Anybody Else Considering A Move To Cambodia?

[Gary A]

I have gone through this thread and if you are really interested in Cambodia, you don't want to base too much on some of the opinions in this thread. Some are WAY out in left field. The best advice is to have a first hand look yourself. If I were still young and bulletproof, health wise, I'd likely be living in Cambodia. As far as crime,I'd say that Thailand is worse than Cambodia. The biggest problem for old farts is the lack of decent medical care. Within the past few years, Phnom Penh has really been cleaned up. As previously mentioned Sihanoukville is growing very fast. I like Sihanoukville better than the larger cities. If they ever get regular flights there, there will be a LOT more tourists. I will be one of them. As it is, it's just too much of a hassle to get there.

[MrWorldwide]

Neversure, are you telling me that you handed over thousand-baht notes and got Riel in exchange ? Jesus - it would have been worse than Laos ! Wallet the size of a postman's satchel - happy to hear otherwise.

[swissie]

Here the latest news, for those seeking employement in Cambodia. Work permit is necessary (wasen't strictly enforced until now). These days the "crackdown" goes like this: Having worked without WP = Can get WP now, going as far back to the day one started working, BUT ALSO MUST PAY BACK-TAXES for all this time without WP. (If working 10 years without WP, that is quite an expense, right?)

OR: Many schools that have employed Farang-Teachers, may have deducted taxes from the salary, but never "paid-in". Nor did they bother to get proper WP for their teachers.Oouups...........!

Problems ahead for some folks.

Cheers.

[phuketrichard]

best rates are near central market and also the markets near street 130 & 108 1block off riverside, plenty of money changers

100 baht will get ya 13,000 or so riel rate varies from $1=3,900-4,100 riel for the past 7 years

IF u have baht and go to the money changer they will change to $ or riel for you easily

Most all places (hotels, restaurants, bars and shops , including Sorya mall/grocery store/lucky market. family marts ( like 7/11)) display their prices in $$ Girls will ask for $30 st not 120,000 riel :-)

if ur bill is $4.75 and u give them a $10 u will get a $5 bill and apx 1,000 riel

No reason to have riel except to pay for parking ( 500-1,000 riel) or buying cheap cheap food at the stalls near the markets or the food sellers that have their own carts where items are less than a $1

Even the fool court on the top floor of the sorya center u pay for the tickets in $$

Its not just a barang thing, Cambodians use $$ and atms give them to ya as well.

EVERYONE has a calculator and knows the daily rates

Rent in shv u can find a furnished 1 room studio with single cooker, air con, frig ( u pay electric) , tv for about 175-200/month. You can also find an empty room for $60/month

Edited March 4, 2013 by phuketrichard

[MrWorldwide]

I guess its all different when you live there, but even the Indonesian Rupiah (100 AUD is roughly a million IDR atm) seems more 'real' in my pocket than all those brightly colored Riel notes. Haven't been to Vietnam yet, but I expect it will be a similar experience - it gets a bit silly when you need 20,000 of anything just to buy a bottle of water. The Malaysian Ringgit is my favorite Asian currency - I rarely have to go anywhere near a calculator to know that the barman just charged me 10 AUD for a beer

[Renbe]

Neversure, are you telling me that you handed over thousand-baht notes and got Riel in exchange ? Jesus - it would have been worse than Laos ! Wallet the size of a postman's satchel - happy to hear otherwise.

Have 50.000 and 100.000 Riel banknotes = 12.5 & 25 US$

[poanoi]

Do yourself a favor and get 100 pieces of $1 bills at nearest bank

[cardholder]

some other quick points;

If ur over 50 u are NOT allowed to marry a cambodian if ur under u must prove u have an income of over $2,500/month

Mobile service, the whole country is covered by 3 g!! u can get a 1 gig of data for about $2-3

Calls to thailand cost less than $.05/minute while calls from Thailand to camboda are 12 baht

Calls tothe states for under $.05/minute

Applances/electronics/mobile phones are about the same price but not as wide a selection

Electricy averages about $.25/kwh ( in apt)vs $..08 here

Cars

u

can get some great deals on 1997-99 honda crv or Toyata Rav4, ( all

from the states) for under $8,000 or buy a new range rover/Hummer for

$120,000!!

