Regularly during discussions I read folks disrespecting Cambodia. Folks act as if someone who resides in Cambodia is a "lower end" or broke or Cheap Charlie tourist or a paedo

 

I guess my question would be, why do folks dislike Cambodia? 10 years ago I can understand it, and I have no quarrel with those who think little of Snookyville. I personally dont like PP, but Cambodia itself is a fabulous laid back lifestyle, especially for retirees who just need to pay once a year, and get a free temple pass on top of it.

7 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Regularly during discussions I read folks disrespecting Cambodia. Folks act as if someone who resides in Cambodia is a "lower end" or broke or Cheap Charlie tourist or a paedo

 

I guess my question would be, why do folks dislike Cambodia? 10 years ago I can understand it, and I have no quarrel with those who think little of Snookyville. I personally dont like PP, but Cambodia itself is a fabulous laid back lifestyle, especially for retirees who just need to pay once a year, and get a free temple pass on top of it.

 

A good article to read. Thai have an ambient relation to Cambodia, and indoctrinated from young, same goes for Myanmar. 

 

Do you love Mexicans as an American? Could be simular relation as Thai vs Cambodia, but Thailand and Cambodia still fighting about a little piece of land and some valuable oil rights in south East

 

https://world.thaipbs.or.th/detail/in-big-picture-thaicambodian-conflict-is-playground-tussle/57747

40 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Thai have an ambient relation to Cambodia, and indoctrinated from young, same goes for Myanmar. 

Not a lot of Thais posting here.

2 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Not a lot of Thais posting here.

You do not think that influence the members here? 

 

My experience about Cambodia, makes me never want to go back. I was attempted mugged and hijacked by the driver I rented, and the poverty there killed my vibe. Horrible compared to other Asian countries. 

Do you know how much Thailand has done for Cambodia, especially during the Khmer Rouge era? We took care of everything for them and now Cambodians dare to claim the land that we gave them shelter in those dark times.

11 minutes ago, UserC923 said:

Do you know how much Thailand has done for Cambodia, especially during the Khmer Rouge era? We took care of everything for them and now Cambodians dare to claim the land that we gave them shelter in those dark times.

LOL. Maybe they should claim Surin back

13 minutes ago, Hummin said:

You do not think that influence the members here? 

 

My experience about Cambodia, makes me never want to go back. I was attempted mugged and hijacked by the driver I rented, and the poverty there killed my vibe. Horrible compared to other Asian countries. 

So you dont like Cambodia due to personal experience. Thats fine.

1 hour ago, Yagoda said:

why do folks dislike Cambodia?

I like Cambodia, I've had a lot of fun in Siam Reap and Phnom Penh.

Never made it to the temples, $30 was too much, the 50c beer and $1 cocktails were much better value.

It's not Cambodia. It's you.  You morally judge so many others - acting like being American is special - but live in Cambodia with what most who you admire would say is a questionable lifestyle - something seems a bit off. You've mentioned you have issues. Too much Fox News not enough gym and diet. Cambodia is what it is. You can do better. 

 

1 hour ago, Yagoda said:

Regularly during discussions I read folks disrespecting Cambodia. Folks act as if someone who resides in Cambodia is a "lower end" or broke or Cheap Charlie tourist or a paedo

 

I guess my question would be, why do folks dislike Cambodia? 10 years ago I can understand it, and I have no quarrel with those who think little of Snookyville. I personally dont like PP, but Cambodia itself is a fabulous laid back lifestyle, especially for retirees who just need to pay once a year, and get a free temple pass on top of it.

I don't know abut anyone else, but I don't have any "hate" for Cambodia. Perhaps between Thais and Cambodians there's some historical animosity, but I'm not Thai and I'm not Cambodian, so I don't have that perspective.

 

The only thing I hear about Cambodia, once in a while, is that the infrastructure there isn't quite up to speed, and that quality medical care is probably more readily available in Thailand.  Neither a reason to "hate" Cambodia.  Anyway, I'd consider living there.  

