Thank you for watching this video. Please do consider supporting Richard through the GoFundMe page that has been set up by his daughters. We are good friends with daughter Tanya, and she is the partner of Andy who you might know through the cannel Going Nomad AKA Pigs on Bikes: ruclips.net/user/GOINGNOMAD. We met Andy and Tanya while we were living in Siem Reap and shortly after, we met Richard. He even starred in one of our videos. Here is the link to the donation page: gofund.me/ba51c496. Richard is in an awful situation and we are really concerned for him. You can read the full story of what has happened at the GoFundMe link.
😊I have lived in Cambodia since 2007, the last 15 year in rural Takeo. I have rarely if ever felt unsafe. Indeed the many years I spent in London held more dangers than my current location.
Thanks, Claire. I regard Cambodia as a generally safe travel destination & the people seem honest, for the most part. But this video is a very worthwhile reminder that things can go wrong sometimes & we should do our best to be prepared.
Thanks so much Anthony! I think the risks are generally quite small if you take normal and sensible precautions. It's good to be prepared or at least have a plan in the event that something happens. 🙏🙂
Thanks a lot for making this video. I am planning to go to Cambodia this summer and that's exactly what I needed to show my parents to prove that the kingdom is a safe place to go.
Wow… great information as usual. These are the things that my wife and I address to foreigners that we bump into when going out. One thing to mention with health related issues is that in Cambodia you will find pharmacies with many medications over the counter, but beware most people that manage pharmacies do not know what most of the medications in their inventory actually are for. This because they lack training. My wife being a nurse and with lots of year of experience and with knowledge of pharmaceuticals had to lecture 4 different pharmacies with those issues when finding that a woman in one of those locals seeking headache medication was given a psychotic medication for schizophrenia. So, beware when seeking medication. By the way once explaining how and what the medication does, the owners were very appreciative. Say hi to Jeremy, we love you Claire.
That's so true about pharmacies. I can't tell you how many times I have asked if I can have a rummage around in the boxes they keep inside the glass section of the counter. They never seem to mind. Scary to think that you could get an anti-psychotic just for a headache! That would be awful and potentially very dangerous. I saw a doctor at a clinic/small hospital in Siem Reap and found him to be excellent - blood test done on site and analysed while you wait. All for something like $25! Thanks so much for your input on this video - it was a fun one to make. 🙏🙂
Hi, thanks for the video. I am also a foreigner staying in Cambodia for over 20 years. I totally understand the 8 issues you highlighted. However on No:7, -Addiction. I feel perhaps you should include gambling and on-line gaming. I have seen foreigners get destroyed by these addictive activities. Thank you
Wow, it looks like a lot of people agree with you on this. I wasn't aware that it was an issue for foreigners in Cambodia. Thank you for pointing it out to me, I am interested in finding out more about this. 🙏🙂
Bag snatches used to be the biggest problem along with mobile telephones and gold chains taken by people riding motorcycles. I always hide my gold chain , phone in the pocket and I don’t carry a handbag,,, well only on a Friday night when I’m going out .
I’m now into my 14th year as a resident of Cambodia. I would reckon Cambodia to be basically very safe, if you keep your wits about you. One thing you missed out on Claire is the issue of driving non-moto vehicles, and the fact that, if you do have a road accident, as a foreigner you WILL be at fault, no matter how blameless you think you are. All good drivers will tell you that you are only one bad driver away from an accident, and there are many, many bad drivers in Cambodia. Khmers used to tend to drive badly slowly, which was fine for the western-trained driver. However now there are also a lot of very bad Chinese drivers, and they tend to drive very fast, a habit that Khmers are increasingly copying. RTAs are becoming more commonplace and more deadly. I decided to stop driving here five years ago and have never regretted the decision. For long trips I take taxis I trust, and for local trips I take tuktuks. Any long-term expat resident of Cambodia will have endless tales of mishaps and adventures, as do I, but most will also raise a glass to the good fortune that brought them to this always welcoming, sometimes insane, often infuriating, ultimately blessedly beautiful country. You usually do an Only In Cambodia segment. The refrain often heard here from expats is a rueful “This Is Cambodia!”, or a sotto-voce “TIC!”, a catch-all expression to explain the latest manifestation of weird, wonderful, crazy or just unexpected. To anyone thinking of visiting the Kingdom, don’t be dissuaded by the potential negatives, do come and enjoy the many positives.
Hi Charles, lovely to hear from you and have your opinion as a long-term expat. 14 years is quite the stint! Are you in PP? Have you moved around much in that time? I rode motos everywhere we lived in Cambodia except PP. There's just too much traffic, too many distractions, and too many people in a hurry. It was fantastic to live in TTP so close that I could walk to most of the places I wanted to go. I hope this video didn't seem too negative, and like you, I would encourage anyone to visit the Kingdom and consider it as a long-term option as well. We loved living there. 🙂🎉🙂🎉🙂
Only thing I wish Cambodia have is an MRT or train system it’s so much easier to travel by those than Tuk Tuk and card or buses which puts me at risk for accidents. Like in Japan, Singapore and Thailand it’s so easy to travel around in their train
I decided to add my two cents worth. I've been living in Southeast Asia the past 9 years and 5 of those have been in Cambodia. Sorry. I decided to add my own narrative and it ended up being long! lol. Maybe someone likes to read and some of this might help them. My two Dengue Fever experiences resulted in a rural hospitalization after the owners of a non-profit I was paying for a place to complete the requirements for a TESOL certificate decided it best not to tell me they had both been in the hospital with Dengue Fever in the months before I arrived and told me mosquito netting for my room "wouldn't look good." I was laying on a gurney without a pillow in the hospital within 3 weeks of my start. The second was during my second visit to Laos. I was able to handle this one with visits to the hospital while staying in a hotel. It was Chikungunya Fever that got me in Cambodia. Couldn't roll over in bed on my own, but I MUCH appreciated the help I got for several days of illness. The attack by the dog and rabies shots were in Thailand. I'm a teacher so scam schools were an issue in Thailand and Cambodia. Gotta always listen to your intuition and have a plan B in mind. Not easy if you're dependent on the income. I flew from the US to "start a new school" with a crew hired by a guy I found out was a felon and the school building he said he bought was an active hotel. We were told to "tell parents whatever they want to hear" when we were sent out in the streets to recruit students. A young teacher who was hired went out drinking with everyone. I don't drink and didn't go. Huge problem of alcoholism with the Director and other teachers. They all came back. He didn't. They found him in the morgue the next day. Officials said he crashed his motorcycle. The motorcycle showed no signs of damage and they wouldn't release it. I got pushed out the day after I chatted with a psychologist acquaintance on messenger who came to my birthday party the week before. I was upset about the death and talked to him about one of the teachers throwing beer cans from his room at locals talking outside. He turned a copy of our conversation over to the alcoholic Director. That didn't go over well. I feared for my life. My two cartons of belongings shipped from the US arrived a month later. The convicted felon owner of the school made sure I never saw any of my belongings again. At another school where I worked in PP, my boss smacked a 3rd grade boy with autism with his fist so hard that his response was to take off all his clothes and run naked through the school screaming about the abuse while being chased by my boss. I quit there too. The biggest health risk I've found in Siem Reap is walking. I don't own a motorbike and walk to markets. Dogs control the areas where I've lived. I have no idea why, but I've found that if I walk after 8am and before 2:30pm, I'm less likely to encounter packs of dogs "hunting" together. I've also found the most risky place to try to cross a street is at the corner with a stoplight with a crosswalk telling me to walk. The drivers of many cars and motorcycles see no need to be concerned about the lights, lanes or the use of sidewalks. It's much safer to cross roads in the middle of the road where you can see clearly in both directions. I was hit in Serei Saophoan at a stoplight, with a green walk-light, in a crosswalk by a motorcyclist who crossed two lanes of oncoming traffic, entered the facing lanes of traffic stopped for the light and hit me in the crosswalk. He didn't stop. It was tough during more than a year of road construction in Siem Reap. Roads under construction were often hosed down by merchants to keep the dust down. No usable sidewalks. I slipped near a market and went flying gashing my legs and hands on the cinder size pebbles on the road and got to the intersection bloodied up in time to see a man across the street with no sidewalk being run over by the driver of a car crushing his foot as he lay sprawled out on the ground. If you can afford it, it's best to find a couple of tuk-tuk drivers you can trust and call when needed. If not, you're at risk of drivers who will say they know your destination when you give them the information, but don't have the slightest idea what you are talking about or it's part of their scam. A driver in PP did this with me. He took me on a trip to a dark area that was no where near my destination then argued about wanting more money when we finally arrived because he had had to drive for so long. Happened last week too in Siem Reap. Even after giving the directions and destination in Khmer language and many assurances the driver knew the destination he took me to closed bars at 6:30 in the morning 3 km from my destination, but an area where I didn't know where I was. Guess he figured since I'm a foreigner, that's where I would want to go no matter what I was saying.
Wow, Kim you have seen a lot in your time in Cambodia, thank you so much for sharing. Dengue and Chikungunya sound awful and we are fortunate that we haven't had either. It sounds like you had awful experiences while you were teaching too. I am fortunate that when I taught, the school and teachers were professional and supportive; it was just the job and the hours that weren't for me. I agree with what you say about walking, but most of the more serious encounters I have had with dogs have been while I was out running. The dogs react viciously to the unusual footfall and it piques their interest and aggression, at least that is what I have come to believe after having been chased too many times to mention. The construction of the roads in Siem Reap was the main reason that we left, as it was impacting a lot on our quality of life. We had a little slip over in some of that super slippery mud created by locals wetting the fine dirt. I ended up sitting in the middle of the road covered in mud. Jeremy couldn't pick the bike up because he couldn't get any traction with his feet against the mud. Eventually we got back up, but it could have been a lot worse - luckily for us we were just leaving from an event so were travelling very slowly. We never went out on our moto after dark in Phnom Penh. It was just too risky and dangerous, and with Passapps so cheap, there was absolutely no need to take the risk. Also, we never went to the riverside area as it isn't our kind of scene. We like to use the Passapp app so that the destination is plugged into their system and there is none of that funny business of taking you somewhere you don't want to go. Thanks again for your insights and stories - it's always great to read about other people's experiences. 🛵🙏🌴🏠🙂🙏
@@ForRiel Thank you for sharing your experiences too! I was starting to feel like I was the only one laying in the mud and fearing dog attacks! I think it's important to be informed of different experiences for people thinking of visiting or staying here so they can adjust expectations and plans if desired and know the best ways to navigate the systems available.
Great video Claire! My gosh you did an operational risk assessment! I was waiting to chip in with the proactive and reactive controls and come up with a residual risk rating for the country! All great points and all things that folks should be aware of when travelling here. Chicka chow!