If ur TEFEL or CELTA certified easy to find teaching jobs at $8-12/hour

I will stand corrected PR but the way I read the rule was that even with $2,550 an over 50 can still not marry in Cambodia - full stop.

A foreigner (in general) wishing to marry a Cambodian must have $2,550 minimum income.

Nothing to stop them marrying outside Cambodia ?

read my note.

over 50 can not marry

Under 50 need $2,500 income;

TO marry a Cambodia u need a letter from the government office that states ur single ( as one does in Thailand,

I looked into it,

Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Singapore & Cambodian embassies will not provide such letter.

Bars do Charge Bar fines be it legal or not. Freelancers at Martinis /Walkabout, the new Sorya mall ask for $20-25 ST.

Girls at the hostess bars up to $50, I was just up there 3 weeks ago.

Its not anywhere near a frontier town, (maybe 15 years ago it was) now its just a struggling, poverty ridden third world country trying to join the race with amazing places to visit an super friendly people.

Apologies - I re-read your post and the appalling use of abbreviation caused me to misread the bit "if ur under u..."

i consider myself suitably chastised and will bone up on my urban dictionary before tackling future posts.

Categorically - 2 bars in SR and 3 in PP DO NOT charge bar fines.

[NeverSure]

Neversure, are you telling me that you handed over thousand-baht notes and got Riel in exchange ? Jesus - it would have been worse than Laos ! Wallet the size of a postman's satchel - happy to hear otherwise.

LOL, I think we're simply talking about two different things. No I've never gotten that much Riel because I can spend USD in Cambodia. I have bought enough initially from a vendor to have change, and of course have many, many times gotten change from my USD in Riel, and to me that's "on the street."

I still don't have an answer for BHT-Riel.

[MrWorldwide]

OK - you had a wallet full of USD when you got off the plane in Cambo. Most of us just aren't that fortunate.

[phuketrichard]

1.u don' need a wallet full of $ when u get to PP.

a. there is an atm in the arrival area (PP airport) where u pick up ur luggage before customs and it will give u $US 50. also every atm in Cambodia gives $US for some reason they don't give u $100

b. Also if u fly from Bangkok there are Siam commercial bank atms after u clear immigration that will give u $ or euros!!!

c. Or u just take Baht to any Thai bank in Thailand and buy $$ i just brought $12,000 worth for the rate of 30.4 baht to the $

2. Baht to riel; as i said the money changers near the markets near street 108 an d130, 1 block off riverside.

they will change for u

.

apx 100 baht = 13,400 riel= $3.35

3. yes i know 3 bars in PP that do not charge Bar fines

Martinis, walkabout an Sharkies and also plenty of freelancers at the new soya mall where there are like beer bars on street 51

BUT these girls are freelancers and do NOT work for the bar,

I think u will find any hostess bar/karaokes will charge u a bar fine or it will be included in the girls fee ( if u take one from a brothel) One in SR is called top something or other

I apologize if my English is not up to your standards as i come from the American education system :-)

Edited March 5, 2013 by phuketrichard

[NeverSure]

OK - you had a wallet full of USD when you got off the plane in Cambo. Most of us just aren't that fortunate.

We're trying hard, but we're on two different planets. Yes, I either got off a plane coming in from the US, or I got the USD first thing from an ATM in Cambodia. USD is the easiest way to get around, because as you pointed out you need too many Riel otherwise.

[MrWorldwide]

OK - clearly, I've dug my own grave on this, but I use ATMs as a last resort. I take AUD to Thailand and exchange it to baht for my holidays, and I will be using Forex for larger amounts in 2014. Setting up a Thai bank account hasn't really been worth it up till now, although I did consider it during one 3-month stint in 2008.

In addition to the fee the owners of the ATMs charge, my bank here in Oz rapes me on every transaction. They charge me for an 'overseas withdrawal fee' or similar, and they ream me on the foreign exchange transaction. I know I will have to pay a Forex trader, but I fully expect to get a better rate than my bank gives me (I couldn't do worse ..) and I wont be paying two sets of ATM fees. I also have a problem with the increasing number of scams in and around ATMs in Thailand and other parts of Asia. Much happier using the ATMs in the bank during working hours, but that isnt always feasible. Even the currency exchange at the airports is usually several points off what I can get closer to my hotel.