 

 

 

 

31 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

So you dont like Cambodia due to personal experience. Thats fine.

What is your experience? Cambodia a bit more chaotic than Philippines and Thailand less than both of them? 

 

Thailand is quite civilized and predictable than Cambodia. And Cambodia really didn't have anything that attracted me back when I started to travel Asia. 

 

Krabi was the reason why I started to travel to Thailand because of cheap living, and the activities in the area. Climbing, kayaking, diving. And nice touring on motorbikes

50 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

You've mentioned you have issues.

Yeah Im a patriotic American that understands how Socialism works. Thats the issue with folks who support things like the Biden administrations policies. So I guess its out there, poor Cambodia is just a flame tactic because folks cant debate me.

6 minutes ago, UserC923 said:

Back then, the King and Queen of Thailand sent people to teach Thai culture and skills to Cambodian refugees because they were worried that they would have no way to make a living. Even the United Nations report mentioned this.
But in the minds of many Cambodians, they believe that it is Thailand that stole everything from them. What about those disputed border areas?
Back during the Khmer Rouge era, Cambodians fled across the border and the Thai authorities allowed them to flee without much concern.
But now, those areas are claimed as their own, and they have brought their soldiers and weapons to occupy them now.

Let me ask you something, if the person you helped in trouble wants to take your house, what should you do?

I dont get real concerned over a bunch of related Asians fighting over a few meters of jungle. Stop giving the Thai people a bad rep with your propaganda. You already get enough without even posting.

More posts from the same user having altered quotes into Thai language have been removed.

 

User @UserC923 please DO NOT do this, apart from this being an English only language forum it is against forum rules. 

4 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Regularly during discussions I read folks disrespecting Cambodia

I like Cambodia, nice ocean views from the Sukhumvit, easy drive to Koh Kong from Pattaya. 

 

Alot of bad ju ju in cambodia. Maybe I'll visit someday. But it does seem like a step below Thailand.

Maybe you could read a few books (written by non-Thai academics and published outside of Thailand) on the history of mainland South East Asia over the past 2,000-odd years - starting with the Funan period would be good.

 

If that is too much of an effort, or expense, try asking Dr Google and visit some Wikipedia sites on the topic.

 

What you will discover is a complex (and at times contradictory) history of expansion, conflict, wars and oppression of minority groups.

 

Thai history and Thailand's relationships with its neighbours as taught and written about in Thailand does not align with regional perspectives.  Some Thai scholars who have challenged the Thai "accepted" version of Thai history have been hit with Section 112 charges.

On 6/8/2025 at 11:03 AM, Hummin said:

You do not think that influence the members here? 

 

My experience about Cambodia, makes me never want to go back. I was attempted mugged and hijacked by the driver I rented, and the poverty there killed my vibe. Horrible compared to other Asian countries. 

Similar, first night too, not a good start. Never an issue in Thailand in all the years. Siem Reap cool but PP a S hole, very ‘off’ vibe. Each to their own but no thanks. 

Cambodia is an absolute cesspit, a bottom-of-the-barrel wasteland where civilization went to die. It’s a lawless sewer overrun by petty criminals, conmen and fugitive rejects from China. The place oozes corruption from every crack in the pavement, if you can even call those broken slabs “streets.” The only foreigners who willingly stay there are washed-up sexpats, broke, bloated and staggering through life in a cocktail of meth fumes and cheap booze, clinging to their last shred of dignity like mold on a decaying wall. If you’re a balding, overweight eyesore with the fashion sense of a failed 70s porn star, congratulations, you’ve found paradise. For anyone else with a functioning brain and the bare minimum of self-worth, it’s a living nightmare, a purgatory disguised as a country.

On 6/8/2025 at 11:04 AM, UserC923 said:

Do you know how much Thailand has done for Cambodia, especially during the Khmer Rouge era? We took care of everything for them and now Cambodians dare to claim the land that we gave them shelter in those dark times.

