Sihanoukville Cambodia as next Paradise?

[RaoulDuke]

Spent two months in Cambodia last summer, mostly in PP but we travelled all over the country. I would have to say Sihanoukville was the most disappointing place we went to.  The beach is underwhelming and dirty, and the bar scene seemed to be a mash-up of the worst kind of Pattaya/Patong bars, scaled down to a very small town size. It pretty much looked like a place for expats who got kicked out of Thai sexpat ghettos and were on their last stand.  As for the country as a whole, it is very poor and dirty (as one might expect given their recent history of bombings, war, genocide, more war, dictatorship, etc).  Wherever you have such extreme poverty, there is bound to be crime aimed at anyone perceived to have money, so I was not at all surprised when I was robbed in PP, right in the middle of the a relatively affluent neighborhood filled with well-guarded embassies.  As much as I came to like the country and the people, they still have a long way to go before they can be considered Thai-lite.  Definitely not a place you want to move to on a whim, sight unseen.

[bobthomas]

Went to Cambodia's capitol to spend a couple of weeks exploring the possibility of moving from Thailand...after about a week...moved on to Vietnam...the place (Cambodia) is trashy everywhere...food was not very good...I did not find the people particularly friendly...they did not want their picture taken...and the same attitude of ripping off foreigners that exists in Thailand...is worse in Cambodia...left Cambodia for Viet Nam after a few days...that is all it took to realize it was not going to work for me...

 

S. Vietnam was a treat...people friendly...did not matter that I am an American...food good...variety and price good...accommodations were excellent and inexpensive...girls were very cute and friendly...streets were clean...never felt threatened...walked around for many blocks in every direction with no one pestering me about a ride or spare change... 

 

Nha Trang...arguably one of the world's most beautiful beaches...was not crowded...had few vendors...and was a lovely place to visit...one could buy freshly cooked lobster and other seafood...right on the street corners...in the evening... at a reasonable price...

 

Skip Cambodia...go on to Viet Nam...save yourself a few bucks...and time...

 

This is what I mean!, "after about a week...moved on to Vietnam"

 

This is absolutly not long enough to get anything more than a glimpse of "surface culture". How things appear- and how things really are- are much different. But not to take it away from ggt- Vietnam is nice and will probably give Thailand and Cambodia a run for their money in the future!

 

[RedQualia]

"GOOD point of Cambodia: easy visa,7.75% Bank interest,easy to make business,etc"

 

7.75 percent bank interest, hmm? Sounds legit to me! Perhaps you should put all your money into an account there. (Not.)

[JesseFrank]

http://www.movetocambodia.com/expat-life/why-ive-started-using-real-estate-agents-in-cambodia/

 

The country seems to be changing fast. A lot of expats are coming in.

 

You will mean, the losers that can't afford Thailand anymore are moving to Cambodia.

 

I'm sure the OP knows what a high bank interest means in terms of inflation.

[KhnomKhnom]

Paradise is very close........ it is located just above your eyebrows.  I would take Lao PDR over Cambodia to JUST LIVE which is what I would see in both places.  If you hate Thailand, you will loath Cambodia.  I agree with Sanuk711

 

 

 

 

 

[GAZZPA]

 

Perhaps it would help if you would define what exactly you would refer to as paradise... Cambodia, a place to live cheap? Yes it is - Cambodia, a place with a great future? No, definitely not.

 

One swallow doesn't make a summer. Lax visa regulations won't make a paradise...

 

I guess one man's paradise is another mans hell.

Maybe 50 years ago there were places akin to paradise, but not any more.

 

I think there are, what people are looking for here is "paradise on the cheap" in which case I suspect that it will become a thing of the past. But I still love the villages in Portugal, greece and some parts of Spain,, they are mostly unspoilt, have a really laid back local community feel and are very safe. But, of course not as cheap as Thailand or any of the neighbouring countries,, so paradise may soon be out of reach for the masses..

[Frank James]

Wherever you go, there YOU are.

[puukao]

For now, my paradise MUST have mountains.  For now.  20-years, maybe not.  I also want NO people when I ride my bike, and then lots of people when I walk around at night.  NO cars is a must, at all times.  Other cars never add to a person's paradise, never.  I want cheap food, but 5 star quality.  .................you see where i'm going.

 

[uptheos]

 

 

Perhaps it would help if you would define what exactly you would refer to as paradise... Cambodia, a place to live cheap? Yes it is - Cambodia, a place with a great future? No, definitely not.

 

One swallow doesn't make a summer. Lax visa regulations won't make a paradise...