Haha yeah totally! We could definitely pop out a risk matrix including the proactive and reactive elements. Then we could develop it into an app that transmits a real time risk rating to a smart watch. Eg ALERT drunk Camry driver hotspot coming up. That would be so much fun! Hope you are recording video like a crazy person! 🙏🙂
Thanks Julia. We have seen it too and it's pretty confronting. Do you watch @BangkokPat ? Great channel - he talks about the same issue in Thailand and in much more detail. 🙏🙂
Great topic for "news moto", very useful & informative. Good food for thought. Thanks for sharing and making people think. :) PS, I'm absolutely enjoying myself here in SR. I find myself looking at previous "news moto" vids as a great source of useful information and education. Looking forward to see if a few of those apartments & hotels will be available for me when I'm ready to relocate to Kampot. Thanks guys for sharing your knowledge and experiences with us all! :)
Hi Edward, thanks so much for watching. I am sure there will be plenty of great places to stay when you are ready to move to Kampot. We loved our time there - it's such a beautiful part of Cambodia with access to the ocean and mountains. We really appreciate you being here! 🙏🙂
Very good video and universal for all traveling abroad . I traveled to Cambodia and loved the culture and the Cambodian people. Outside Angkor wat was children begging at a level I have never seen but they were hard selling merchandise , it was hard to handle , they whet relentless. I felt bad and wanted to adopt them all . The Khmer people are beautiful and there ancient history is the greatest of all civilizations in Asia. Than you.
Thank you for watching, Forrest! Yes the children begging is a tricky one and charity is difficult because you can't help everyone. Cambodia is a wonderful place to be, I agree.
1. Road accident often occurs, due to the inexperience of the most driver. As a cambodian myself, there are many people who drives a car with improper driving training. In Cambodia, most of their license are paid. The roads laws are not well establish in the community. 2. Theft - Yes this often occurs mainly in Phnom Penh. Be careful riding tuk tuk or passapp holding your phones near the window. 3. Health - Medication are limited in Cambodia. Getting sick for specific case are hard to diagnose. Stay away from specific local food, as most of these foods and drinks are often not sanitize. Because local farmers don't have freezer to keep their veggies and meat fresh, they use chemicals that contaminate them. 4. Diseases - I'm really afraid of mosquitos, not because of the diseases, but because these damn mosquitos loves foreigner's sweet blood, and when we get bitten foreigners heals slower than locals. Locals can handle bites, as they have higher immunity. 5. Landmine, stay away from deserted land field, if there aren't people in the area, the land may have not been come for mines. 6. Scam - definitely a lot of scams. Though this is normal in many other countries.
Yes, 100% agree there are so many people driving cars in Cambodia who don't really have any experience. No wonder there are so many accidents. I agree that scams are everywhere. I had a lot of people trying to scam me in Australia when selling things online. I really think Cambodia is very safe if you are aware of your surroundings and take care with your things. Thanks so much for watching.
Top notch advice. I was looking at statistics for motorbike deaths here and it really makes a huge difference if you wear a helmet, and don't drive at night. Stay safe out there and don't be a bone head.
Yeah driving at night without a helmet seems to be a recipe for disaster. PassApp is so cheap that there's really no need to risk it. I hope you've combed your hair. 🛵🙂
Hi, me again. Back in Cambodia in April and taking my pug to Kep beach again lol. I love your videos and find this one, as you hopefully intended, as a heads up and things to be aware of. The Alcohol thing especially as I have seen the sorry state of some people populating the same bars day on day. But hey it's a free world I guess. I share your love of Cambodia and it's people 😊
Thanks so much for watching, Derek! Yes there are a lot of people, especially in places like Kampot, starting their day with beers in the morning. It's absolutely their choice, but a slippery slope if you are on your own with nobody around to tell you that you maybe ought to slow down. Love Kep in all of its weirdness!
Claire, Re the guy who had a stroke, if he had previously informed the insurance company that he had a blood pressure issue, but it is under control with medication, then that companies response, is reprehensible
Yeah it absolutely is. His daughters are fighting the ruling but it's not going to be easy as these companies are expert in getting out of paying up. It's an awful situation. 🙏🙂
Thanks for the tips. Great video! I am from Cape Town planning on moving next year god willing to teach English. Many of my family and friends are concerned about my safety. After watching this and many other videos, I realized this is far from dangerous. I mean no disrespect, but where I am from South Africa as a whole is a million times more dangerous. Drugs, murders, gangs, rapes, robberies and break ins etc. Sadly, we have become so use to this lifestyle. The truth is, in my humble opinion. Wherever you go the general safety rules apply to apply. Mine your own business, do not MESS with locals. Do not walk with valuables exposed. Always stay in a group in the day and night time. Yes, use your skincare in your have issues like me ( eczema ) and use the repellants. So I guess, the same rules apply no matter the place or country. PS: I want to go to Cambodia now more than ever! Thanks
Thank you for watching! There is a good sized Saffa community here in Siem Reap, and they have told us the same - that Cambodia is safe and easy compared to their country. People do say bad things about Cambodia and the things that can happen, but we have not experienced anything negative apart from a very minor bit of overcharging here and there. Nothing to worry about at all!
As for medical, after recent experiences with the Australian medical care and have been in the transfer hospital in Samroang…. I think they are now on a par. I also got a dog bite in Bali Few years ago and the service in the Kuta hospital was way better than I have had in Perth.
My only experience was at Nek Teap clinic in Siem Reap. The service was excellent - saw doctor, blood test on site, blood analysed, saw doctor about the results all within an hour and for a cost of about $25. Amazing service that would not be possible here in Australia.
What needs to be made known, If you are injured in a motor bike accident, and you have accident,travel, insurance ect, your insurance is VOID, if you don’t have a bike license in you home country,
Yes that is so true. We try to tell people all the time that it's not just whether you can legally ride in Cambodia, it's the insurance side as well. We wouldn't ride if we weren't licensed to ride in Australia. 🙏🙂
@@antonyvaughan7808nonsense, most gun crimes are committed by black criminals against blacks, read the fbi statistics. better to stop big pharma injecting kids with garbage, and stop woke schools from infecting kids with woke ideology.
I am touring SE Asia, currently in Philippines. I loved Cambodia, found the people lovely and enjoyed Phnom Penh especially. HOWEVER, walking is a danger. The sidewalks are impassable, filled with bikes, motos and cars forcing pedestrians to walk in the road. So for a few weeks I was walking the streets, always walking into oncoming traffic. That worked ok until I was on a one way street walking from Mad Monkey to Central market and got hit by a passing moto. One moment I'm walking, the next I'm on the ground nursing my wrist. Two kids on a moto, weaving in and out of traffic, they didn't even stop. That was the worst thing that happened to me. I found the people very honest, had no problems with change in fact the opposite, found the people fastidiously fair and moral.
That can be a challenge. We walk on the side of oncoming traffic to see what's happening. Had so many close calls, luckily Jeremy is super careful and is lazer focused when riding.
Cheers Kelly! I challenge you to a reaction video - how do you rate the same things? I reckon people would be interested in a different perspective. 🙏🙂
I like how this video just now recommended me😂 and I'll say theft are very low, lower than Thailand and Vietnam. And despite all of this that doesn't stop the Thais from saying that😂
Hello! Live in Phnom Penh and feel like only danger is getting phone stolen....unless you are walking riverside 4am looking for 'somehth ing'..then could be a lot worse lol
When I travel I keep cash in my shoes. If I'm at a restaurant I go to the loo just before leaving and pull out the correct money to pay. Don't carry anything that can be snatched. 😊
If struck with a sudden onset, life-threatening medical condition, Cambodia isn't high on my list of where I'd want to be located. So, I'd say that's the greatest potential danger.
As far as Dengue goes, there's nothing in the book for that one, I'm afraid. Caught it in Samoa in 2001 and felt like a dog that was beaten with a stick. It lasts five days and you can't really eat. All you can really do is lie in bed with a blinding fucking headache. Luckily, I found a quack down there who gave me a wheelbarrow full of codeine (he was a fellow Brit) and told me to sleep through it. Pretty sure he got struck off a few years back. Shame. He was a good bloke. Anyhow, my advice there is to just ride it out and stay hydrated. I used beer mainly, which works well with codeine. Great channel, btw. Best from Blighty.
Oh wow, dengue sounds awful. Thankfully we haven't had it, but many, many people we know have had it, often more than once. Jeremy had typhoid and that was terrible. We had unwittingly let our vaccinations slide as we didn't realise it was only good for two years. Thanks so much for watching!
@@ForRiel Indeed, Clare. The old dengue is no Mardi Gras at all. Sorry to hear about Mr Thatcher's typhoid, but that's the price we pay for being feckless, global tramps. Looking forward to catching up with you guys some day over an iced latte (filled with bourbon) and we can swap tropical disease stories.
@ 5:23 Its funny you mention Dengue fever. The country i wanted to visit the most wea/is Cambodia. I started my journey in December 2019 to Cambodia, but the plandemic stopped that in Malaysia. I waited for the rules and regulations to end. They ended and i got into Cambodia, within 2 days of entering i got dengue fever and it took about 28 days to recover. I did not got to the hospital cause there is no treatment for it. Just got to rest and eat really healthy.
Oh no! If you go to hospital with dengue here, they'll just put you on a saline drip for a few days. Awful that you were unwell for so long, but that does seem to be common, along with weakness and sometimes depression. I hope you recovered and were able to enjoy the Kingdom.
Claire, sorry to be a nuisance, you forgot risk no 9 , sitting in the front seat of a mini van, travelling between Phnom Penh , and Seam Reap , with a Cambodian driver, that is high risk, !
Hospitals ,doctors is not like back in Australia , phone /bag snatching etc is big , and people are well organised doing this /people on motor cycles , don't wear jewellery !!! keep a good look out at what's going on around you have seen many robberies
Great advice, John! You really need to be aware of where your valuables are and who is around. It would be scary to have someone try to pull your bag off you while you were riding. It's worth taking the time to stow it under the seat before riding, I guess. Thanks so much for watching. 🛵🙏🌴🏠🙂🙏
Great and very useful video; well thought out “For Riel”. Great service and good on you for sharing! Diseases / Health /Accidents are both topics that perked my ear. I am in the medical field and I would put these items top of my list; A lot of these things depend on your personal situation (and most underestimate their risk = humans are poor at assessing risk = I.E. risk from vaccines vs risk from disease.): The big issue for the individual is how risk starts to multiply and you almost ensure some future problem (some that are catastrophic): - age is a multiplier - behavior is a multiplier (sex / drugs / etoh) - being male is a multiplier - pre existing health / mental health issues (I find the % of expats with issues with these very high) - multiplier - how connected are you to the community / have a safety net - if low then is a multiplier - length of time in country (this could go either way = lower risk as you learn vs increase exposure to risky situations) - plus / minus multiplier Great topic = well thought out!