I keep seeing this idea pop up — that Thailand “did everything” for Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge years, so now Cambodians should just be grateful and not “dare” to assert themselves. That kind of thinking misses the mark.

 

Yes, Thailand played a significant role in helping refugees during that tragic time, and that deserves recognition. But offering shelter during a humanitarian crisis doesn’t mean you get to rewrite borders decades later. That’s not how international law — or basic decency — works.

 

The Preah Vihear Temple dispute was settled in 1962 by the International Court of Justice. Cambodia didn’t "dare" to claim anything. They upheld a legal ruling in their favour.

 

I say this as someone with first-hand experience.

 

I’ve spent time in Cambodia and found the kindness, sincerity, and generosity of the people there to be overwhelming, often more heartfelt than what I experience on a day-to-day basis in Thailand. And I say that with a Thai partner. It’s not about being anti-Thai — it’s about calling out the nonsense.

 

Helping your neighbour doesn’t give you ownership over them. True generosity comes without strings. Let’s not reduce a complex and painful chapter of history to some scorecard of who owes whom.

 

That kind of thinking helps no one, least of all the Thai or Cambodian people who live along that border and want peace, respect, and a future.

On 6/14/2025 at 1:53 PM, short-Timer said:

Cambodia is an absolute cesspit, a bottom-of-the-barrel wasteland where civilization went to die. It’s a lawless sewer overrun by petty criminals, conmen and fugitive rejects from China. The place oozes corruption from every crack in the pavement, if you can even call those broken slabs “streets.” The only foreigners who willingly stay there are washed-up sexpats, broke, bloated and staggering through life in a cocktail of meth fumes and cheap booze, clinging to their last shred of dignity like mold on a decaying wall. If you’re a balding, overweight eyesore with the fashion sense of a failed 70s porn star, congratulations, you’ve found paradise. For anyone else with a functioning brain and the bare minimum of self-worth, it’s a living nightmare, a purgatory disguised as a country.

Christ, mate. That’s not a critique, it’s a full-blown hate fantasy. Did Cambodia reject your visa, or did someone overcharge you for a beer?

 

Every country has its issues — Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, pick one. But what you’ve posted isn’t an opinion, it’s a venomous rant dressed up as travel commentary. You didn’t describe Cambodia, you just spewed every tired expat cliché in one breathless paragraph.

 

Yes, Cambodia has corruption. So does Thailand. So does Malaysia. The difference is, in Cambodia, they don’t pretend to hide it behind a tourism slogan.

 

And this nonsense about the people?

 

I've met Cambodians who’d give the shirt off their back to help a stranger. Try that with some bored immigration officer at a Thai border crossing.

 

Funny how people who scream the loudest about “sexpats” are often the ones who know exactly where the bars are. Projection much?

 

Cambodia isn’t perfect, but it's not the hellhole you’ve painted.

 

It’s a country with real history, real pain, and a hell of a lot of resilience — something your keyboard could use a bit of.

On 6/8/2025 at 10:02 AM, Yagoda said:

Regularly during discussions I read folks disrespecting Cambodia. Folks act as if someone who resides in Cambodia is a "lower end" or broke or Cheap Charlie tourist or a paedo

 

I guess my question would be, why do folks dislike Cambodia? 10 years ago I can understand it, and I have no quarrel with those who think little of Snookyville. I personally dont like PP, but Cambodia itself is a fabulous laid back lifestyle, especially for retirees who just need to pay once a year, and get a free temple pass on top of it.

It's nothing to do with 'Cheap Charlies'

Try looking at it from Thailand's point of view.

Didn't Thaksin underhandedly, sell that land illegally to Hun Sen? Land belonging to Thailand? Many Thais believe that.

You know, Hun Sen - former Khmer Rouge member - you know, of Killing Fields fame?