 

I guess one man's paradise is another mans hell.

Maybe 50 years ago there were places akin to paradise, but not any more.

 

I think there are, what people are looking for here is "paradise on the cheap" in which case I suspect that it will become a thing of the past. But I still love the villages in Portugal, greece and some parts of Spain,, they are mostly unspoilt, have a really laid back local community feel and are very safe. But, of course not as cheap as Thailand or any of the neighbouring countries,, so paradise may soon be out of reach for the masses..

 

 

I agree, even in France there are some beautiful places.

Perhaps I should have said there's no paradise in SEA, no matter how cheap.

[oldsailor35]

A neighbour of mine tells me that she will not be allowed back in to LOS if she tries, so she says that she and all her friends and work mates are moving to Cambodia.

She is Russian and working as a dancer, so as they say in the local bars ..."Up to you"   

[anon676545345]

Hey susususu,

 

My suggest is to stay away if you are thinking to stay for a long time. This city is the worst of all Cambodia, maybe even of all Asia if we are talking corruption in the Police and Mafia. You dont know who is your friends and WHO is not, even if it is from your own homecaountry, doent trust anyone at all.

 

I cannot share my story here but last time I was in that city I was happy when I departed from Phnom Penh and I will never come back. I was happy for Cambodia for a while but forget about it. Just to let you know, I did not any kind of crime at all, not even the shadow of one, I was the "good one".

Take a look at Laos or South Vietnam or maybe even Myanmar.

Cheers


 

 

I second that Sihanookville is home to some exceedingly dodgy characters especially the expats I got robbed and scammed there the police are absolutely no help they won't get involved unless you pay them and even then don't expect much. If you rent a bike there you'll be pulled over and fined daily unless you have a Cambodian license it's better to get tuk tuk's. The whole place is pretty bad but by far the worst is Victory hill there's nothing much there anyway just a load of alcoholic bar owners looking for the next tourist to try and scam. I couldn't get out of there fast enough and will never ever go back I definitly would noy say it's the next paradise.

[Skins]

Went to Cambodia's capitol to spend a couple of weeks exploring the possibility of moving from Thailand...after about a week...moved on to Vietnam...the place (Cambodia) is trashy everywhere...food was not very good...I did not find the people particularly friendly...they did not want their picture taken...and the same attitude of ripping off foreigners that exists in Thailand...is worse in Cambodia...left Cambodia for Viet Nam after a few days...that is all it took to realize it was not going to work for me...

 

S. Vietnam was a treat...people friendly...did not matter that I am an American...food good...variety and price good...accommodations were excellent and inexpensive...girls were very cute and friendly...streets were clean...never felt threatened...walked around for many blocks in every direction with no one pestering me about a ride or spare change... 

 

Nha Trang...arguably one of the world's most beautiful beaches...was not crowded...had few vendors...and was a lovely place to visit...one could buy freshly cooked lobster and other seafood...right on the street corners...in the evening... at a reasonable price...

 

Skip Cambodia...go on to Viet Nam...save yourself a few bucks...and time...

 

I agree with you 100%. Phnom Penh is a depressing dump but I enjoyed my short stay in Saigon. I hear they are breaking ground on a sky train project over there this year. Who knows... I've heard great things about Nha Trang as well and even had a short guest article on my website about it. Not sure what the long term visa situation is like in Nam but they don't give you one on entry.

 

How about the Philippines? I was told you can keep renewing your visa in Manila for up to two years... Is that right? Cute chicks, nice beaches, people speak English! I'll be checking it out in a few months.

 

In regards to Cambodia vs Thailand... Thailand is better in every way except the visa situation.

[Doc50]

I know of 1 attempted murder and one serious assault on Farang property owners. Think twice about buying in Cambodia. Rent and save your life??

 

Doc

[ozyjon]

The place you want to go is really beautiful but remember many western people there already, nothing to discover, it has been discovered already and many moving out,,

strange that i met so many Australians there as opposed to Thailand, many many more running bars in Sookyville.. take out the beggars and it would be paradise,, i can't

stand being harassed by beggars everywhere you go,, i don't like the place,, take all the beggars out and it would be paradise but very old smelly run down and watch out

for thieves,, you will be robbed.

[davidst01]

snookyville is a dangerous corrupt sh*thole with poor health care and dodgy police. Go to indonesia for paradise. Lombok or gili islands

[mike324]

The place is like Thailand back in the 80s where police are very corrupt, I would say its even worse as the locals are not as friendly as Thais. Myanmar would be a better option.