Yes! This is absolutely true. All of those things compounded make it very likely that something negative will happen. I hadn't actually thought about it that way before, but you are right. Another multiplier is lack of funds, so lack of a safety net in terms of being able to leave if necessary. Also lack of funds in terms of not having enough money to do preventative things like seeing a doctor or dentist when the problem is small. Thanks so much for your input - much appreciated. 🙏🙂
I’m not going to argue which country in South east Asia has the worst drivers as I think they all are diabolical , pretty much on par with each other , Although I would say Laos is probably better than the rest . Probably because it has a smaller population and less traffic.
People in Laos seem to be generally very mellow. The pace of life there is different even in the capital, or at least it was when we were there in 2014. Seems like a world away now. Hope you are going well. 🙏🙂
Not if you are vaccinated. If unvaccinated you can either book and pay for a hotel to do your 7 days, or pay the deposit and have the cost of the 7 days subtracted from it. I believe it's only $1,000 now due to the reduction in days from 14 to 7. 🙏🙂
Thanks for this Clare. I know it’s old now but important for me as I’m coming there. I know that crystal meth is ripe there too in that every Cambodian tuk tuk driver can sell it so not just alcohol by any means. I hear of bribery with the police too to avoid jail Plus the chemists there sell practically everything you need which would need a prescription in the UK, USA or Australia. This is also a big bit of the addiction risk out there. Pat
Hi Pat, yes I know of people who have had addiction issues with drugs that can be so easily bought over the counter in Cambodia. We always said it would be easy to form a habit when it's so cheap and easy to supply yourself with these things. The use of meth is a real problem and I hope that something can be done before it takes too much of a hold on the younger generation. Thank you for watching! 🙂🙏
Yeah I think if you have the means it's a solid choice. Great for the middle of the day when it's so hot and sunny, not to mention the rainy season too! 🙏🙂
Someone else mentioned this as well. It really does need more exploration, I'm just not sure I am the person to do it! Thanks for adding your thoughts - it's very interesting to hear what people think. 🙏🙂
I live in Thailand and my two concerns that determine where i live here are : -air pollution -reckless driving How is air pollution in Cambodia? There seems to be no air pollution monitors in the country. I am interested in visiting next year but of course depending on the season the smoke will differ. Small particles from smoke 2.5 PM enter into your bloodstream and cause a host of problems such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer and many more issues. The lung cancer rate is double in Northern Thailand. I have ideas how this whole smoke issue could be solved by monetizing crop waste but the point is for 6 months a year [its not 3 weeks as many say] you will be breathing 100AQI plus air. Second drivers have a different method here and i have become accustomed to it after driving tens of thousands of km's but my observation is that the 1% of drivers exhibit a complete disregard for others lives. It turns out that 1% of humans are psychopaths and do not care or have feelings regarding other humans wellbeing. I see about that exact number, 1 in a 100 , that drive with complete disregard for others and since there are no police and no rules they continue to kill people. 25,000 deaths per year is way too many with millions of injuries, its a drag on the economy and destroys lives. I love the freedom here and its not my place to change these things. They in fact have a point system introduced here now but i chose to avoid living in tourist areas because they are truly the most dangerous drivers [people with zero motorbike experience] I live where people chose to show respect for each other driving as much as possible.
The pollution is nowhere near as bad here as it is in northern Thailand. However there are localised issues of burning soch as people incinerating rubbish because they don't have a collection service. This includes plastics and polystyrene. It really depends on your neighbours how much this will happen, if at all.
@@ForRiel Thanks for taking the time to reply Riel...after living in Northern Thailand i do hope they can get to grips with the burning there but good to know its a localized issue in Cambodia. . I love SE Asia and i dont look at this like complaining but more a strategy to find out the places that suit me best. Next door in Vietnam they are building a second rubbish burning cogeneration plant that scrubs the exhaust and makes electricity from garbage. These plants pay for themselves at some point. Perhaps there will be more built throughout SE Asia.
Is Cambodia still offering ordinary visas on arrival? I get my news from a few different sources, one being a very small RUclips channel who recently explained that Cambodia now requires 6 (difficult to obtain) supporting document- all pertaining to opening a business, in order to get an ordinary visa on arrival. He’s basically saying you need a whole bunch of documentation proving you’re going to open a business to get an ordinary visa on arrival. I find this hard to believe, and commented on his video asking for a credible source to this “new news”. His news seems contradictory because you need an ordinary visa to search for employment in the first place. I feel like he’s just trying to crank out videos, I told him I’d donate him 40 bucks if he replied with an authentic source proving the info he states. Lol. Hope he’s just confused or something. Any clarification on this would be helpful since I’ve been planning on moving to Cambo for a long time. Sorry for the long comment, your (or anyone else’s) opinion on this would be appreciated. Thanks.
Hi, I can confirm that the E-type visa (ordinary visa) doesn't require any supporting documentation. It is valid for 30 days and can then be extended in country. Available extensions are ER: retirement, EB: business, EG: looking for work. Most people start off with an EG extension after their initial 30 days unless they are retiring. The EG extension doesn't require additional documentation either. All extensions can be handled by pretty much any travel agent - it's a stock standard procedure and they have been doing it for a long time. I hope this helps!
The reality is Cambodia has a long history of bribery/nepotism and it is still practiced today that people can and do bribe their way to become a doctor, lawyer, military general, judge, police and so on without studying/earning it. Imagine living there and needing those services.
Hi Jeremy and Claire , hope all is going well , this was a fun video , full of sensible advice for the uninitiated traveler to the Kingdom , from my own experiences , and observations , I would like to add these common sense warnings and advice to Expats , some of which you covered briefly , #1 Be careful with your passport 😯 , make several copies prior to traveling , carry a copy while out in public , this will be acceptable should you be stopped by authorities for any reason , and NEVER hand over your passport while conducting business , an example being renting a moto , your passport needs to be kept in a safe place at all times , #2 Never travel in a 12 seat Mini Van 🚐 , the price of a ride will look very attractive , but an accident in one of these boxes , almost always results in death , the reason being EXCESSIVE SPEED , speed always kills , do yourself a favor , find alternative transportation ⚰ , #3 Avoid The Angry Expats 😡 , too many Expats can become argumentative , or combative , due to alcohol consumption 🍺 , or running out of funds 😢 , which unfortunately happens , more than we would like to believe , your best defense is to simply walk away , witnessed far too many altercations between Expats to even list here , sad , but unfortunately true , #4 Be alert while walking about 🚶♀all too often we simply forget to look around us while walking , because our guard is down , whether it's a phone snatcher , a simple crack in the roadway 🚧, or the danger of being so close to traffic 🛵 , all can be dangerous to unalert pedestrians , keep your eyes and ears open , and always WATCH YOUR STEP ! 🤕 , #5 Find yourself a good Physician 🩺, once you have rented your apartment in your chosen area , take the time to inquire among longtime Expats you may encounter , ask them if they use a Physician they can recommend , a learned Physician in Cambodia , is worth his , or hers weight in gold 🙂 sooner or later we are all in need of these services , this also works for finding a Dentist , use the online FB chat group pages as well , most Expats are more than happy to help out new arrivals 🙂 Cambodia is truly a fun destination to explore , just don't forget to pack your common sense , along with your other belongings , Jeremy and Claire 🙂 , another well done presentation , looking forward to your next adventure , stay safe , take care , Peace ! 🚧🍺🚐🦘
The passport advise is great. I need to know where it is at all times and handing it over as collateral for a bike rental is a big no, no. They will always take cash instead although some people strangely find this more difficult to part with than the passport. We were in a big Giant Ibis bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh and the air conditioning broke so we rode for a while with the door open. Eventually the driver decided enough was enough and we were transferred to a silver van. I am so glad I couldn't see out the front window from my seat at the back. Jeremy was terrified the whole time. Luckily we got there safely and had a fantastic time. Love your advice points and agree with them all! I think it's really important to be observant and aware of your surroundings. That alone goes a long way to keeping you safe in the Kingdom, and indeed anywhere! Keep safe out there! 🙏🙂
Hi. I have 2 boys 5 and 7 living in Australia and looking to move to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Do you have any knowledge on the education system available to them and any idea of costings for a decent education. They are both fluent in English and their mother is Khmer.
Well the way I see it you have two options. The first is to send them to a local Khmer school for their day to day schooling and send them to an English school for specialist English language teaching. Many local families do this. I guess the local school would be free but an English school like ACE (Australian Centre for Education) would cost you. ACE is the best in SR. The second option is to send them to a full service International School like ISSR. This will come at a fairly high price but all tuition would occur in one place. I'd say this would be the better of the two options. Be aware that there are lot of schools with the word 'international' in their names that aren't true international schools. Look for one that teaches Australian Curriculum, UK Curriculum (IGCSE), or IB (International Baccalaureate). Using one of these curricula is what sets a proper international school above one of a lesser standard.
Raw veg., water drawn from wells close to septic tanks, all water except filtered loaded with amoebas, giardia. Gut typhoid many times while there. Amoebiasis and dengue fever as well. Bot flies (worms) where mosqitos bite and microscopic larvae burrow into the skin and a few days later a worm forms in a wound that never seems to heal. Malaria is the only tropical disease I didn't get while there. Diseases that a long term resident of most tropical countries can expext to get sooner or later.
I dont mind paying a little more in the market. I dont have a family to feed. I was bit by a dog. Had a few scams attempted. Had 4 excellent and inexpensive operations. Cambodia is a good place to blow off karma😂
Wonderful to hear that you had positive experiences with your operations! I had one trip to the doctor that included blood tests and it was a smooth, efficient and inexpensive experience. Was your dog bite serious?
@@ForRiel Exactly! NOT SAFE!! IT'S IMMORAL TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COME TO A COUNTRY RIFE WITH KIDNAPPING AND EXTORTION, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF!
Theft Claire. I’ve had 30 trips to Cambodia and have travelled extensively since 2002 and have never had an incident of theft nor have I heard of one. So as a risk I would put theft at zero.
Yes, we have never experienced any theft either. We (Jeremy, not me) frequently left keys in the moto ignition and the bike was always there when we got back!
Sorry I wrote that without my glasses on. I meant are not ex pats and foreigners not the same thing. Expat a term that tends to be given to Westerners but not to others was my point .
