# Cambodia Breaks Ground on First Skyscraper **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 16, 2008, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cambodia-breaks-ground-on-first-skyscraper/441521 "2008-03-16T02:59:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cambodia-breaks-ground-on-first-skyscraper/441521/1 "2008-03-16T02:59:40Z")
Story [here](http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest+News/Asia/STIStory_216743.html). This will be of interest to only a few, but Woo Hoo! This is really a big deal. A 42-story skyscraper sticking up in the middle of what is essentially a flat skyline. Phnom Penh, it is a-changin’. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cambodia-breaks-ground-on-first-skyscraper/441521/2 "2008-03-16T05:02:17Z")
Perhaps a highrise for hampsters? I hear there’s a surplus in the region. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cambodia-breaks-ground-on-first-skyscraper/441521/3 "2008-03-16T05:51:22Z")
Everything’s up to date in Phnom Penh They gone about about as far as they can go, They are gonna build a skyscraper 42 stories high That’s about as high as a building ought to go **Sam** I really do enjoy your posts about happenings in your part of the world. Keep it up. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cambodia-breaks-ground-on-first-skyscraper/441521/4 "2008-03-17T03:02:56Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] Everything’s up to date in Phnom Penh They gone about about as far as they can go, They are gonna build a skyscraper 42 stories high That’s about as high as a building ought to go [/QUOTE] That’s from the new Rodgers and Hammerstein musical _Kampuchea_. “KAA-A-A-A-A-Ampuchea where the death comes sweepin’ down the plain.” ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cambodia-breaks-ground-on-first-skyscraper/441521/5 "2008-03-17T05:02:53Z")
[QUOTE=Siam Sam] That’s from the new Rodgers and Hammerstein musical _Kampuchea_. “KAA-A-A-A-A-Ampuchea where the death comes sweepin’ down the plain.” [/QUOTE] :eek: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cambodia-breaks-ground-on-first-skyscraper/441521/6 "2008-06-18T16:18:41Z")
So, there’s been a new development. This thread was about breaking ground three months ago for Cambodia’s first skyscraper, 42 stories in Phnom Penh. Today, Cambodia broke ground on an even taller skyscraper, this one 52 floors. Story [here](http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080618/tbs-cambodia-skorea-economy-construction-0a37ea7.html). South Korean-financed. Phnom Penh is indeed on its way up. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cambodia-breaks-ground-on-first-skyscraper/441521/7 "2008-06-18T19:06:02Z")
This is sad. Phnom Penh still has lots of old world charm. I’d be ok with a modern mid-rise, but a gold needle more than 500 feet high is a bit much. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cambodia-breaks-ground-on-first-skyscraper/441521/8 "2008-06-19T03:10:24Z")
It’ll probably retain a lot of that charm for quite a while, but yes, it will look odd seeing these towers.