R609K down the toilet

The interior of a luxury bathroom built exclusively for Thailand's Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn near Yeak Lom in Cambodia's Rattanak Kiri province. Picture: AFP/Aisha Down

The interior of a luxury bathroom built exclusively for Thailand's Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn near Yeak Lom in Cambodia's Rattanak Kiri province. Picture: AFP/Aisha Down

Published Feb 24, 2016

Share

Phnom Penh - When it was revealed a Thai princess had been built a $40 000 (about R609 000) lavatory for an official visit to impoverished Cambodia, it was lambasted as an incredible waste.

Now it has emerged that the custom-made toilet for Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn was left unused. She reportedly just took photos of the toilet's building during her visit to Yeak Lom Lake, in North-east Cambodia.

Less than half of people in Cambodia have access to toilets.

“She [the Princess] did not go inside the bathroom, she just looked at it from outside and took some pictures,” a community leader said.

The price tag covers the cost of the whole building which, he said, has been given to the community to be used as a tourist office.

The Independent

Related Topics: