Angkor temple entrance fee to almost double in February

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - Cambodia's government says visitors to the famed Angkor temple complex will have to pay almost twice as much for admission starting next February.

The government said in a statement Friday that the price of single-day tickets will rise from $20 currently to $37. A three-day pass will cost $62, up from $40. The price of a 7-day ticket, valid over a one-month period, will go up from $60 to $72.

No explanation was given for the increase. The government said $2 from each ticket sold will be donated to a Swiss-owned children's hospital, Kantha Bopha, which provides free treatment.

Last year, about 2.1 million tourists visited Angkor Wat, the spiritual center of the Khmer empire that dominated the region from the 9th to 15th centuries.