Despite rising border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia, a controversial niche in Cambodian tourism is booming: rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) firing experiences offered to foreign visitors near Phnom Penh.

 

Reports from travel forums suggest that tourists can still pay to fire an RPG at designated sites outside the capital, with prices now reaching US$350 per shot. The practice, long whispered about in backpacker circles, appears to be thriving thanks to informal arrangements between guesthouse owners and local soldiers seeking extra income.

 

One traveller, writing on the site Travel Dudes, described being driven by a guesthouse owner and military personnel to a remote location roughly 20 kilometres from Phnom Penh. After withdrawing cash en route, he was offered a “menu” of weapons ranging from handguns to machine guns, priced at just a few dollars per round. The RPG, however, came at a premium.

 

At the site—a wide, open area—the traveller was reportedly asked if he wanted live animals as targets, a request he declined. He described the experience of firing the launcher as surreal: the projectile vanished into the distance, followed by a delayed explosion and plume of smoke.

 

While such tours have existed for years, the current geopolitical climate has not dampened demand. On the contrary, operators say prices have risen due to increased costs of sourcing munitions. Social media influencers and thrill-seeking tourists continue to fuel interest, with videos of RPG launches circulating online.

 

Cambodia’s tourism authorities have not officially endorsed the practice, and the legality of such experiences remains murky. Yet the tours persist, operating in a grey zone where military access, cash payments, and word-of-mouth promotion intersect.

 

As tensions simmer along the Thai-Cambodian border, the juxtaposition of heavy weaponry and holiday adventure raises questions about safety, ethics, and oversight. For now, though, the RPG tours remain a draw—for those willing to pay the price.

-2025-12-24

it would be more fun if the tourists could fire at each other.

Thailand has nothing that can compare. 

I should have thought guesthouse stayers were on a budget unable to afford such attractions.

Damned inflation!  It used to be the equivalent of $50.00 a shot for an RPG!

 

"He described the experience of firing the launcher as surreal: the projectile vanished into the distance, followed by a delayed explosion and plume of smoke."

 

Yes, the real thing is nothing like the movies where someone shoots an RPG and you can see a smoke trail as the rocket lazily flies through the air until there is a fake explosion.  More like (check your back blast area first), then bang of the launch, and flies over 600 mph till it hits something or automatically detonates, which used to be about 900 meters from point of launch.