Recently I rebuke a v blogger who went to PP and keep on empathise motorbike snatch thief very high in Cambodia,really don't understand why ppl like to portray Cambodia as a very dangerous place,i travel quite frequent to Thailand,Vietnam and Cambodia for the past 20 years,I have been scam,cheated and even threaten but not once in Cambodia,I compare and feel Khmer thought not as smart as vietnamese and Thai,they are more reserve and not that daring,yes crime do have and traffic issue but again,which country don't have
Hi Jeff, we agree with all you say. There is a risk but it is very small. If you don't make yourself an easy target, I think you will generally be fine. We had several attempted scams in Vietnam but it was all pretty low-level stuff that didn't worry us too much. Thank you so much for your input, it is much appreciated. 🙂🎉🙂🎉🙂
only your wild west and whereever west takeover is safe nowhere alse in the world not safe i travel many se asian countrys also i lived west , asian country and people so lovely and nice , unlike westerns 🤣🤣
This is gender base, but you did not mention the very common story of Cambodian women preying on foreign men, which is often the most expensive scam and even leads to physical abuse and suicide. There is very little rational discussion on the subject of course…
Two people have mentioned this and I absolutely think it is worth including in the discussion. Women by themselves have certain issues to face, and it would appear that single men do as well. Thank you for pointing this out - much appreciated! 🙏🙂
After 30 trips to Cambodia in 18 years many times for 3 months I would have to say theft, violence and scams are basically nowhere to be seen. Cambodia is so safe , much safer than Melbourne AU. which is my home town. Accidents are probably the biggest danger along with serious illness for older people. One of the great joys of Cambodia is the local friends you will make if you take the trouble to engage with locals. Cambodia is such a wonderful country.
We completely agree, Gary! Cambodia is incredibly safe, especially if you consider everything except the traffic. Illness after being there a long time is a concern as it would be anywhere. Thanks so much for your input.
There are literally multiple documentaries and endless RUclips videos of various scams that take place in Cambodia. 🤷🏻 Perhaps what you meant to say is that you haven’t personally witnessed any.
As a Cambodian living in USA, I think Cambodia is safer than USA when it comes to violence crime and addiction. It is safer than Thailand and Vietnam for scam and pickpocketing. Things that I don't like about Cambodia are hygiene, food safety, and transportation. We'd like to see you make a video of where to buy qualify food in Cambodia or how buy quality meat from Australia.
Most decent grocery super stores here have a selection of different meats from the USA, Australia and Brazil. I’ve tried them all and hands down USA prime choice meat here is the best.
Coming back to Cambodia after 15 years in New Zealand and Australia . I find that a lot Cambodian restaurants nowadays are pretty cleans and up to date hygiene standards . It’s all depends on where are you prefer to eat. There are a lot of meat suppler in Cambodia ( especially in Phnom Penh ) where you can find Australia wagyu or even A5 Japanese wagyu. Australia beef also widely available in some of the supermarkets.
Yes I agree with you. I didn't think to mention food safety and hygiene. Those are definitely real and should be considered. Watching people have a rummage around in the meat pile and then move on without washing their hands still makes me twitch a bit. It is pretty easy to find meat from Australia as most of the supermarkets stock it. The negative is that it is always frozen and sometimes it's a full rump that has been frozen. It's tricky to deal with portioning it and not being able to re-freeze it. The pork in Cambodia (and all SE Asia) is first rate, and much better than the pork we are used to at home. Thanks so much for your input! 🙏🙂
I worked at a 5-diamond resort in Southern California and got food poisoning twice from eating their food. I lived in Cambodia for nine years and never got sick once, and this was with eating street food often.
@@rogermichaelwillis6425 I’ve been to Cambodia 4 times to see family. I got food poisoning twice. I get diarrhea every time I go there. Hygiene is still a problem in Cambodia, especially in rural areas.
I go to the market quite frequently and have never been overcharged or ripped off, I have found most Cambodian people to be very honest. They are amongst the most friendly people one could wish to meet. Very happy living my retirement in Kampot.
The main market in Kampot is one of my favourite markets in Cambodia - so much atmosphere and I just love the jewellery section. It's wonderful that you have found a market where you are receiving great service and local prices. I agree that Cambodian people are very honest. Thank you for watching and sharing your experience. 🙏🙂
Cambodia feels very safe, the people are friendly and community minded. I think bowel health deserves a mention, worth taking worm/parasite tablets every few months. Also too much sticky high gluten rice can cause problems. 2 out of 5 seems a bit high for theft. Cases do make a splash in the media.
Yes, we took those worm tablets while we were there. Simple, easy, and we felt so much better afterwards. Thankfully we never experienced theft but we're aware it happens. Funny someone else was saying we should have put it much higher! Everyone's experience is different, I guess. 🙏🙂
Very informative. I’ve lived in a lot of cities and none are completely safe. It’s important to always be aware of your surroundings and never rent a place that lacks security. The more security, the better. Don’t travel down empty roads, etc, don’t let anyone follow you, especially into a vulnerable place, don’t drive, and don’t be out when the vampires are looking for blood
Thanks so much! I agree - there is a small amount of danger associated with living anywhere, and awareness of surroundings is crucial. The building where we stayed in Phnom Penh had fantastic security and we always felt great about being there. Thanks for watching!
Your videos have really become excellent. I’m subscribed and I also have a RUclips channel so I have a good idea of the effort you’ve put your videos. Thank and continued success, John
Theft likelyhood 2 out of 5? That must be a joke. I'd give it a 10 out of 5. You see it almost daily. No place else in SEA it is happens more than in Phnom Penh
Wow, have you experienced theft yourself? We lived in TTP and it never happened to us, but I think the riverside area would be much worse. Please give more detail - I'm genuinely curious about this stuff. 🙏🙂
Thankyou so much Claire and Jeremy for the shout out to my Dad's gofundme. Very much appreciated. Any donations or share s by your viewers would be hugely appreciated. Thankyou in advance ❤️
So glad we could at least raise awareness of Richard's situation. I really hope there is a good outcome to all of this. Make sure you look after yourselves at this time.
Avoid sleazy bars and dark alleys and respect local cultures and norms and u will b safe. Don't try to provoke d locals or intimidate anyone or when u r tipsy or drunk , just head to bed otherwise u might get into trouble . Cambodians are generally , typically friendly , and welcome foreigners with open arms . Of course , crimes do occur occasionally but in general it's very safe der
Cambodia have a lot of ghosts. R they're friendly n safe? When the ghost get drunk then theyre go crazy. Have u get any ghost harassing u? Have they let u eat dirt gourmet?. Ghosts.😂❤
We totally agree. Vietnam is extremely draining with the endless hassling from vendors. There is some of that in Pub Street and the markets but nothing compared to Vietnam. Haggling for everything, every single day is so annoying.
We been to Cambodia countless of times. In 2018, both my wife and I contracted dengue fever while we were there. I got really sick and thought that I was going to die. Of course, I started to have symptoms while we were in Korea on the way back home. When we arrived home, I went straight to the ER. Our local doctor didn't have much experience in treating dengue but I survived. For sure, I would say traffic accident has always been my main concerned while we were there. Everything else, I don't feel threaten. Thanks for the info Claire.
Wow sounds like you had a nasty case of dengue. Awful! I agree that traffic is probably the main thing to be concerned about. Thanks so much for your input. 😁🙏🍍🛺🐈⬛
Thank you for watching this video. Please do consider supporting Richard through the GoFundMe page that has been set up by his daughters. We are good friends with daughter Tanya, and she is the partner of Andy who you might know through the cannel Going Nomad AKA Pigs on Bikes: ruclips.net/user/GOINGNOMAD. We met Andy and Tanya while we were living in Siem Reap and shortly after, we met Richard. He even starred in one of our videos. Here is the link to the donation page: gofund.me/ba51c496. Richard is in an awful situation and we are really concerned for him. You can read the full story of what has happened at the GoFundMe link.
Thanks a lot for putting this video together. I often get questions about safety in Cambodia and those questions are not easy ones. Well done on this!
@@perpetualmoto thanks so much Brad! It was quite fun to make this video. 🙏🙂
Thankyou so much for helping 🙂
😊I have lived in Cambodia since 2007, the last 15 year in rural Takeo. I have rarely if ever felt unsafe. Indeed the many years I spent in London held more dangers than my current location.
Thanks, Claire. I regard Cambodia as a generally safe travel destination & the people seem honest, for the most part. But this video is a very worthwhile reminder that things can go wrong sometimes & we should do our best to be prepared.
Thanks so much Anthony! I think the risks are generally quite small if you take normal and sensible precautions. It's good to be prepared or at least have a plan in the event that something happens. 🙏🙂
Thanks a lot for making this video. I am planning to go to Cambodia this summer and that's exactly what I needed to show my parents to prove that the kingdom is a safe place to go.
Wonderful, John! You will have a fantastic time and if you take normal precautions, you will be absolutely fine. 🛵🙂🛵🙂
Wow… great information as usual. These are the things that my wife and I address to foreigners that we bump into when going out.
One thing to mention with health related issues is that in Cambodia you will find pharmacies with many medications over the counter, but beware most people that manage pharmacies do not know what most of the medications in their inventory actually are for. This because they lack training. My wife being a nurse and with lots of year of experience and with knowledge of pharmaceuticals had to lecture 4 different pharmacies with those issues when finding that a woman in one of those locals seeking headache medication was given a psychotic medication for schizophrenia.
So, beware when seeking medication. By the way once explaining how and what the medication does, the owners were very appreciative.
Say hi to Jeremy, we love you Claire.
That's so true about pharmacies. I can't tell you how many times I have asked if I can have a rummage around in the boxes they keep inside the glass section of the counter. They never seem to mind. Scary to think that you could get an anti-psychotic just for a headache! That would be awful and potentially very dangerous. I saw a doctor at a clinic/small hospital in Siem Reap and found him to be excellent - blood test done on site and analysed while you wait. All for something like $25!
Thanks so much for your input on this video - it was a fun one to make. 🙏🙂
Hi, thanks for the video. I am also a foreigner staying in Cambodia for over 20 years. I totally understand the 8 issues you highlighted. However on No:7, -Addiction. I feel perhaps you should include gambling and on-line gaming. I have seen foreigners get destroyed by these addictive activities. Thank you
Wow, it looks like a lot of people agree with you on this. I wasn't aware that it was an issue for foreigners in Cambodia. Thank you for pointing it out to me, I am interested in finding out more about this. 🙏🙂
Hope you didn't lose a gamble, Daniel, that made you stay here for over 20 years.
What are the most prevalent drugs of abuse out there?
@@Kholaslittlespot1ICE
Just pay attention to detail and stay away from trouble I think it is safe for me I walk around every where without worry
Yep, completely agree. The best advice is the most simple in many cases. Thanks for watching!
Bag snatches used to be the biggest problem along with mobile telephones and gold chains taken by people riding motorcycles. I always hide my gold chain , phone in the pocket and I don’t carry a handbag,,, well only on a Friday night when I’m going out .