Paranoid cheapskate ? Maybe, but I get pissed off any time I feel that my bank is having an even bigger lend of me than usual - Australian banks are notorious for their high fees. Of course, once I follow the suggestion given in another thread and convert all those nasty Pacific Pesos to Thai baht, my problems are over, right guys ? Er, guys ? <sound of crickets chirping>

[rene123]

OK - clearly, I've dug my own grave on this, but I use ATMs as a last resort. I take AUD to Thailand and exchange it to baht for my holidays, and I will be using Forex for larger amounts in 2014. Setting up a Thai bank account hasn't really been worth it up till now, although I did consider it during one 3-month stint in 2008.

In addition to the fee the owners of the ATMs charge, my bank here in Oz rapes me on every transaction. They charge me for an 'overseas withdrawal fee' or similar, and they ream me on the foreign exchange transaction. I know I will have to pay a Forex trader, but I fully expect to get a better rate than my bank gives me (I couldn't do worse ..) and I wont be paying two sets of ATM fees. I also have a problem with the increasing number of scams in and around ATMs in Thailand and other parts of Asia. Much happier using the ATMs in the bank during working hours, but that isnt always feasible. Even the currency exchange at the airports is usually several points off what I can get closer to my hotel.

Paranoid cheapskate ? Maybe, but I get pissed off any time I feel that my bank is having an even bigger lend of me than usual - Australian banks are notorious for their high fees. Of course, once I follow the suggestion given in another thread and convert all those nasty Pacific Pesos to Thai baht, my problems are over, right guys ? Er, guys ? <sound of crickets chirping>

Likewise, I hate banks with a passion. They pay almost no interest in the money they hold in my account and yet charge me for everything. I won't even discuss the interest rates on VISA or MASTERCARD. I HATE paying interest on anything I can purchase outright for cash. I use my ATM all the time in Thailand, but always take out the maximum amount allowed. I just have to accept the excessive double charging at both banks. It is little wonder why banks rule the world and we are just pawns. On a recent visit to the tiny Thai village of Samoeng the bank was the largest building in town. It looked totally out of place.

[JLCrab]

There are banks in USA with no foreign ATM fees and will reimburse your 150 baht withdrawal fee at the end of each month. Interest rates have been around for a long time; they help me do things today when my income is parceled out monthly. Likewise, some credit cards have foreign transaction fees and some have none. As I have no heirs, if I drop dead tomorrow the CC companies are stuck with the payments.

To me, they are just like a cost of doing business. I save so much each month living in Thailand vs. USA that interest payments and other fees just get lost in the wash.

[MrWorldwide]

_{As I said, to many I must seem a paranoid crackpot, but I was robbed in Guilin after withdrawing money from an ATM. The bastards followed me to a chemist where I removed my wallet to pay for something and, en route to my pocket, the wallet disappeared into someone else's hand and into the crowd. Very slick, and I felt nothing during the 'transfer' - as of now, I use the ATMs inside the banks when I absolutely have to, and even then I check for skimmers etc.}

[chiangmaikelly]

_{As I said, to many I must seem a paranoid crackpot, but I was robbed in Guilin after withdrawing money from an ATM. The bastards followed me to a chemist where I removed my wallet to pay for something and, en route to my pocket, the wallet disappeared into someone else's hand and into the crowd. Very slick, and I felt nothing during the 'transfer' - as of now, I use the ATMs inside the banks when I absolutely have to, and even then I check for skimmers etc.}

I have to go with you on that. Never use an ATM outside. In addition to theft I have had two eat my card. Inside the bank, is no problem getting it back. Outside ..... who knows.

[JLCrab]

About 20 years ago, I was pick-pocketed in a remote part of Indonesia by a 3-man team: the bumper, the pick, and the hand-off guy. They got cash, credit cards, and travelers checks but not my passport and airline tickets as they were in my camera bag. The credit cards were cancelled and replaced, the traveler's checks were refunded once I went to Jakarta, the cash obviously was gone for good.

So I now try to keep as little cash on hand as possible. Different strokes for different folks. I also can have funds transferred to my Bangkok Bank account via their New York office and that is also a relatively painless way to go.

