hello fellow blog readers. I am taking a trip to Cambodia, Sihanoukville, to live and work for a month. My thai girlfriend, though a little nervous, certainly wants to come along. The problem is her parents and friends. Every thai person she loves and trusts have told her it is too dangerous in Cambodia for thai people. her mother has pretty much forbid her to go. I have done research on current events and talked to my future employers in Cambo. Nothing indicates there is a smackdown on thais traveling in Cambo. I understand border tensions are stressed, there is gunfire, but other than the highly publicized detention of the thais who wandered into cambodia, (supposedly) 2 of which received 5 year prison terms, I have heard of nothing.<div>We literally are going directly to Sihanoukville. What are your thoughts, opinions, and experiences about thai people traveling in Cambodia? Or even getting over the border?</div><div>Thanks, I am leaving Monday, March 1st.</div>

My wife's family lies about 4 km form the Thai Cambodia boarder south of Surin (Kap Choegn) and yes there are boarder tensions. But there has never been or is there know any problem of Thais or Cambodians passing threw customs. If your gf's family are adamant on her not going the only thing you can do is leave her in Thailand and go your self. They are wrong but you are not going to change that.

Only the borders between Isaan and Cambodia are tense. It's business as usual at the other border crossings--especially those as far south as you are planning to go. Cross over the border down there.

There are plenty of Thais living here in Cambodia, running their own enterprises, working for Thai and local employers, doing business with Cambodians, married to Khmers or Westerners, and even the occasional visitor or tourist. None of them have any problems whatsoever, and I think you will find that they are treated significantly better than Cambodians are treated in Thailand. Your wife will be perfectly safe, and the experience might even broaden her horizons and dispel a few Thai myths and prejudices. My Thai ex really liked Cambodia.

Nice, thanks gentlemen for all of your opinions and experiences. It is as exactly as I suspected. I actually wrote columnist Voranai Vanijaka of the Bangkok post and this is what he had to say:

"I say, go go go... been to sihanoukville, beautiful it is... and all this thai/cambodian scrap, it's fading away... things will go back to normal... it's just a small show to remind everyone that we both are still third world countries with all the baggages that come with... but do go.... should be no problem at all.."

As a few of you noted, it is all well and good to help settle her nerves, and perhaps even encourage her to go behind her parents back, but I am sure none of this info will have the slightest effect on her parents. We live in Bangkok, they live in Khmerat.

Nice, thanks gentlemen for all of your opinions and experiences. It is as exactly as I suspected. I actually wrote columnist Voranai Vanijaka of the Bangkok post and this is what he had to say:

"I say, go go go... been to sihanoukville, beautiful it is... and all this thai/cambodian scrap, it's fading away... things will go back to normal... it's just a small show to remind everyone that we both are still third world countries with all the baggages that come with... but do go.... should be no problem at all.."

As a few of you noted, it is all well and good to help settle her nerves, and perhaps even encourage her to go behind her parents back, but I am sure none of this info will have the slightest effect on her parents. We live in Bangkok, they live in Khmerat.

The reactions of Cambodians to Thais that I have come across in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (when I say I live in Thailand and near Khao Phra Vehear) is not one of hostility. The typical reaction is of resigned curiosity - "why do the Thais want to fight with us; we had a terrible experience with wars and we just want to get on peacefully with life now."

Some Cambodians do resent Thais ( when I was in Seam Reap ) but not in a violent way. They are mostly just ignored. It's pretty safe, I really don't think any harm will come to her.

As one who lives pretty much equally (time wise) in both Thailand and Cambodia..

She won't be in the slightest danger nor have any problem, assuming of course that she enters legally with a valid passport.

I have plenty of Thai friends/colleagues who live and work in Cambodia. Just as I have my Cambodian niece studying at university in Thailand. She also, has no problems, although her parents back in Cambodia, like your GF's parents, worry.

Some of the Thai tourists coming to Angkor Wat are resented but it is due to their behavior, looking down on the locals, making critical remarks, being condescending etc.

As long as your GF conducts herself as a guest in a foreign country, she will get along just fine with the locals. Cambodians are polite, easy going folk for the most part. There is widespread awareness in Cambodia that the Preah Vihear business is something being staged by politicians and related to Thailand's internal politics. They don't like it, of course, but they don't blame ordinary Thai people for it.