I have now lived in Chiang Mai for nearly a year now and am considering finding somewhere close to split my time with.

Cambodia is looking pretty promising and I haven't really heard anything too negative about it. If anything in many ways it sounds a little bit friendlier to the western tourist were as Thailand is seeming a bit tired of seeing our faces I think.

I must come clean at this point and confess I have not even visited Cambodia yet but am looking to do so very soon. I was considering Burma but I hear it is a security risk and that the Chinese have pretty much bought the place up already which makes it a no go for me. Pity as I really quite fancied it at one point.

A year ago Chiang Mai was utopia and it still a very nice place to live but I feel I need to split my time with somewhere else to fully appreciate its talents rather than be ground down by its bad points. Cambodia sounds right but I would appreciate your thoughts on this matter please as I have found thaivisa to be very well informed.

A year ago Chiang Mai was utopia

I think it's called novelty,. You know, like buying a new car, getting married etc.

No, I think it's called sarcasm.

Every country has its good and bad.<br /><br />For starters Cambodia is still very un developed with huge poverty.<br /><br />I use to visit many times, but found each time after few days i started to feel "sad" or whatever the feeling is just seeing all the poorness and dirt.<br /><br />Before making a move, i would suggest living there for a few months just to get the feel of the place.<br /><br />I have thought about moving there many times, but then i always ask myself, how would it be different to Thailand? and the naswer is most likely after a while it will not.<br /><br />New people, new language, new everything. May not be as fun and easy to adjust as Thailand was

If in the future some of the doom and gloom predictions often read about on TV come to fruition, Cambodia may be the best option for a lot of ex-pats currently residing in Thailand.

Who knows, in 20 years time, if Thailand is too developed and expensive, perhaps Cambodia will have developed to Thailand's current state. It could be a really nice place by then, maybe even have Tesco's in every city!

I too have put a move to Cambodia into the "possibility" category of my journey in S.E.A. and am in the same boat as you having never entered the Kingdon yet (except for a Visa run ) I have a friend who has been taking holidays there off & on over the last 3yrs and he really enjoys it. However one thing he always says is how after awhile he needs to get over to Thailand to "take the edge off" When I asked him why he does this, he said as much as he loves Cambodia and the people there, it is as lemoncake mentioned in that it is still a bit like the wild west with an unstable economy and majority of poor people. He says this because he feels he needs to be "on his toes" a bit more there and his level of relaxation will not be the same as Thailand.

But lets be straight, much of this has to do with where you are and the locations you spend the majority of your time at. From the research I have done I know that Cambodia is MUCH MORE visa friendly then the LOS. But isn't just about anywhere?

NO..not me....never in a gazillion year! I probably will die here too

I like Chiangmai.....nice weather, friendly people,and good foods (they really know how to cook thai foods!

If I sit around and do nothing all day long, I probably will get bored too...doesn't matter how great the city or super friendly people can be.

I think it helps to have some hobbies or interests to focus on besides doing all those touristsy things 24/7, and have realistic expectation of your local place and its people that you choose to be in and around. Not to mention that knowing the local language as much as possible is a big plus too.

Good luck with you move and send back some postcards

I think the only way to find out is to visit for a week or three - I will go back in 2014 to see what changes have occurred since my last visit in 2010, but I have no plans to move there. Forum chatter has it that there is a lack of affordable longterm accommodation and that break-ins are very common, but there is no substitute for spending a few weeks in PP (or wherever you plan to live) and talking to Barang who actually live there.

BKS22, are you familiar with the Indonesian visa system ? Much worse than Thailand. I'm just going to pay an agent in Singapore and be done with it.

lack of affordable longterm accommodation and that break-ins are very common

I have a number of friends who moved there from Thailand some 5-6 years back, they have never mentioned problems with accommodation but they have about crime. When I go away for a couple of months I just lock my door and head off but they put all their goods into storage. That says it all to me.

notmyself, on 23 Feb 2013 - 21:36, said:

MrWorldwide, on 23 Feb 2013 - 17:51, said:

lack of affordable longterm accommodation and that break-ins are very common

I have a number of friends who moved there from Thailand some 5-6 years back, they have never mentioned problems with accommodation but they have about crime. When I go away for a couple of months I just lock my door and head off but they put all their goods into storage. That says it all to me.

Auto and bike theft is also fairly high, unless the vehicle belongs to some general or police officer and then uniform is usually hanging there to show it, and an armed guard always lurking around.

Another thing i found to be little intermidating is the armed guards at the clubs, as in night clubs.