I’m now into my 14th year as a resident of Cambodia. I would reckon Cambodia to be basically very safe, if you keep your wits about you. One thing you missed out on Claire is the issue of driving non-moto vehicles, and the fact that, if you do have a road accident, as a foreigner you WILL be at fault, no matter how blameless you think you are. All good drivers will tell you that you are only one bad driver away from an accident, and there are many, many bad drivers in Cambodia. Khmers used to tend to drive badly slowly, which was fine for the western-trained driver. However now there are also a lot of very bad Chinese drivers, and they tend to drive very fast, a habit that Khmers are increasingly copying. RTAs are becoming more commonplace and more deadly. I decided to stop driving here five years ago and have never regretted the decision. For long trips I take taxis I trust, and for local trips I take tuktuks.
Any long-term expat resident of Cambodia will have endless tales of mishaps and adventures, as do I, but most will also raise a glass to the good fortune that brought them to this always welcoming, sometimes insane, often infuriating, ultimately blessedly beautiful country. You usually do an Only In Cambodia segment. The refrain often heard here from expats is a rueful “This Is Cambodia!”, or a sotto-voce “TIC!”, a catch-all expression to explain the latest manifestation of weird, wonderful, crazy or just unexpected.
To anyone thinking of visiting the Kingdom, don’t be dissuaded by the potential negatives, do come and enjoy the many positives.
Hi Charles, lovely to hear from you and have your opinion as a long-term expat. 14 years is quite the stint! Are you in PP? Have you moved around much in that time? I rode motos everywhere we lived in Cambodia except PP. There's just too much traffic, too many distractions, and too many people in a hurry. It was fantastic to live in TTP so close that I could walk to most of the places I wanted to go. I hope this video didn't seem too negative, and like you, I would encourage anyone to visit the Kingdom and consider it as a long-term option as well. We loved living there. 🙂🎉🙂🎉🙂
Only thing I wish Cambodia have is an MRT or train system it’s so much easier to travel by those than Tuk Tuk and card or buses which puts me at risk for accidents. Like in Japan, Singapore and Thailand it’s so easy to travel around in their train
That would be wonderful, but I'd say it's many years away yet. At least the bus system is operational and modern. Thanks so much for watching. 😀🙏
Once tuk tuk goes it will never come Back….enjoy tuk tuk while you can…..❤
I decided to add my two cents worth. I've been living in Southeast Asia the past 9 years and 5 of those have been in Cambodia. Sorry. I decided to add my own narrative and it ended up being long! lol. Maybe someone likes to read and some of this might help them.
My two Dengue Fever experiences resulted in a rural hospitalization after the owners of a non-profit I was paying for a place to complete the requirements for a TESOL certificate decided it best not to tell me they had both been in the hospital with Dengue Fever in the months before I arrived and told me mosquito netting for my room "wouldn't look good." I was laying on a gurney without a pillow in the hospital within 3 weeks of my start. The second was during my second visit to Laos. I was able to handle this one with visits to the hospital while staying in a hotel. It was Chikungunya Fever that got me in Cambodia. Couldn't roll over in bed on my own, but I MUCH appreciated the help I got for several days of illness. The attack by the dog and rabies shots were in Thailand.
I'm a teacher so scam schools were an issue in Thailand and Cambodia. Gotta always listen to your intuition and have a plan B in mind. Not easy if you're dependent on the income. I flew from the US to "start a new school" with a crew hired by a guy I found out was a felon and the school building he said he bought was an active hotel. We were told to "tell parents whatever they want to hear" when we were sent out in the streets to recruit students. A young teacher who was hired went out drinking with everyone. I don't drink and didn't go. Huge problem of alcoholism with the Director and other teachers. They all came back. He didn't. They found him in the morgue the next day. Officials said he crashed his motorcycle. The motorcycle showed no signs of damage and they wouldn't release it. I got pushed out the day after I chatted with a psychologist acquaintance on messenger who came to my birthday party the week before. I was upset about the death and talked to him about one of the teachers throwing beer cans from his room at locals talking outside. He turned a copy of our conversation over to the alcoholic Director. That didn't go over well. I feared for my life. My two cartons of belongings shipped from the US arrived a month later. The convicted felon owner of the school made sure I never saw any of my belongings again. At another school where I worked in PP, my boss smacked a 3rd grade boy with autism with his fist so hard that his response was to take off all his clothes and run naked through the school screaming about the abuse while being chased by my boss. I quit there too.
The biggest health risk I've found in Siem Reap is walking. I don't own a motorbike and walk to markets. Dogs control the areas where I've lived. I have no idea why, but I've found that if I walk after 8am and before 2:30pm, I'm less likely to encounter packs of dogs "hunting" together. I've also found the most risky place to try to cross a street is at the corner with a stoplight with a crosswalk telling me to walk. The drivers of many cars and motorcycles see no need to be concerned about the lights, lanes or the use of sidewalks. It's much safer to cross roads in the middle of the road where you can see clearly in both directions. I was hit in Serei Saophoan at a stoplight, with a green walk-light, in a crosswalk by a motorcyclist who crossed two lanes of oncoming traffic, entered the facing lanes of traffic stopped for the light and hit me in the crosswalk. He didn't stop.
It was tough during more than a year of road construction in Siem Reap. Roads under construction were often hosed down by merchants to keep the dust down. No usable sidewalks. I slipped near a market and went flying gashing my legs and hands on the cinder size pebbles on the road and got to the intersection bloodied up in time to see a man across the street with no sidewalk being run over by the driver of a car crushing his foot as he lay sprawled out on the ground.
If you can afford it, it's best to find a couple of tuk-tuk drivers you can trust and call when needed. If not, you're at risk of drivers who will say they know your destination when you give them the information, but don't have the slightest idea what you are talking about or it's part of their scam. A driver in PP did this with me. He took me on a trip to a dark area that was no where near my destination then argued about wanting more money when we finally arrived because he had had to drive for so long. Happened last week too in Siem Reap. Even after giving the directions and destination in Khmer language and many assurances the driver knew the destination he took me to closed bars at 6:30 in the morning 3 km from my destination, but an area where I didn't know where I was. Guess he figured since I'm a foreigner, that's where I would want to go no matter what I was saying.
Wow, Kim you have seen a lot in your time in Cambodia, thank you so much for sharing. Dengue and Chikungunya sound awful and we are fortunate that we haven't had either. It sounds like you had awful experiences while you were teaching too. I am fortunate that when I taught, the school and teachers were professional and supportive; it was just the job and the hours that weren't for me.
I agree with what you say about walking, but most of the more serious encounters I have had with dogs have been while I was out running. The dogs react viciously to the unusual footfall and it piques their interest and aggression, at least that is what I have come to believe after having been chased too many times to mention.
The construction of the roads in Siem Reap was the main reason that we left, as it was impacting a lot on our quality of life. We had a little slip over in some of that super slippery mud created by locals wetting the fine dirt. I ended up sitting in the middle of the road covered in mud. Jeremy couldn't pick the bike up because he couldn't get any traction with his feet against the mud. Eventually we got back up, but it could have been a lot worse - luckily for us we were just leaving from an event so were travelling very slowly.
We never went out on our moto after dark in Phnom Penh. It was just too risky and dangerous, and with Passapps so cheap, there was absolutely no need to take the risk. Also, we never went to the riverside area as it isn't our kind of scene. We like to use the Passapp app so that the destination is plugged into their system and there is none of that funny business of taking you somewhere you don't want to go.
Thanks again for your insights and stories - it's always great to read about other people's experiences.
🛵🙏🌴🏠🙂🙏
@@ForRiel Thank you for sharing your experiences too! I was starting to feel like I was the only one laying in the mud and fearing dog attacks! I think it's important to be informed of different experiences for people thinking of visiting or staying here so they can adjust expectations and plans if desired and know the best ways to navigate the systems available.
Great video Claire! My gosh you did an operational risk assessment! I was waiting to chip in with the proactive and reactive controls and come up with a residual risk rating for the country!
All great points and all things that folks should be aware of when travelling here. Chicka chow!
Haha yeah totally! We could definitely pop out a risk matrix including the proactive and reactive elements. Then we could develop it into an app that transmits a real time risk rating to a smart watch. Eg ALERT drunk Camry driver hotspot coming up. That would be so much fun! Hope you are recording video like a crazy person! 🙏🙂
@@ForRiel you had me at risk matrix!
Thank you for heads-up on what to be cautious of while living/visiting in the Kingdom. Great to see you in the video!
Cheers Richard, I'm glad you found it useful. 🙏🙂
I'm really glad you brought up addiction. I've witnessed the propensity for this and it can be quite alarming.
Thanks Julia. We have seen it too and it's pretty confronting. Do you watch @BangkokPat ? Great channel - he talks about the same issue in Thailand and in much more detail. 🙏🙂
@@ForRiel interesting! I'll give it a watch!
Great topic for "news moto", very useful & informative. Good food for thought. Thanks for sharing and making people think. :) PS, I'm absolutely enjoying myself here in SR. I find myself looking at previous "news moto" vids as a great source of useful information and education. Looking forward to see if a few of those apartments & hotels will be available for me when I'm ready to relocate to Kampot. Thanks guys for sharing your knowledge and experiences with us all! :)
Hi Edward, thanks so much for watching. I am sure there will be plenty of great places to stay when you are ready to move to Kampot. We loved our time there - it's such a beautiful part of Cambodia with access to the ocean and mountains. We really appreciate you being here! 🙏🙂
@@ForRiel Thanks for the welcome!🙏😁
Very good video and universal for all traveling abroad . I traveled to Cambodia and loved the culture and the Cambodian people. Outside Angkor wat was children begging at a level I have never seen but they were hard selling merchandise , it was hard to handle , they whet relentless. I felt bad and wanted to adopt them all . The Khmer people are beautiful and there ancient history is the greatest of all civilizations in Asia. Than you.
Thank you for watching, Forrest! Yes the children begging is a tricky one and charity is difficult because you can't help everyone. Cambodia is a wonderful place to be, I agree.
1. Road accident often occurs, due to the inexperience of the most driver. As a cambodian myself, there are many people who drives a car with improper driving training. In Cambodia, most of their license are paid. The roads laws are not well establish in the community.
2. Theft - Yes this often occurs mainly in Phnom Penh. Be careful riding tuk tuk or passapp holding your phones near the window.
3. Health - Medication are limited in Cambodia. Getting sick for specific case are hard to diagnose. Stay away from specific local food, as most of these foods and drinks are often not sanitize. Because local farmers don't have freezer to keep their veggies and meat fresh, they use chemicals that contaminate them.
4. Diseases - I'm really afraid of mosquitos, not because of the diseases, but because these damn mosquitos loves foreigner's sweet blood, and when we get bitten foreigners heals slower than locals. Locals can handle bites, as they have higher immunity.