After all, wasn't Thailand generous enough to Hun Sen's former  'Dear Leader', Pol Pot, by allowing him to live peacefully in N. Thailand until his death many years later?

Thus escaping International crimes of humanity?

And that piece of land containing a Thai shrine as well!

Otherwise, Cambodia is a wonderful place - ever been to Toul Sleng? (Camp 21)' PP?

It was a former school. Until Pol Pot took over.......

Also,some of us remember that. That's why.

 

 

6 minutes ago, Bundooman said:

It's nothing to do with 'Cheap Charlies'

Try looking at it from Thailand's point of view.

Didn't Thaksin underhandedly, sell that land illegally to Hun Sen? Land belonging to Thailand? Many Thais believe that.

You know, Hun Sen - former Khmer Rouge member - you know, of Killing Fields fame?

After all, wasn't Thailand generous enough to Hun Sen's former  'Dear Leader', Pol Pot, by allowing him to live peacefully in N. Thailand until his death many years later?

Thus escaping International crimes of humanity?

And that piece of land containing a Thai shrine as well!

Otherwise, Cambodia is a wonderful place - ever been to Toul Sleng? (Camp 21)' PP?

It was a former school. Until Pol Pot took over.......

Also,some of us remember that. That's why.

 

 

 

Ah, the old “Thaksin sold Thailand out” routine again. Haven’t heard that since the last family dinner with a drunk uncle.

 

First, let’s clear the fog a bit. The Preah Vihear Temple issue was decided way before Thaksin’s mobile phone empire took off — 1962, to be exact — by the International Court of Justice, and in Cambodia’s favour.

 

It’s been re-litigated, re-argued, ever since, especially whenever Thai politics needs a convenient bogeyman across the border.

 

As for Pol Pot living in northern Thailand — yes, the Thai military at the time saw the Khmer Rouge as a sound anti-Vietnamese buffer. But that wasn’t some act of "generosity" — that was Cold War chess, not charity.

 

And yes, Toul Sleng was horrifying. So was Unit 731 in Japan, or Tuol Tompoung during Lon Nol’s purges.

 

But we're not judging modern Cambodia based on what happened in 1975, are we?

 

Or are we applying that logic to Thailand, too, where coups and crackdowns are more frequent than Songkran hangovers?

 

Shrines, borders, old maps — all complex.

 

But if we’re going to wave the "historical wounds" flag every time Cambodia asserts itself, maybe Thailand should take a long look in the mirror, too. The mirror marked “Sa Kaeo refugee camps,” “media censorship,” and “unexploded bombs from the 70s.”

 

But yes — Cambodia is a wonderful place. And yes, I’ve been to Toul Sleng. It teaches you to remember. But not to hate.

On 6/8/2025 at 11:26 AM, BritManToo said:

I like Cambodia, I've had a lot of fun in Siam Reap and Phnom Penh.

Never made it to the temples, $30 was too much, the 50c beer and $1 cocktails were much better value.

That says a lot about you.

In PP, did you visit 'Toul Sleng', commonly known as Camp 21?

It was a school - go there you'd experience a lot of education and 'fun', I assure you.

1 minute ago, Scouse123 said:

 

Ah, the old “Thaksin sold Thailand out” routine again. Haven’t heard that since the last family dinner with a drunk uncle.

 

First, let’s clear the fog a bit. The Preah Vihear Temple issue was decided way before Thaksin’s mobile phone empire took off — 1962, to be exact — by the International Court of Justice, and in Cambodia’s favour.

 

It’s been re-litigated, re-argued, ever since, especially whenever Thai politics needs a convenient bogeyman across the border.

 

As for Pol Pot living in northern Thailand — yes, the Thai military at the time saw the Khmer Rouge as a sound anti-Vietnamese buffer. But that wasn’t some act of "generosity" — that was Cold War chess, not charity.

 

And yes, Toul Sleng was horrifying. So was Unit 731 in Japan, or Tuol Tompoung during Lon Nol’s purges.