I have visited Cambodia over the past couple of years for the purpose of looking for a "bolthole" should anything turn to custard in Thailand, so here is my feedback.

I am not a city person so on my first visit to Phnom Penh I didn't find it to be somewhere that I would like to live, however on the second visit I changed my mind because parts of it are bustling with life, cafes and restaurants and nightclubs, and other parts are good for sightseeing. So I think I would probably give it a try for a few months just to see how I fitted in.

I also made two visits to Sihanoukville and found this to be quite a charming place which will almost certainly grow to be something like Patong in around 10 years (however hopefully not that bad) because of the new building going on, and the hotels springing up, and of course the influx of tourists. I found the locals to be very helpful and never felt threatened anywhere I went, in fact the motorbike taxi drivers were only too pleased to help out wherever possible and would always welcome some sort of bargaining for the fare.

There are a few bars in the area, if that is what you are looking for (many, many more in Phnom Penh of course) and a choice of cheap restaurants.

Of course the Visa situation is much more "farang friendly" with no monthly reporting and all that nonsense.

All in all, as one other poster has suggested, why not visit for a few weeks/months just to get a feel for the place – – nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

I too have put a move to Cambodia into the "possibility" category of my journey in S.E.A. and am in the same boat as you having never entered the Kingdon yet (except for a Visa run ) I have a friend who has been taking holidays there off & on over the last 3yrs and he really enjoys it. However one thing he always says is how after awhile he needs to get over to Thailand to "take the edge off" When I asked him why he does this, he said as much as he loves Cambodia and the people there, it is as lemoncake mentioned in that it is still a bit like the wild west with an unstable economy and majority of poor people. He says this because he feels he needs to be "on his toes" a bit more there and his level of relaxation will not be the same as Thailand.

But lets be straight, much of this has to do with where you are and the locations you spend the majority of your time at. From the research I have done I know that Cambodia is MUCH MORE visa friendly then the LOS. But isn't just about anywhere?

i have been spending more and more time In cambo know, cambo is a hell of a lot more relaxing than Thailand have never felt threatened they are a hell of a lot more friendlier very funny people they love a laugh and a good time,

+ cambo is around 1 3rd of the price try Sihanouk ville down on the beaches, there's some beautiful beaches many bars good cheap hotels, well worth a look the place is growing by the minute.

No one has mentioned Siem Reap - so there you go, I have.

A bit of an oasis as it is 95% full of tourists. That is fine because it results in a fantstic choice of western and asian food. Cambodian food is nothing special (like many Thai dishes) and is mostly Thai food without chillies. Best baguettes in Cambodia and, also thanks to the French/Vietnamese, good desserts.

SR is a welcome break from Thailand for those of us living in rural areas - it is also only 3 hours away.

IMHO Pnohm Penh is nothing special although a lot of money is being spent there. Kampot and Kep are pleasant areas, the latter definitely worth a look before it gets over-developed. Fresh crab, prawns and fish at one of tne many wooden hutted restaurants on the waterfront.

Sihanoukville seems to have a bit of everything and a far bette coastline than many parts of Thailand.

I have been to Cambodia 20 times in tne lat two years. If I ever have cause to be disatisfied with my life in Thailand I would move tere in a heartbeat. If I had discovered Cambodia first I would un,ikely be in Thailand now.

A friend who has been here for 25 years says Cambodia is like Thailand was when he first started coming..

The advice is siple - go and spend a couple of weeks travelling round then a week in each place you like. Then go back for a month to your favourite place. If it then feels better than Chiang Mai - move!

Good luck.

Shit food is the issue.

I was in Cambodia last year. If I moved there it would have to be to Phnom Penh because that's where all services, stores, etc. can be found.

My impression of Siem Reap is that it's taken over by international do-gooders and I found food and hotel prices too high and people not so friendly. Decide for yourself.

Sihanoukville is quaint to say the least. It's doable, but it doesn't offer near everything I'd need, so I'd be making regular trips to Phnom Penh. I'm just talking about ordinary shopping and whatever.

My personal opinion is that the women aren't as attractive as Thais. There is a difference imho. That's not to say there aren't some beauties, but I didn't see as many.

Anyone who truly misses the frontier days of Thailand might just take a look. Don't therefore expect the infrastructure or medical care to be on the same level.

Oh, and I thought rent was just as cheap as was the food. Alcohol is way cheaper.

I spent a few days in sihanoukville just before the new year.what a dump.scamming and bothering all the time.dirty and the management told me the tiny room i was staying at was going up from 15$ a night to 30$ for 3days over new year,so i left.One positive ,could buy bottled Guinness for a dollar.now theres something cant get in Thailand,only draught at300 baht a pint.

