Sihanoukville was thrown into chaos yesterday as a sudden mass departure of foreign nationals, mostly Chinese, from suspected scam centres left ordinary travellers stranded in the coastal city. Buses and taxis to Phnom Penh were overwhelmed, with witnesses reporting no available seats until late evening.

One traveller, attempting to reach the capital on 16 January, said: “We were told all of the Chinese are leaving Sihanoukville because of the scam centres. There are no taxis available.” Another, returning from Koh Rong, faced a four-hour wait for the next bus.

The exodus follows the high-profile arrest and extradition of Prince Group chairman Chen Zhi to China, where he faces charges of cyber fraud and money laundering. His removal has coincided with a wider crackdown on Cambodia’s multibillion-dollar scam industry, long centred in Sihanoukville’s casinos and fortified compounds.

Videos circulating on social media show groups carrying suitcases, pets and even computer equipment as they boarded buses and coaches bound for Phnom Penh, which many believe offers greater safety. Similar scenes have been reported in Battambang, Kampot, Bavet and Poipet, as well as Chrey Thom in Kandal province.

Authorities insist they are dismantling the industry. Prime Minister Hun Manet pledged to “eliminate all the problems related to the crime of cyber scams”, while officials say 118 sites have been raided and 5,000 arrests made in the past six months. Yet scepticism remains. Analysts suggest many workers and managers were tipped off, moving equipment and staff before police arrived, raising suspicions of collusion.

The scale of Cambodia’s scam operations is vast. Amnesty International identified 22 centres in Sihanoukville alone last year, while the UN estimates 100,000 people are involved nationwide, with global losses reaching US$37 billion in 2023. Victims span continents, lured into fake romances and cryptocurrency schemes, while workers inside the compounds range from willing fraudsters to trafficked migrants forced to operate under threat of violence.

For now, the streets of Sihanoukville tell the story of upheaval. Coachloads of Mandarin speakers were seen heading north, many unsure of their destination. As one Bangladeshi man outside Amber Casino put it: “This is about survival now.”

-2026-01-18

This is a rather fascinating thing to witness especially in light of the fact that Hun Sen and his family we're likely earning billions of dollars a year from these scam centers, that they were very likely sponsoring.

The Chinese ruined Sihanoukville .They bulldozerd their way in , literally tearing down the small restaurants shops hotels.Opened their own exchange shops , hotels etc and disgusting places where children were seen .

All those poor people were robbed of their businesses and jobs. Friends I had living there lost their businesses and packed up the family and dogs and went home.lost everything.

I believe it became such a huge business in Cambodia that Xi stepped in and ordered all these places closed and the money laundering ended .Probably will happen in Myanmar too.

1 hour ago, geisha said:

All those poor people were robbed of their businesses and jobs.

That's not what I saw when I was last there, and that's not what I was told by locals.

Khmer locals with property were either renting out their house to Chinese for big money by their standards, or, selling their house for a crazy price to Chinese.

What actually happened was the Chinese simply priced out the locals, but didn't steal their businesses or jobs. Foreigners were the same, thus, they moved to Kampot.

The price of residential and commercial property there went through the roof. Khmer owners were offered obscene money by their standards to hand over the keys and walk away. I don't blame them, because Sihanoukville was becoming a place where no one wanted to live.

Many Khmer's cashed out and and went on to bigger and better things elsewhere in Cambodia, retired early. Good Luck to them.

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

This is a rather fascinating thing to witness especially in light of the fact that Hun Sen and his family we're likely earning billions of dollars a year from these scam centers, that they were very likely sponsoring.

Source?

19 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

7That's not what I saw when I was last there, and that's not what I was told by locals.

Khmer locals with property were either renting out their house to Chinese for big money by their standards, or, selling their house for a crazy price to Chinese.

What actually happened was the Chinese simply priced out the locals, but didn't steal their businesses or jobs. Foreigners were the same, thus, they moved to Kampot.

The price of residential and commercial property there went through the roof. Khmer owners were offered obscene money by their standards to hand over the keys and walk away. I don't blame them, because Sihanoukville was becoming a place where no one wanted to live.

Many Khmer's cashed out and and went on to bigger and better things elsewhere in Cambodia, retired early. Good Luck to them.

“ obscene money by their standards” exactly, They were poor uneducated small businesses. Did you ever see the restaurant /shop shacks along the only road ? It was a dirt road. They were left with nothing after a year or two, and 99% did not go on to a bettter life away. Most of the land belonged to army hi sos . I went there a lot over many years as I had friends there and in Kampot.

1 hour ago, geisha said:

“ obscene money by their standards” exactly, They were poor uneducated small businesses. Did you ever see the restaurant /shop shacks along the only road ? It was a dirt road. They were left with nothing after a year or two, and 99% did not go on to a bettter life away. Most of the land belonged to army hi sos . I went there a lot over many years as I had friends there and in Kampot.

I take your point for those that rented. I was talking about those Khmer's that owned their property, be it residential, or commercial, or both. They didn't like the Chinese. They didn't like what was happening to Sihanoukville, but they liked the Chinese money, and they could name their price.

As Sihanoukville was becoming not a very nice place to live, they rented their place out for thousands of USD a month, and moved, or sold up and moved, never to return. The massive increase in rents and property values meant many Khmer's or rented out or sold, could now afford a better standard of living in another province, a family car, a nicer house, better education for their children etc.

In my opinion, it's sad what was allowed to happen to Sihanoukville. The Chinese could have still had their casino and money laundering operation there, but near the airport would have been fine, after all, they are only there to gamble. Downtown and the beach areas could have remained mostly the same. Alas, the Chinese destroyed Sihanoukville.