[TheSiemReaper]

I've lived in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Each of them has their strengths and each has their weaknesses. Saigon's the nicest physical place of the three for big city living - motorbikes keep traffic jams to a minimum and there are a lot of grade A but cheap facilities for foreigners in places like Saigon. However, the visas are a pain (and they seem to be cracking down there too) and Saigon soon starts to feel smaller than it is - with the same faces popping up everywhere you go. Hanoi on the other hand was too Chinese for my tastes (even if they do hate the Chinese, they don't half act like them in Hanoi).

 

Bangkok's got the best facilities but it's also the most expensive for big city life and to be honest; the people are colder and harder than in Vietnam and Cambodia.

 

Phnom Penh is the cheapest. The people are the friendliest. If you can't find a variety of food there - you're not looking. Khmer food may be a lot less interesting than Thai food but the international selection is excellent and ridiculously cheap. It's not a pretty city (though it has its moments - Riverside, The Palace, the modern-Wats, etc.) and it is a seedy city (the last of the Asian capitals to retain that post-Vietnam war feel). I prefer Siem Reap but that's because I'm a small town boy and big cities depress me after a while.

 

One thing I've learned on my travels is that nowhere opens up to you in a week's holiday - you're a tourist and you'll never get so much as your finger on the pulse of a big city in that time. The best of Phnom Penh takes most people months to discover, as with Saigon and the same is true in Bangkok (unless girly bars are your only factor in choosing where to live and what's good about a place). I've not found paradise anywhere in Indochina but I'd rather live in Cambodia (for now) than anywhere else here. Of the three countries, it's the only one welcoming expat foreigners with open arms at this moment in time.

 

[phuketrichard]

A neighbour of mine tells me that she will not be allowed back in to LOS if she tries, so she says that she and all her friends and work mates are moving to Cambodia.

She is Russian and working as a dancer, so as they say in the local bars ..."Up to you"   

 

good for her, one thing Thailand does NOT need is more Russian hookers!!!

she will love it in PP, can hang out at the Casino coffeeshop and pick up Korean/Cambodian  men

[spidermike007]

My advice would be to go to Sihanoukville, and plan to rent something for a month or so. See how you like it. I have heard a lot of mixed reviews. I have traveled around Cambodia a few times. Never been to SV. I hear it is pretty wild and woolly, and I hear there are a lot of shady locals. I would ask how good your martial arts skills are. In Thailand I do not feel I need great self defense skills. In Cambodia, I would. No matter where. A lot more violence. A lot more poverty. Grinding poverty. You do not really see that in Thailand. But, you do in Cambodia. Also, as bad as the level of governance is here, in Cambodia it is far, far worse. The strongman dictator (they call him a prime minister) Hun Sen, has a personal security detail of 5,200 men. That is a reflection of how many people want to get to him. He has shattered so many lives in the course of his rule. And his top generals are billionaires, with virtually unlimited power. Beware. Just be cautious. Here is a small excerpt from the wiki, on this heinous leader:

 

Hun Sen's government has been responsible for the sale of 45% of the total landmass in Cambodia - primarily to foreign investors - in the years 2007-08, threatening more than 150,000 Cambodians with eviction. Parts of the concessions are wildlife protections or national parks even,^[44] and the landsales has been perceived by observers, to be the result of government corruption. Already thousands of citizens had fallen victims of forced evictions.^[45]

Hun Sen was implicated in corruption related to Cambodia's oil wealth and mineral resources in the Global Witness 2009 report on Cambodia. He and his close associates, were accused of carrying out secret negotiations with interested private parties and taking money from those who he would grant rights to exploit the resources. However, the credibility of this accusation has been questioned by government officials and especially Prime Minister Hun Sen, himself.^[46]

Mr Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has placed bans on public gatherings, driven opposition supporters from the site of former protest meetings 'Freedom Park', and deployed riot police to beat protesters and detain union leaders.^[47]

 

[quandow]

I visited two years ago, found it to be the most dreadful, dirty, boring place around.  The streets are filthy, the people dispirited (they haven't gotten over the devastation Pol Pot caused), the scuba diving couldn't be worse, the night life almost non-existent.  Sure, it was cheap, but you pay for what you get.  Look into Dominican Republic - an overstay on a tourist visa is around $23 USD and there is NO shame involved, no potential jail time or being banned.  They're happy to see you come back any time you want.  And the abundance of gentlemen's clubs is refreshing.  There is nothing quite like a beautiful latin chica, except perhaps the Haitian girls that come over to satisfy your every whim.