5. Landmine, stay away from deserted land field, if there aren't people in the area, the land may have not been come for mines.
6. Scam - definitely a lot of scams. Though this is normal in many other countries.
Yes, 100% agree there are so many people driving cars in Cambodia who don't really have any experience. No wonder there are so many accidents. I agree that scams are everywhere. I had a lot of people trying to scam me in Australia when selling things online. I really think Cambodia is very safe if you are aware of your surroundings and take care with your things. Thanks so much for watching.
Top notch advice. I was looking at statistics for motorbike deaths here and it really makes a huge difference if you wear a helmet, and don't drive at night. Stay safe out there and don't be a bone head.
Yeah driving at night without a helmet seems to be a recipe for disaster. PassApp is so cheap that there's really no need to risk it. I hope you've combed your hair. 🛵🙂
How about the risk of government? I think it's a lot more unstable than people think.
We don't talk about the government on our channel.
Thank You for the informative video. I feel more confident about going to Cambodia.
There are risks, but there is also plenty you can do to minimise them. Are you a very pretty grey cat by any chance? 🤣🤫😉
Hi, me again. Back in Cambodia in April and taking my pug to Kep beach again lol.
I love your videos and find this one, as you hopefully intended, as a heads up and things to be aware of. The Alcohol thing especially as I have seen the sorry state of some people populating the same bars day on day. But hey it's a free world I guess. I share your love of Cambodia and it's people 😊
Thanks so much for watching, Derek! Yes there are a lot of people, especially in places like Kampot, starting their day with beers in the morning. It's absolutely their choice, but a slippery slope if you are on your own with nobody around to tell you that you maybe ought to slow down. Love Kep in all of its weirdness!
Nice assessment. Thank you for sharing. Got to know Cambodia better.
That's great, thanks for watching! 😁
Great video, great tips! 2nd time to watch, from Kampot this time. lol Thanks for sharing your knowedge and experiences with us ! :)
Thank you so much Edward! I had been thinking about that video for a while before I made it - takes a bit of time to put them together. 🙏🙂
@@ForRiel You did an excellent job, that's why I watched it twice. 😁👍
Claire, Re the guy who had a stroke, if he had previously informed the insurance company that he had a blood pressure issue, but it is under control with medication, then that companies response, is reprehensible
Yeah it absolutely is. His daughters are fighting the ruling but it's not going to be easy as these companies are expert in getting out of paying up. It's an awful situation. 🙏🙂
thanks for your time spent helping others
Thanks for your support, Laurence!
Thanks for all your tips..!!
My pleasure!
Thanks for the tips. Great video!
I am from Cape Town planning on moving next year god willing to teach English. Many of my family and friends are concerned about my safety. After watching this and many other videos, I realized this is far from dangerous.
I mean no disrespect, but where I am from South Africa as a whole is a million times more dangerous. Drugs, murders, gangs, rapes, robberies and break ins etc. Sadly, we have become so use to this lifestyle.
The truth is, in my humble opinion. Wherever you go the general safety rules apply to apply.
Mine your own business, do not MESS with locals. Do not walk with valuables exposed. Always stay in a group in the day and night time. Yes, use your skincare in your have issues like me ( eczema ) and use the repellants.
So I guess, the same rules apply no matter the place or country.
PS: I want to go to Cambodia now more than ever!
Thanks
Thank you for watching! There is a good sized Saffa community here in Siem Reap, and they have told us the same - that Cambodia is safe and easy compared to their country. People do say bad things about Cambodia and the things that can happen, but we have not experienced anything negative apart from a very minor bit of overcharging here and there. Nothing to worry about at all!
@@ForRiel Appreciate the feedback. If you dont mind me asking. Currently, how would you rate Phnom Penh
As for medical, after recent experiences with the Australian medical care and have been in the transfer hospital in Samroang…. I think they are now on a par. I also got a dog bite in Bali Few years ago and the service in the Kuta hospital was way better than I have had in Perth.
My only experience was at Nek Teap clinic in Siem Reap. The service was excellent - saw doctor, blood test on site, blood analysed, saw doctor about the results all within an hour and for a cost of about $25. Amazing service that would not be possible here in Australia.
What needs to be made known, If you are injured in a motor bike accident, and you have accident,travel, insurance ect, your insurance is VOID, if you don’t have a bike license in you home country,
Yes that is so true. We try to tell people all the time that it's not just whether you can legally ride in Cambodia, it's the insurance side as well. We wouldn't ride if we weren't licensed to ride in Australia. 🙏🙂
I'm living in the USA and dreadful of sending our little children off to school every day. Can you please do a safety tips for us? 🙏😰😬
I'm so sorry about what has happened over there. It's heartbreaking and pointless. Those poor children.
Reform the gun laws, for a start...
@@antonyvaughan7808nonsense, most gun crimes are committed by black criminals against blacks, read the fbi statistics. better to stop big pharma injecting kids with garbage, and stop woke schools from infecting kids with woke ideology.
@@jtns2845I think someone has been watching way too much FOX News 😅🎉
I am touring SE Asia, currently in Philippines. I loved Cambodia, found the people lovely and enjoyed Phnom Penh especially. HOWEVER, walking is a danger. The sidewalks are impassable, filled with bikes, motos and cars forcing pedestrians to walk in the road. So for a few weeks I was walking the streets, always walking into oncoming traffic. That worked ok until I was on a one way street walking from Mad Monkey to Central market and got hit by a passing moto. One moment I'm walking, the next I'm on the ground nursing my wrist. Two kids on a moto, weaving in and out of traffic, they didn't even stop. That was the worst thing that happened to me. I found the people very honest, had no problems with change in fact the opposite, found the people fastidiously fair and moral.
That can be a challenge. We walk on the side of oncoming traffic to see what's happening. Had so many close calls, luckily Jeremy is super careful and is lazer focused when riding.
I'm seriously tempted, long term COPD is a worry though.
That is concerning. Do what's best for your health. 🍍🇰🇭🏝
I also have COPD and am curious if maintenance inhalers are readily available in the pharmacies. I know that rescue inhalers are.
Great info and I loved the lighting!
Cheers Kelly! I challenge you to a reaction video - how do you rate the same things? I reckon people would be interested in a different perspective. 🙏🙂
I like how this video just now recommended me😂 and I'll say theft are very low, lower than Thailand and Vietnam. And despite all of this that doesn't stop the Thais from saying that😂
Hello! Live in Phnom Penh and feel like only danger is getting phone stolen....unless you are walking riverside 4am looking for 'somehth
ing'..then could be a lot worse lol
So true, Cambodia is a very safe country. 🙏
Noting relevant for me 🇳🇴👍
Yes, really the roads are the most dangerous thing you will face here.
Very informative 👏 Thank you so much 😊
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching. 🙏🙂
I'm still waiting for Blogger to do a content of 8 biggest risks & danger for local citizens & expats to live in America..
So dangerous with all those guns! 🔫🔫🔫
Very informative.
Glad it was useful. Thanks for watching!
When I travel I keep cash in my shoes. If I'm at a restaurant I go to the loo just before leaving and pull out the correct money to pay. Don't carry anything that can be snatched. 😊
Yes, it's good to take precautions, and eventually, they become second nature. Minimising exposure to risk is important.
If struck with a sudden onset, life-threatening medical condition, Cambodia isn't high on my list of where I'd want to be located. So, I'd say that's the greatest potential danger.
Same can be said for any remote location. Life is short and sometimes you need to take small risks, to get big rewards.
Thanks 4 sharing helpful information. How about ghosts? A lot of ppl die there. War is hell. 👻🤘👊
Yes, ghosts are a consideration after all of those poor people died. 😢
As far as Dengue goes, there's nothing in the book for that one, I'm afraid. Caught it in Samoa in 2001 and felt like a dog that was beaten with a stick. It lasts five days and you can't really eat. All you can really do is lie in bed with a blinding fucking headache. Luckily, I found a quack down there who gave me a wheelbarrow full of codeine (he was a fellow Brit) and told me to sleep through it. Pretty sure he got struck off a few years back. Shame. He was a good bloke.
Anyhow, my advice there is to just ride it out and stay hydrated. I used beer mainly, which works well with codeine.
Great channel, btw. Best from Blighty.
Oh wow, dengue sounds awful. Thankfully we haven't had it, but many, many people we know have had it, often more than once. Jeremy had typhoid and that was terrible. We had unwittingly let our vaccinations slide as we didn't realise it was only good for two years. Thanks so much for watching!
@@ForRiel Indeed, Clare. The old dengue is no Mardi Gras at all. Sorry to hear about Mr Thatcher's typhoid, but that's the price we pay for being feckless, global tramps.
Looking forward to catching up with you guys some day over an iced latte (filled with bourbon) and we can swap tropical disease stories.
I disagree about land mine in Cambodia .
So far how many tourists were killed or injured by land mine?
Not very many if they stay in safe areas. So we put it as low but extreme if it did happen.
@ 5:23 Its funny you mention Dengue fever. The country i wanted to visit the most wea/is Cambodia. I started my journey in December 2019 to Cambodia, but the plandemic stopped that in Malaysia. I waited for the rules and regulations to end. They ended and i got into Cambodia, within 2 days of entering i got dengue fever and it took about 28 days to recover. I did not got to the hospital cause there is no treatment for it. Just got to rest and eat really healthy.
Oh no! If you go to hospital with dengue here, they'll just put you on a saline drip for a few days. Awful that you were unwell for so long, but that does seem to be common, along with weakness and sometimes depression. I hope you recovered and were able to enjoy the Kingdom.
Where did you get it? We’re you golfing or outside a lot? Mosquito repellent?
Great information ℹ️ why did your friend needs to return to the UK?
He's in a really bad way and I guess his family want to be with him and also he can access medical care for free there. 🙏🙂
Beautiful country wonderful people I love It and would recommend it for everyone who loves adventures
I agree, 100%!
Claire, sorry to be a nuisance, you forgot risk no 9 , sitting in the front seat of a mini van, travelling between Phnom Penh , and Seam Reap , with a Cambodian driver, that is high risk, !
Oh yeah, mini vans in general are bloody dangerous! The drivers are usually crazy and drive so aggressively. Totally nuts.
Could you mention a place where there are no problems?
We've only ever had very minor issues. I think road safety is the biggest thing to worry about jn Cambodia.
Hospitals ,doctors is not like back in Australia , phone /bag snatching etc is big , and people are well organised doing this /people on motor cycles , don't wear jewellery !!! keep a good look out at what's going on around you have seen many robberies
Great advice, John! You really need to be aware of where your valuables are and who is around. It would be scary to have someone try to pull your bag off you while you were riding. It's worth taking the time to stow it under the seat before riding, I guess. Thanks so much for watching. 🛵🙏🌴🏠🙂🙏
Can you buy Private health insurance inside Cambodia??
