Happier Abroad Forum Community

This is a wild-left from where I normally post about, but how is living in Cambodia? I'm still thinking of Czechia a lot, but I just saw a thing about how cheap living in Cambodia is & how the landscape is supposed to be very beautiful- figured I'd ask, since I didn't see anything about living there. It's mostly the Philippines that get mentioned, I notice.

So how is it there? Any major issues if you're a white guy? I'm somewhat more worried about kidnapping & getting into shit from being white and/or American than I am a lot of the other things. I notice there isn't a whole lot of "savvy" out there about anti-kidnapping & countering police instigation, so I figured I'd ask from people that (hopefully) know from the locals.

On a different note, are the women of the "I'd rather be crying in the back of a limo than happy on the back of a bicycle" type? I really don't get that- it's like "I'd rather eat a full plate of food & be hungry than eat a little bit & be full." I'm curious if they've got curves, too- but the other thing is more important. I'd rather get along well with a woman that's not as ample as I usually go for than miserable with a raven-haired, Hayek-esque, flexible, well... you guys get it.

Wolfeye wrote:This is a wild-left from where I normally post about, but how is living in Cambodia? I'm still thinking of Czechia a lot, but I just saw a thing about how cheap living in Cambodia is & how the landscape is supposed to be very beautiful- figured I'd ask, since I didn't see anything about living there. It's mostly the Philippines that get mentioned, I notice.

So how is it there? Any major issues if you're a white guy? I'm somewhat more worried about kidnapping & getting into shit from being white and/or American than I am a lot of the other things. I notice there isn't a whole lot of "savvy" out there about anti-kidnapping & countering police instigation, so I figured I'd ask from people that (hopefully) know from the locals.

On a different note, are the women of the "I'd rather be crying in the back of a limo than happy on the back of a bicycle" type? I really don't get that- it's like "I'd rather eat a full plate of food & be hungry than eat a little bit & be full." I'm curious if they've got curves, too- but the other thing is more important. I'd rather get along well with a woman that's not as ample as I usually go for than miserable with a raven-haired, Hayek-esque, flexible, well... you guys get it.

Dear Wolfeye,

I live on the border of Thailand and Cambodia. If you give a shit about living an sort of luxurious life style Cambodia is not the place for you.
If like being dirty and uncomfortable Cambodia is perfect.
If you are worried about getting into shit stay away from drunk Cambodians. The sober ones are usually nice when you are nice to them.

Cambodia is a nice place to be away from Thailand for a few days, maybe one week, but better in Thailand for long-stay.

Thailand is much better for shopping of anything you might need, all is functioning in general, medical care is not bad either...

Cambodia is easier with visa if you are still under 50 and cannot qualify for retirement. I found Cambodia to be a very friendly place, but it is an empty country, getting boring soon. Not so much to do there, a small country but underpopulated and rather poor, rural areas are really primitive...

Inside Cambodia, it can become surprisingly hot during daytime in these few cities - I remember Battambang, almost impossible to go out during early afternoon.
However there were no street lights, so if you go out after sunset, you had to bring your own flashlight with you.

Good info, guys.

Yohan wrote: if you go out after sunset, you had to bring your own flashlight with you.

Most of the places I have been to there, at least outside the major population areas, "if you go out after sunset" best to forget the flashlight and bring your own firearm and wariness. Foreigners are considered always rich and, well, in such a poor place you can figure it out. I tend to think of rural Cambodia as the wild wild east. Can be rough but interesting place if you are adventurist type.

Mr Natural: Thanks for the advice. Is it easy to get a gun over or around there? I'm talking in the broad sense.

actually just posted a lengthy write up on what being an expat in Cambodia would be like today lol

http://guysnightlife.com/living-cambodia-expat/

This guy has lived in Cambodia and has some blog posts on it. That easy one year visa has made it somewhat enticing to me too.

http://singlemansparadise.com

I've been taking short trips to Cambodia 2-3 times a year for the past three years now. I've been all over and had a blast every time. But I was always happy to go back home to Vietnam or Thailand. I wrote a post on my blog ( SingleMansParadise ) about the best city to live in Cambodia.

If I were to live in Cambodia now I would choose Sihanoukville to lay low and grind online. Then take frequent trips to neighboring countries to party and keep my sanity.

Never been there but I did find out there are direct flights to Siam Riep (did I spell that right?) from my tier 2 China city.

I've heard that since Thailand cracked down on long stay visas then Cambodia has got those farangs instead. Which is OK and all that but that will tend to be the shiftiest of the shiftiest farangs from Thailand. Which isn't a good thing.

I did go for a date with a Cambodian girl while I was in Thailand. She was very nice (far nicer than the Thais I met). She'd really been humbled by losing most of her family during the Pol Pot era. It would have been nice to have heard a bit more about her story.