[khwaibah]

I visited two years ago, found it to be the most dreadful, dirty, boring place around.  The streets are filthy, the people dispirited (they haven't gotten over the devastation Pol Pot caused), the scuba diving couldn't be worse, the night life almost non-existent.  Sure, it was cheap, but you pay for what you get.  Look into Dominican Republic - an overstay on a tourist visa is around $23 USD and there is NO shame involved, no potential jail time or being banned.  They're happy to see you come back any time you want.  And the abundance of gentlemen's clubs is refreshing.  There is nothing quite like a beautiful latin chica, except perhaps the Haitian girls that come over to satisfy your every whim.

 

Costa Rica Ticas are not shabby either..

[spidermike007]

I visited two years ago, found it to be the most dreadful, dirty, boring place around.  The streets are filthy, the people dispirited (they haven't gotten over the devastation Pol Pot caused), the scuba diving couldn't be worse, the night life almost non-existent.  Sure, it was cheap, but you pay for what you get.  Look into Dominican Republic - an overstay on a tourist visa is around $23 USD and there is NO shame involved, no potential jail time or being banned.  They're happy to see you come back any time you want.  And the abundance of gentlemen's clubs is refreshing.  There is nothing quite like a beautiful latin chica, except perhaps the Haitian girls that come over to satisfy your every whim.

 
Costa Rica Ticas are not shabby either..

But, at $100 to $150 short time, that is quite a pill to swallow. Unless you are young and look like Brad Pitt. Also, Costa Rica is expensive. Sandwiches are 25 cents less than in Los Angeles. Why be in the third world if your money does not go any further? DR is ok, but the security situation there is nearly as bad as Brazil. Who wants to have to travel with a bodyguard?


Spidermike
Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[susususu]

Thank you guys, I am going to Cambodia as short time traveler as soon as possible

 

I think I must study about SV more to decide move or not.

 

Thnk you for good info

 

[ALFREDO]

Had a friend of mine that had a guest house there for 15 years.
Some 4 years ago they found him in a rice paddy shot 3 times in the back of the head.
Suicide apparently. 

 

 

How they say in Thaivisa.com, "That can happen everywhere."  Even in Thailand!

 

[ALFREDO]

Snooky as paradise heheheheheheheheheheheh.There is even more corruption in Cambodia so maybe easier to get a long stAY visa

 

 

You do not need corruption in Cambodia to get a long stay Visa, no questions asked,

just pay the legal Visa fee.

About 360.- Dollar for a year.  

[ALFREDO]

In Thailand I feel relatively safe. I do not feel that way in Cambodia.

 

Search in your favorite search engine for "Sihanoukville : USA Embassy Warning"

 

Be careful over there.

 

I lived there, in SNV, for a year until 2010, until than, I felt good!  

[ALFREDO]

The US Embassy has warned　an increase in violent attacks　in Sihanoukville

 

But Kol Phally, the Preah Sihanouk deputy police commissioner, said crimes against foreigners remained rare.

 

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/trouble-paradise-beach-area-violent-says-us-embassy

 

 

I am confusing now,I need to go for check it

 

 

You can ask Don Kong

 

https://www.facebook.com/don.kong.336?fref=ts

 

http://www.kambodscha.don-kong.com/about.html

 

He answers sure in English, if necessary. 

[ALFREDO]

Hey susususu,

 

My suggest is to stay away if you are thinking to stay for a long time. This city is the worst of all Cambodia, maybe even of all Asia if we are talking corruption in the Police and Mafia. You dont know who is your friends and WHO is not, even if it is from your own homecaountry, doent trust anyone at all.

 

I cannot share my story here but last time I was in that city I was happy when I departed from Phnom Penh and I will never come back. I was happy for Cambodia for a while but forget about it. Just to let you know, I did not any kind of crime at all, not even the shadow of one, I was the "good one".

Take a look at Laos or South Vietnam or maybe even Myanmar.

Cheers


 

 

I have a different opinion, I like it in Cambodia and still come back for short stints after a long stay until 2010.

[ALFREDO]

Paradise is very close........ it is located just above your eyebrows.  I would take Lao PDR over Cambodia to JUST LIVE which is what I would see in both places.  If you hate Thailand, you will loath Cambodia.  I agree with Sanuk711

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know only Vientiane, but, I wouldn't like to live there if you paid me.

Cannot say that about Cambodia. 

[shonka]

all i can say is OTRIS BEACH      was excellent  was there a couple of years ago  but is changing quickly