[Ministry of Som Tam]

<Snip>I have read virtually everything available by Thai, Khmer, French, Chinese, Vietnamese and American scholars on the subject, <snip>

Joe,

I'm always interested to learn more. I'd be most great foul if you could recommend a good book or two on the subject.

Thanks.

T

The Gate by Francois Bizot is an absolute must read,about a French Correspondent fluent in Khmer,who was in Phnom Penh for the takeover by the Khmer Rouge.

I think he was the only foreigner to survive capture and imprisonment by the Khmer Rouge but be warned that it is harrowing stuff with no punches pulled!

[iluvbeaches]

1.u don' need a wallet full of $ when u get to PP.

a. there is an atm in the arrival area (PP airport) where u pick up ur luggage before customs and it will give u $US 50. also every atm in Cambodia gives $US for some reason they don't give u $100

b. Also if u fly from Bangkok there are Siam commercial bank atms after u clear immigration that will give u $ or euros!!!

c. Or u just take Baht to any Thai bank in Thailand and buy $$ i just brought $12,000 worth for the rate of 30.4 baht to the $

2. Baht to riel; as i said the money changers near the markets near street 108 an d130, 1 block off riverside.

they will change for u

.

apx 100 baht = 13,400 riel= $3.35

3. yes i know 3 bars in PP that do not charge Bar fines

Martinis, walkabout an Sharkies and also plenty of freelancers at the new soya mall where there are like beer bars on street 51

BUT these girls are freelancers and do NOT work for the bar,

I think u will find any hostess bar/karaokes will charge u a bar fine or it will be included in the girls fee ( if u take one from a brothel) One in SR is called top something or other

I apologize if my English is not up to your standards as i come from the American education system :-)

Coming from Bangkok, and if you have time, I think the best rate for exchange and easiest way to get lots of single usd bills is super rich near chid lum bts.

[jamhar]

"I read the rule was that even with $2,550 an over 50 can still not marry in Cambodia - full stop."

Wahoo!

Theres a country that has a law preventing me from getting in trouble!

At least one kinda trouble lol

[poanoi]

Definitely gives impression Cambodia are catering to below 50 people,

while Thailand cater to above 50 people,

and it shows when i look at the average age of farang/barang in the countries respectively

[jamhar]

"if you are below 50, and like beer a lot"

"Below 50" and "like beer alot" are redundant.

just say'n

[jamhar]

Do yourself a favor and get 100 pieces of $1 bills at nearest bank

Agreed!

I had a beggar not want to take reil's!

he asked if i had dollars, I said no.

he then asked if i had bahts, i said no

then he reluctantly took the reil notes.

I was about to leave him dry,

but i was just impressed with his audacity and wanted to see how far he would go! lol

Everyone would rather have dollars there.

In fact, most vendors tried to charge me about 25% interest for paying with bahts.

and NO one wanted reils.

Edited March 5, 2013 by jamhar

[Thakkar]

<Snip>I have read virtually everything available by Thai, Khmer, French, Chinese, Vietnamese and American scholars on the subject, <snip>

Joe,

I'm always interested to learn more. I'd be most great foul if you could recommend a good book or two on the subject.

Thanks.

T

The Gate by Francois Bizot is an absolute must read,about a French Correspondent fluent in Khmer,who was in Phnom Penh for the takeover by the Khmer Rouge.

I think he was the only foreigner to survive capture and imprisonment by the Khmer Rouge but be warned that it is harrowing stuff with no punches pulled!

I got "After The War Was Over" and "The Gate", and also a memoir, "When Broken Glass Floats", which I'm starting with and which so far seems a compelling account.

BTW, I downloaded those from the Sony Reader store, which was a bit of a mistake as they are cloaked in DRM which I had to remove before I could read on my Kindle or iPad. Also, the Sony reading software is crap. Prices are cheaper than at Amazon, though.

Anyway, I just wanted to thank all the posters for suggesting these great reads.

Still looking for the David Chandler books.

T

[jocko]

I have read virtually everything available by Thai, Khmer, French, Chinese, Vietnamese and American scholars on the subject,

Joe,

I'm always interested to learn more. I'd be most great foul if you could recommend a good book or two on the subject.

Thanks.

T

The Gate by Francois Bizot is an absolute must read,about a French Correspondent fluent in Khmer,who was in Phnom Penh for the takeover by the Khmer Rouge.

