Ratanakiri Residents Urge Electricity Grid Expansion

Approximately 50 households, predominantly of Kreung ethnic minority, residing on both sides of the road in Tiem Leu village, K’achon commune, Veren Sai district, Ratanakiri province, have requested authorities and the electricity authority to expand the electricity grid into their living areas. Residents claim this expansion would facilitate their daily lives and increase opportunities for local livelihoods. Residents stated that for over three years, they have repeatedly submitted requests to the Veren Sai district electricity office for electricity grid connections but have not received approval. Ms. Nen Thoun told Kampuchea Thmey that her family and many villagers still lack electricity access, despite living in the area for many years. She highlighted that the absence of electricity makes nighttime living difficult, preventing them from charging mobile phones, using computers, or supporting their children's studies as in other areas. Ms. Neang mentioned that when they inquired about connecting electricity, officials advised them to draw power from a transformer in the village, which is hundreds of meters away. She stated that her family cannot afford to purchase long electrical wires or install a sufficient solar system. Due to the lack of electricity, she cannot open a tailor shop at home to train children and engage in local community professions. Similarly, Ms. Key said that the electricity shortage prevents her family from operating a small metal workshop at home, forcing them to seek work elsewhere. She expressed hope that if an electricity grid reaches their homes, it will help increase income and improve the living standards of the people in the area. Regarding the residents' request, Mr. Luch Vibol, an official from the Veren Sai district electricity office, stated at a public forum in K’achon commune on June 25, 2026, that although there are electricity poles along both sides of the road, the area does not yet have a sufficient number of residents to meet the conditions for expanding the electricity grid. He clarified that there are future plans to expand the electricity grid to the areas on both sides of the road in Tiem Leu village, but for the Ou Ling area in K’achon Krom village, there are no expansion plans yet. Concurrently, he suggested that residents living far from electricity poles can choose to connect from the nearest point, requiring them to purchase 50 square millimeter cross-section wires themselves. He asserted that connecting within approximately 500 meters would not cause voltage drops, and the connection service fee has already been reduced. However, residents maintain they cannot afford to buy the wires and urge authorities and relevant institutions to expedite the expansion of the electricity grid into their residential areas, enabling them to access electricity services and open businesses for daily sales and other ventures.