Yes, there are options, one of which is Safetynet.
How safe is bicycling?
About the same as riding a motorcycle, just need to be super aware of your surroundings.
Thanks for watching and commenting 🙂
Great and very useful video; well thought out “For Riel”. Great service and good on you for sharing!
Diseases / Health /Accidents are both topics that perked my ear. I am in the medical field and I would put these items top of my list; A lot of these things depend on your personal situation (and most underestimate their risk = humans are poor at assessing risk = I.E. risk from vaccines vs risk from disease.):
The big issue for the individual is how risk starts to multiply and you almost ensure some future problem (some that are catastrophic):
- age is a multiplier
- behavior is a multiplier (sex / drugs / etoh)
- being male is a multiplier
- pre existing health / mental health issues (I find the % of expats with issues with these very high) - multiplier
- how connected are you to the community / have a safety net - if low then is a multiplier
- length of time in country (this could go either way = lower risk as you learn vs increase exposure to risky situations) - plus / minus multiplier
Great topic = well thought out!
Yes! This is absolutely true. All of those things compounded make it very likely that something negative will happen. I hadn't actually thought about it that way before, but you are right. Another multiplier is lack of funds, so lack of a safety net in terms of being able to leave if necessary. Also lack of funds in terms of not having enough money to do preventative things like seeing a doctor or dentist when the problem is small. Thanks so much for your input - much appreciated. 🙏🙂
Excellent video !
Thank you very much! 🙏🙂💚
Great video tip
Thank you for watching!
And remember everyone, monkey attacks can fall into all 8 categories.
Thanks for the info. Great video. And I wouldn't dare disagree with either of you.
Stay safe. Stay punny. Peace.
You should disagree even just for fun! 🤣🤣🤣🍺🙏
Hi can you let me know can you used 1 and 2 us dollars in Cambodia as I have been told you can now used them now.thaks paul
They're still sound but their use is decreasing rapidly. Don't bring anything smaller than $10.
I’m not going to argue which country in South east Asia has the worst drivers as I think they all are diabolical , pretty much on par with each other , Although I would say Laos is probably better than the rest . Probably because it has a smaller population and less traffic.
People in Laos seem to be generally very mellow. The pace of life there is different even in the capital, or at least it was when we were there in 2014. Seems like a world away now. Hope you are going well. 🙏🙂
Well done thanks
Thank you, and thank you for watching!
For Riel, is the $2000 (or $3000) for quarantine still required to enter Cambodia?Thanks!
I believe that is not required anymore
Not if you are vaccinated. If unvaccinated you can either book and pay for a hotel to do your 7 days, or pay the deposit and have the cost of the 7 days subtracted from it. I believe it's only $1,000 now due to the reduction in days from 14 to 7. 🙏🙂
@@ForRiel thank you very much!
There is no quarantine for unvaccinated traveller's to Cambodia or Vietnam now. Check online for current information.
@@craig1594 tnx!
Great job, you should get citizenship of honor
I wish! Wouldn't that be wonderful? 🙏🙂
Thanks for this Clare. I know it’s old now but important for me as I’m coming there.
I know that crystal meth is ripe there too in that every Cambodian tuk tuk driver can sell it so not just alcohol by any means. I hear of bribery with the police too to avoid jail
Plus the chemists there sell practically everything you need which would need a prescription in the UK, USA or Australia. This is also a big bit of the addiction risk out there.
Pat
Hi Pat, yes I know of people who have had addiction issues with drugs that can be so easily bought over the counter in Cambodia. We always said it would be easy to form a habit when it's so cheap and easy to supply yourself with these things. The use of meth is a real problem and I hope that something can be done before it takes too much of a hold on the younger generation. Thank you for watching! 🙂🙏
I live in Cambodia and I brought a car so I don't have to get on a motorcycle
Yeah I think if you have the means it's a solid choice. Great for the middle of the day when it's so hot and sunny, not to mention the rainy season too! 🙏🙂
Interestingly, you did not mention the dangers faced by male visitors to Cambodia; namely the local female representatives of our human species.
Someone else mentioned this as well. It really does need more exploration, I'm just not sure I am the person to do it! Thanks for adding your thoughts - it's very interesting to hear what people think. 🙏🙂
I live in Thailand and my two concerns that determine where i live here are :
-air pollution
-reckless driving
How is air pollution in Cambodia?
There seems to be no air pollution monitors in the country.
I am interested in visiting next year but of course depending on the season the smoke will differ.
Small particles from smoke 2.5 PM enter into your bloodstream and cause a host of problems such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer and many more issues.
The lung cancer rate is double in Northern Thailand. I have ideas how this whole smoke issue could be solved by monetizing crop waste but the point is for 6 months a year [its not 3 weeks as many say] you will be breathing 100AQI plus air.
Second drivers have a different method here and i have become accustomed to it after driving tens of thousands of km's but my observation is that the 1% of drivers exhibit a complete disregard for others lives. It turns out that 1% of humans are psychopaths and do not care or have feelings regarding other humans wellbeing. I see about that exact number, 1 in a 100 , that drive with complete disregard for others and since there are no police and no rules they continue to kill people.
25,000 deaths per year is way too many with millions of injuries, its a drag on the economy and destroys lives.
I love the freedom here and its not my place to change these things. They in fact have a point system introduced here now but i chose to avoid living in tourist areas because they are truly the most dangerous drivers [people with zero motorbike experience] I live where people chose to show respect for each other driving as much as possible.
The pollution is nowhere near as bad here as it is in northern Thailand. However there are localised issues of burning soch as people incinerating rubbish because they don't have a collection service. This includes plastics and polystyrene. It really depends on your neighbours how much this will happen, if at all.
@@ForRiel Thanks for taking the time to reply Riel...after living in Northern Thailand i do hope they can get to grips with the burning there but good to know its a localized issue in Cambodia. . I love SE Asia and i dont look at this like complaining but more a strategy to find out the places that suit me best. Next door in Vietnam they are building a second rubbish burning cogeneration plant that scrubs the exhaust and makes electricity from garbage. These plants pay for themselves at some point. Perhaps there will be more built throughout SE Asia.
Is Cambodia still offering ordinary visas on arrival? I get my news from a few different sources, one being a very small RUclips channel who recently explained that Cambodia now requires 6 (difficult to obtain) supporting document- all pertaining to opening a business, in order to get an ordinary visa on arrival. He’s basically saying you need a whole bunch of documentation proving you’re going to open a business to get an ordinary visa on arrival. I find this hard to believe, and commented on his video asking for a credible source to this “new news”. His news seems contradictory because you need an ordinary visa to search for employment in the first place. I feel like he’s just trying to crank out videos, I told him I’d donate him 40 bucks if he replied with an authentic source proving the info he states. Lol. Hope he’s just confused or something. Any clarification on this would be helpful since I’ve been planning on moving to Cambo for a long time. Sorry for the long comment, your (or anyone else’s) opinion on this would be appreciated. Thanks.
Hi, I can confirm that the E-type visa (ordinary visa) doesn't require any supporting documentation. It is valid for 30 days and can then be extended in country. Available extensions are ER: retirement, EB: business, EG: looking for work. Most people start off with an EG extension after their initial 30 days unless they are retiring. The EG extension doesn't require additional documentation either. All extensions can be handled by pretty much any travel agent - it's a stock standard procedure and they have been doing it for a long time. I hope this helps!
@@ForRiel Thanks for the quick reply, you guys are always very helpful. Looking forward to your future videos.
@@ForRiel 🥂🙏💐👍🍻🙏💐🍺🌻👏🌺👌💐✌️👍🌿🙏💖🤝🍻.
The reality is Cambodia has a long history of bribery/nepotism and it is still practiced today that people can and do bribe their way to become a doctor, lawyer, military general, judge, police and so on without studying/earning it. Imagine living there and needing those services.
We can't comment on your comment, but thank you for commenting! 🤐😶
@ForRiel Why can't you comment as this viewer is speaking the truth?
Hi Jeremy and Claire , hope all is going well , this was a fun video , full of sensible advice for the uninitiated traveler to the Kingdom , from my own experiences , and observations , I would like to add these common sense warnings and advice to Expats , some of which you covered briefly , #1 Be careful with your passport 😯 , make several copies prior to traveling , carry a copy while out in public , this will be acceptable should you be stopped by authorities for any reason , and NEVER hand over your passport while conducting business , an example being renting a moto , your passport needs to be kept in a safe place at all times , #2 Never travel in a 12 seat Mini Van 🚐 , the price of a ride will look very attractive , but an accident in one of these boxes , almost always results in death , the reason being EXCESSIVE SPEED , speed always kills , do yourself a favor , find alternative transportation ⚰ , #3 Avoid The Angry Expats 😡 , too many Expats can become argumentative , or combative , due to alcohol consumption 🍺 , or running out of funds 😢 , which unfortunately happens , more than we would like to believe , your best defense is to simply walk away , witnessed far too many altercations between Expats to even list here , sad , but unfortunately true , #4 Be alert while walking about 🚶♀all too often we simply forget to look around us while walking , because our guard is down , whether it's a phone snatcher , a simple crack in the roadway 🚧, or the danger of being so close to traffic 🛵 , all can be dangerous to unalert pedestrians , keep your eyes and ears open , and always WATCH YOUR STEP ! 🤕 , #5 Find yourself a good Physician 🩺, once you have rented your apartment in your chosen area , take the time to inquire among longtime Expats you may encounter , ask them if they use a Physician they can recommend , a learned Physician in Cambodia , is worth his , or hers weight in gold 🙂 sooner or later we are all in need of these services , this also works for finding a Dentist , use the online FB chat group pages as well , most Expats are more than happy to help out new arrivals 🙂 Cambodia is truly a fun destination to explore , just don't forget to pack your common sense , along with your other belongings , Jeremy and Claire 🙂 , another well done presentation , looking forward to your next adventure , stay safe , take care , Peace ! 🚧🍺🚐🦘
The passport advise is great. I need to know where it is at all times and handing it over as collateral for a bike rental is a big no, no. They will always take cash instead although some people strangely find this more difficult to part with than the passport. We were in a big Giant Ibis bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh and the air conditioning broke so we rode for a while with the door open. Eventually the driver decided enough was enough and we were transferred to a silver van. I am so glad I couldn't see out the front window from my seat at the back. Jeremy was terrified the whole time. Luckily we got there safely and had a fantastic time. Love your advice points and agree with them all! I think it's really important to be observant and aware of your surroundings. That alone goes a long way to keeping you safe in the Kingdom, and indeed anywhere! Keep safe out there! 🙏🙂
50cent beer ! I am coming over :)
Mad no to! Get it while it's cold.