The medical care is a big issue for older people.

Cambodia is a no-no for me: much dirtier and poorer than Thailand, and much less vibrant.

Decent health care facility are nowhere to be found.

Only for a very good salary I'd move there.

I spent a few days in sihanoukville just before the new year.what a dump.scamming and bothering all the time.dirty and the management told me the tiny room i was staying at was going up from 15$ a night to 30 for 3days over new year,so i left.One positive ,could buy bottled Guiness for a dollar.now theres something cant get in Thailand,only draught at300 baht a pint.

Agreed. I said "quaint" to be polite. But if a person wants to go back two or more decades from Thailand, then the lifestyle and amenities will be gone.

But the people were friendly, I didn't experience scams, prices were right but it just isn't Thailand.

If I can play Devil's Advocate, other than expats in Laos and Malaysia, how many Westerners are an hour's flight from Bangkok ? I know - cold comfort if Bangkok is the reason you want to relocate - but 6 months in more rustic surroundings might remedy some of that angst

Those who have been to the aging shopping centre in Vientiane would recognise Pnomh Penh's 'mall' : don't know if they've built a replacement since 2010, but I'm confident that it wont be a patch on Siam Paragon or Bukit Bintang. Even the Robinson in Udon Thani looks like Harrod's by comparison.

Shit food is the issue.

You must eat in the wrong places.....

Shit food is the issue.

Found the food in Cambodia to be pretty good the last time I was there, and very reasonable in terms of price. Not sure I could live there, but enjoy a visit there every now and again.

I must say the relaxed visa's and ease of setting up a business and running it as a foreigner really appeal to me. I just feel sometimes that Thailand has grown weary of use but also grown very experienced at fleecing the next boatload.

Cynical i know but that's just my take on things.

I must say the relaxed visa's and ease of setting up a business and running it as a foreigner really appeal to me. I just feel sometimes that Thailand has grown weary of use but also grown very experienced at fleecing the next boatload.

Cynical i know but that's just my take on things.

I must say the relaxed visa's and ease of setting up a business and running it as a foreigner really appeal to me. I just feel sometimes that Thailand has grown weary of use but also grown very experienced at fleecing the next boatload.

Cynical i know but that's just my take on things.

The issue, as I see it, is by the time people are shouting the merits of a new destination from the rooftops, its too late. Paradise lost. If Cambodia has an ace up its sleeve, its that it seems to polarize the casual visitor - this thread is like so many before it in that half of us seem to think the place rocks and the other half couldn't imagine living there, with a few in between. I would need to see some significant changes in 2014 to even consider unpacking my bags, but I will go back for a beer or fifteen.

The medical care is a big issue for older people.

the medical care is a big issue for any people.

if you have the money or insurance, they fly you out to Thailand for treatment. if you do not have neither, your life is in the hands of god.

Bangkok Hospital has a branch there, but its merely GP consultations, anything else off to Bangkok Thailand.

There is a children hospital near by the wat phnom, but it looks more like horse stables.

Well, a friend has been holidaying in S'ville. Liked the place. Nice people, inexpensive, has a beach. Get a room by the month, check it out. The Visa situation is way better IMHO. Get an annual Visa, be done with that nonsense.

But unless you have a network of friends, you might go stir crazy soon. Thailand has more going. When you travel... From Major Cineplex to shopping malls and good hospitals and dentists etc. etc. Why not check it out?

Anybody Else Considering A Move To Cambodia?

If I were on me tod, absolutely. Muang Thai has turned into a mini Singapore tiger rip-off.

While I am not allowed to post the link to another forum in this thread, I don't believe I am prevented from just telling you that there is a similar forum to this in Cambodia and you might find it useful to chat with some of the people who are actually living there right now. It's great for getting answers to any questions about living in Cambodia.

If you type khmer440 into google you will be able to navigate to the forum.

Didn't like visiting Cambodja at all 5 years ago. It's edgy, poor, no infrastructure and a general feeling of despair from the locals. Not to mention I don't like not knowing who were Khmer Rogue in the past. It would be like walking around in post war Germany and not knowing who were Nazis. The 'Highway 4' is a dirt road with massive potholes. Only other foreigner I met on a bus was toothless weirdo. Sihanoukville is incredibly boring. Most of the countryside is an ugly flat tundra since they cut down all the trees.

No thanks to Cambodja. I'd much sooner move to the Philipines.