Foreign tourists now free to take pre-wedding photos with their outfits at Cambodia’s Angkor

PHNOM PENH – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Aug 2 that foreign tourists are now allowed to take pre-wedding photos with their own outfits for free at the famed Angkor Archaeological Park.

The move aims to further promote and attract international tourists to the Unesco-listed World Heritage Site in north-west Siem Reap province.

Mr Hun Manet said foreign and domestic tourists are free to take photos with Angkor’s background for their pre-wedding shoots, YouTube channels, and Facebook and TikTok accounts, among other social media platforms, for promotional purposes.

“Now, they needn’t ask for permission (from the Apsara National Authority) to take their pre-wedding pictures with their traditional costumes at the Angkor,” he said in a speech broadcast live during a dinner with more than 1,000 local tycoons in Phnom Penh.

“However, tourists must comply with the Angkor’s code of conduct. Don’t wear revealing clothes, don’t take pornographic pictures, don’t violate our cultural values, and don’t take inappropriate photos.”

The Prime Minister said national and international media outlets are also allowed to take pictures at the ancient site for free, but they must first ask for permission from the Apsara National Authority, specifying the purpose of their photo shoots.

Mr Hun Manet added that those carrying out photo shoots for commercial purposes and movies, as well as drone photography, are still required to apply for permission and pay a fee to the Apsara National Authority.

The 401 sq km Angkor Archaeological Park is home to 91 ancient temples, which were built from the ninth to 13th centuries.

The park made almost US$27.2 million (S$36.1 million) in revenue from ticket sales between January and July 2024, a year-on-year rise of 33.8 per cent, Mr Hun Manet added. XINHUA