 

But we're not judging modern Cambodia based on what happened in 1975, are we?

 

Or are we applying that logic to Thailand, too, where coups and crackdowns are more frequent than Songkran hangovers?

 

Shrines, borders, old maps — all complex.

 

But if we’re going to wave the "historical wounds" flag every time Cambodia asserts itself, maybe Thailand should take a long look in the mirror, too. The mirror marked “Sa Kaeo refugee camps,” “media censorship,” and “unexploded bombs from the 70s.”

 

But yes — Cambodia is a wonderful place. And yes, I’ve been to Toul Sleng. It teaches you to remember. But not to hate.

Nobody said anything about hate, the original post was a question. I answered it  - so did you.

You have your opinion - I have mine.

I too went to Cambodia with my ex-wife. I have travelled to many places, world wide, also backpacking throughout Asia for one month  every year for 10 years.

Cambodia was 'off' we both experienced that. Just because you didn't - doesn't make you right and me wrong 

And if you read my post properly, you would have noticed, 'maybe', that I mentioned, 'Many Thais believe that' Are you Thai? No. So don't judge them.

Also the ICJ's decision was widely contested, resolving nothing.

I offered an answer. Please don't lecture me, you haven't earned that right!

 

On 6/8/2025 at 11:35 AM, Fat is a type of crazy said:

It's not Cambodia. It's you.  You morally judge so many others - acting like being American is special - but live in Cambodia with what most who you admire would say is a questionable lifestyle - something seems a bit off. You've mentioned you have issues. Too much Fox News not enough gym and diet. Cambodia is what it is. You can do better. 

 

You are correct................

8 minutes ago, Bundooman said:

Nobody said anything about hate, the original post was a question. I answered it  - so did you.

You have your opinion - I have mine.

I too went to Cambodia with my ex-wife. I have travelled to many places, world wide, also backpacking throughout Asia for one month  every year for 10 years.

Cambodia was 'off' we both experienced that. Just because you didn't - doesn't make you right and me wrong 

And if you read my post properly, you would have noticed, 'maybe', that I mentioned, 'Many Thais believe that' Are you Thai? No. So don't judge them.

Also the ICJ's decision was widely contested, resolving nothing.

I offered an answer. Please don't lecture me, you haven't earned that right!

 

 

I’m not here to argue who’s right or wrong; I'm just sharing my experience and perspective, as you did. I’m not lecturing anyone — I expect the same respect in return.

 

You mentioned, “Many Thais believe that,” but I’m not Thai, so I’m just discussing the facts and opinions as I see them.

 

The ICJ decision was contested, yes, but it remains an integral part of legal history.

 

If you want a respectful exchange, great.

 

But if this turns into telling me I haven’t earned the right to speak on an open forum, then that’s where I draw the line.

 

Can the OP tell me, who "hates" Cambodia ........?  🤔

 

Or, do you have a thing about possibly being looked down upon because you chose to live in a Third World country....?    🤔

On 6/8/2025 at 11:35 AM, Fat is a type of crazy said:

It's not Cambodia. It's you.  You morally judge so many others - acting like being American is special - but live in Cambodia with what most who you admire would say is a questionable lifestyle - something seems a bit off. You've mentioned you have issues. Too much Fox News not enough gym and diet. Cambodia is what it is. You can do better. 

 

What a nasty post

On 6/8/2025 at 10:02 AM, Yagoda said:

Regularly during discussions I read folks disrespecting Cambodia. Folks act as if someone who resides in Cambodia is a "lower end" or broke or Cheap Charlie tourist or a paedo

 

I guess my question would be, why do folks dislike Cambodia? 10 years ago I can understand it, and I have no quarrel with those who think little of Snookyville. I personally dont like PP, but Cambodia itself is a fabulous laid back lifestyle, especially for retirees who just need to pay once a year, and get a free temple pass on top of it.

Never been. I dont judge until I do.