stretches for miles in Siem Reap’s Srei Snam district. In a couple of months, the rains will flood these fields. Both conditions make it equally impossible to produce a good harvest. Srei Snam was a former Khmer Rouge stronghold until the late 1990s, and development and employment remain scarce, district governor Mak Samphea says. The district borders both Oddar Meanchey and Banteay Meanchey provinces. For the residents of Srei Snam, those two provinces represent a gateway to a better life across the border in Thailand. Every year, 25 to 30 per cent of the population – more than 3,000 people in all – migrate to Thailand for a number of reasons, Mak Samphea says. …

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