I think he was the only foreigner to survive capture and imprisonment by the Khmer Rouge but be warned that it is harrowing stuff with no punches pulled!

I got "After The War Was Over" and "The Gate", and also a memoir, "When Broken Glass Floats", which I'm starting with and which so far seems a compelling account.

BTW, I downloaded those from the Sony Reader store, which was a bit of a mistake as they are cloaked in DRM which I had to remove before I could read on my Kindle or iPad. Also, the Sony reading software is crap. Prices are cheaper than at Amazon, though.

Anyway, I just wanted to thank all the posters for suggesting these great reads.

Still looking for the David Chandler books.

T

To the end of hell is another.

[Ministry of Som Tam]

I have read virtually everything available by Thai, Khmer, French, Chinese, Vietnamese and American scholars on the subject,

Joe,

I'm always interested to learn more. I'd be most great foul if you could recommend a good book or two on the subject.

Thanks.

T

If you ever travel to Phnom Penh, you can find tons of books at excellent prices. Also, take a visit to S-21, which is worth a thousand words.

True. Especially the latter (I'd been reading about it all for years before I ever went there - and to a great degree all that I read, and have read since, pale in comparison to that visit's impact).

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

I went to Tuol Sleng (S-21) with friends including a lady who was half Chinese-half Khmer and had barely escaped the clutches of the Khmer Rouge as a child,she refused to go inside and sat outside on a bench until we had finished looking around!

[Ministry of Som Tam]

Go back and read some of bangkokburning's posts in this thread, but he isnt alone. The attitude that 'Cambodia has moved on - the KR are ancient history' seems to ignore certain realities. That said, I'm not Cambodian - to speak on their behalf is way beyond my pay grade.

I'm not looking to start a flame war here, but making sweeping statements re Cambodia without so much as Wikipedia entry seems awfully ambitious for mine.

Have you been to Cheoung Ek,The Killing Fields and seen The Killing Tree,where they used to hold children by their legs and smash them to death on the tree to save bullets?

My point is that everyone in Cambodia just wants to forget about the horrors of the past and just move on,even the acknowledgement of what went on seems too much to bear for most Khmers these days and I do know many Khmers that did live through the full horrors of the Khmer Rouge!

[Ministry of Som Tam]

Well the OP has dreams of a cheaper life with cheaper women in a cheaper country in a cheaper hovel with cheaper food. He is just living the dream of cheapness, a pentultimate objective in a fulfilling life if ever there was.

Maybe he actually has dreams of a country where they can speak and understand English to a reasonable level?Don't want you to just leave your chequebook and F-off back home,genuinely encourage foreign direct investment and businesses,not just use them as a premise to rip you off for every penny you import.

Maybe he dreams of a country where if you buy a bar you are actually allowed to go behind the bar of your own establishment (this one just makes me lol!),a place where the male population Is actually worth conversing with and they are genuinely working hard to provide a better life for their families?

A place where you can expect to not get bumped off by your relatives,as soon as your significant other gets their greedy,grabbing hands on your assets,while the authorities look the other way and pretend nothing happened?

I could go on but I won't,none of the above has happened to me but reading the newspapers it's probably just good luck more than anything I've done!Then again I'm not stupid enough to own a business in Thailand and the only money I bring into the country is the bare minimum I need to survive!

[Ministry of Som Tam]

Well the OP has dreams of a cheaper life with cheaper women in a cheaper country in a cheaper hovel with cheaper food. He is just living the dream of cheapness, a pentultimate objective in a fulfilling life if ever there was.

Some folk also cited the easier visa system as an incentive for considering Cambo, but I think you have hit the nail on the head. In any case, a month in Cambo would answer a lot more questions than 500 of these threads.

He's only hit the nail on the head if the OP is a fat,bald Cheap Charlie whoremonger who came here to die,not for anyone with any imagination who is interested in learning about the culture in Cambodia.Which after all,is where all Thai culture is from originally,after they stole it from the Khmers!

I'm going to take the positive route and believe he's not,maybe he might be interested in exploring the largest and most pristinely preserved temple complex anywhere on the planet also?

Why do so many people on here have so little imagination and so little quality of life,it's a self-fulfilling prophecy surely?