On the 1st of November 2022, Siem Reap province officially launched The Angkor Wildlife and Aquarium complex (AWA) – the first aquarium in Cambodia to display and educate about endangered species in Cambodia and the Gulf of Thailand. 

SOK SIPHANA & ASSOCIATES is honored to serve as the lead advisor for this project. Our team, led by our Head of Legal Daron Wong was instrumental in assisting local partners in acquiring land, establishing the operational company’s corporate governance, as well as negotiating the company’s investment structure into a multinational joint venture agreement with investors from Cambodia, the USA, and Japan. 

International Concept Management (ICM), an architecture and construction company with a strong portfolio specialized in aquarium design globally, was responsible for the design and construction of the AWA. The project also received local support from LBL International Construction in Phnom Penh. 

It is an aquarium and zoo complex that includes a 500m3 freshwater tank housing aquatic species that are endemic to the Mekong region, along with Cambodia’s first-ever saltwater aquarium with a large volume of 600m3.  

The establishment of this new tourist attraction signals the return of large-scale tourism to Siem Reap and Cambodia. AWA intends to promote awareness of preservation, education, and conservation in the Kingdom of Cambodia while providing employment opportunities for local people and enhancing the socio-economic development of Siem Reap province.