Hi. I have 2 boys 5 and 7 living in Australia and looking to move to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Do you have any knowledge on the education system available to them and any idea of costings for a decent education. They are both fluent in English and their mother is Khmer.
Well the way I see it you have two options. The first is to send them to a local Khmer school for their day to day schooling and send them to an English school for specialist English language teaching. Many local families do this. I guess the local school would be free but an English school like ACE (Australian Centre for Education) would cost you. ACE is the best in SR. The second option is to send them to a full service International School like ISSR. This will come at a fairly high price but all tuition would occur in one place. I'd say this would be the better of the two options. Be aware that there are lot of schools with the word 'international' in their names that aren't true international schools. Look for one that teaches Australian Curriculum, UK Curriculum (IGCSE), or IB (International Baccalaureate). Using one of these curricula is what sets a proper international school above one of a lesser standard.
I had three of the mosquito diseases many times (once two of them combined)... and rabies... and tetanus.
Likelihood? 😅
Good video. 👍
Oh wow, that's super bad luck. Rabies and tetanus as well? Sheesh you are a living miracle! 🙏🙂
Raw veg., water drawn from wells close to septic tanks, all water except filtered loaded with amoebas, giardia. Gut typhoid many times while there. Amoebiasis and dengue fever as well. Bot flies (worms) where mosqitos bite and microscopic larvae burrow into the skin and a few days later a worm forms in a wound that never seems to heal. Malaria is the only tropical disease I didn't get while there. Diseases that a long term resident of most tropical countries can expext to get sooner or later.
I dont mind paying a little more in the market. I dont have a family to feed.
I was bit by a dog.
Had a few scams attempted.
Had 4 excellent and inexpensive operations.
Cambodia is a good place to blow off karma😂
Wonderful to hear that you had positive experiences with your operations! I had one trip to the doctor that included blood tests and it was a smooth, efficient and inexpensive experience. Was your dog bite serious?
Number.9 extortion by the boys in green/brown
We can't speak about that one.....
@@ForRiel Exactly! NOT SAFE!! IT'S IMMORAL TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COME TO A COUNTRY RIFE WITH KIDNAPPING AND EXTORTION, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF!
@@ForRiel Why can't you speak of this???
@@waterdragon2012 I totally agree with you.
Theft Claire.
I’ve had 30 trips to Cambodia and have travelled extensively since 2002 and have never had an incident of theft nor have I heard of one.
So as a risk I would put theft at zero.
Yes, we have never experienced any theft either. We (Jeremy, not me) frequently left keys in the moto ignition and the bike was always there when we got back!
Any numbers about Psychotronic Harassement and Stalking...... asking for a Friend
🤣🤣🤣 I don't know how to calculate the risk!
Are not " expats " & foreigners not the same thing?
Nooooo! 🤣🤣🤣
Sorry I wrote that without my glasses on. I meant are not ex pats and foreigners not the same thing. Expat a term that tends to be given to Westerners but not to others was my point .
What about snakes?
I've seen a total of two and they were both in a hurry to avoid us. Not a big concern in my mind.
Thanks. Going there for first time next year. I pictured pythons everywhere!@@ForRiel
where is the old dude who looks like moses from the 10 commandments movie?
He's actually a spring chicken! He's been working a lot lately, so can't be as involved.
Recently I rebuke a v blogger who went to PP and keep on empathise motorbike snatch thief very high in Cambodia,really don't understand why ppl like to portray Cambodia as a very dangerous place,i travel quite frequent to Thailand,Vietnam and Cambodia for the past 20 years,I have been scam,cheated and even threaten but not once in Cambodia,I compare and feel Khmer thought not as smart as vietnamese and Thai,they are more reserve and not that daring,yes crime do have and traffic issue but again,which country don't have
Hi Jeff, we agree with all you say. There is a risk but it is very small. If you don't make yourself an easy target, I think you will generally be fine. We had several attempted scams in Vietnam but it was all pretty low-level stuff that didn't worry us too much. Thank you so much for your input, it is much appreciated. 🙂🎉🙂🎉🙂
When you say expat do you mean migrant?
I just mean foreigners living here. I guess 'migrant' implies that it's a permanent move, but for many of the foreigners living here, it's temporary.
only your wild west and whereever west takeover is safe nowhere alse in the world not safe i travel many se asian countrys also i lived west , asian country and people so lovely and nice , unlike westerns 🤣🤣
Cambodia is a very safe place to be! 😁
Scam is super high lol
But low level severity I hope! 🙏🙂
🍺🇦🇺🤟🙏
😀🙏 🍺🛵😀🙏 🍺🛵
This is gender base, but you did not mention the very common story of Cambodian women preying on foreign men, which is often the most expensive scam and even leads to physical abuse and suicide. There is very little rational discussion on the subject of course…
Two people have mentioned this and I absolutely think it is worth including in the discussion. Women by themselves have certain issues to face, and it would appear that single men do as well. Thank you for pointing this out - much appreciated! 🙏🙂
After 30 trips to Cambodia in 18 years many times for 3 months I would have to say theft, violence and scams are basically nowhere to be seen. Cambodia is so safe , much safer than Melbourne AU. which is my home town.
Accidents are probably the biggest danger along with serious illness for older people.
One of the great joys of Cambodia is the local friends you will make if you take the trouble to engage with locals.
Cambodia is such a wonderful country.
We completely agree, Gary! Cambodia is incredibly safe, especially if you consider everything except the traffic. Illness after being there a long time is a concern as it would be anywhere. Thanks so much for your input.
@@ForRiel I am cambodian
There are literally multiple documentaries and endless RUclips videos of various scams that take place in Cambodia. 🤷🏻
Perhaps what you meant to say is that you haven’t personally witnessed any.
The voice of experience, cheers bud.
@@DeeNimminmany of these are Cambodian bots pretending to be others ...
As a Cambodian living in USA, I think Cambodia is safer than USA when it comes to violence crime and addiction. It is safer than Thailand and Vietnam for scam and pickpocketing. Things that I don't like about Cambodia are hygiene, food safety, and transportation. We'd like to see you make a video of where to buy qualify food in Cambodia or how buy quality meat from Australia.
Most decent grocery super stores here have a selection of different meats from the USA, Australia and Brazil. I’ve tried them all and hands down USA prime choice meat here is the best.
Coming back to Cambodia after 15 years in New Zealand and Australia . I find that a lot Cambodian restaurants nowadays are pretty cleans and up to date hygiene standards . It’s all depends on where are you prefer to eat. There are a lot of meat suppler in Cambodia ( especially in Phnom Penh ) where you can find Australia wagyu or even A5 Japanese wagyu. Australia beef also widely available in some of the supermarkets.
Yes I agree with you. I didn't think to mention food safety and hygiene. Those are definitely real and should be considered. Watching people have a rummage around in the meat pile and then move on without washing their hands still makes me twitch a bit. It is pretty easy to find meat from Australia as most of the supermarkets stock it. The negative is that it is always frozen and sometimes it's a full rump that has been frozen. It's tricky to deal with portioning it and not being able to re-freeze it. The pork in Cambodia (and all SE Asia) is first rate, and much better than the pork we are used to at home. Thanks so much for your input! 🙏🙂
I worked at a 5-diamond resort in Southern California and got food poisoning twice from eating their food. I lived in Cambodia for nine years and never got sick once, and this was with eating street food often.
@@rogermichaelwillis6425 I’ve been to Cambodia 4 times to see family. I got food poisoning twice. I get diarrhea every time I go there. Hygiene is still a problem in Cambodia, especially in rural areas.
I go to the market quite frequently and have never been overcharged or ripped off, I have found most Cambodian people to be very honest.
They are amongst the most friendly people one could wish to meet.
Very happy living my retirement in Kampot.
The main market in Kampot is one of my favourite markets in Cambodia - so much atmosphere and I just love the jewellery section. It's wonderful that you have found a market where you are receiving great service and local prices. I agree that Cambodian people are very honest. Thank you for watching and sharing your experience. 🙏🙂
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@@ForRiel I think most ladies love the jewellery section, myself ... I like the fruit and seafood part 😋
Moving to kampot in July 😉
Have never been overcharged? Do you know what overcharged means?
Cambodia feels very safe, the people are friendly and community minded. I think bowel health deserves a mention, worth taking worm/parasite tablets every few months. Also too much sticky high gluten rice can cause problems. 2 out of 5 seems a bit high for theft. Cases do make a splash in the media.
Yes, we took those worm tablets while we were there. Simple, easy, and we felt so much better afterwards. Thankfully we never experienced theft but we're aware it happens. Funny someone else was saying we should have put it much higher! Everyone's experience is different, I guess. 🙏🙂
It looks like the biggest danger in Cambodia is going barefoot,.
Yes that is definitely a danger particularly in the wet area of your local market! 🙏🙂
Very informative. I’ve lived in a lot of cities and none are completely safe. It’s important to always be aware of your surroundings and never rent a place that lacks security. The more security, the better. Don’t travel down empty roads, etc, don’t let anyone follow you, especially into a vulnerable place, don’t drive, and don’t be out when the vampires are looking for blood
Thanks so much! I agree - there is a small amount of danger associated with living anywhere, and awareness of surroundings is crucial. The building where we stayed in Phnom Penh had fantastic security and we always felt great about being there. Thanks for watching!
@@ForRiel you’re welcome 🙏
Your videos have really become excellent. I’m subscribed and I also have a RUclips channel so I have a good idea of the effort you’ve put your videos. Thank and continued success, John
I'll check it out! 😃🐱
Theft likelyhood 2 out of 5? That must be a joke. I'd give it a 10 out of 5. You see it almost daily. No place else in SEA it is happens more than in Phnom Penh
Wow, have you experienced theft yourself? We lived in TTP and it never happened to us, but I think the riverside area would be much worse. Please give more detail - I'm genuinely curious about this stuff. 🙏🙂
Where did you see that ? You are so lucky to see it daily.
It has never happened to us!
Thankyou so much Claire and Jeremy for the shout out to my Dad's gofundme. Very much appreciated. Any donations or share s by your viewers would be hugely appreciated. Thankyou in advance ❤️
So glad we could at least raise awareness of Richard's situation. I really hope there is a good outcome to all of this. Make sure you look after yourselves at this time.
Avoid sleazy bars and dark alleys and respect local cultures and norms and u will b safe. Don't try to provoke d locals or intimidate anyone or when u r tipsy or drunk , just head to bed otherwise u might get into trouble . Cambodians are generally , typically friendly , and welcome foreigners with open arms . Of course , crimes do occur occasionally but in general it's very safe der
Hi Pat, I agree with all you have said. Respect is really important and trouble is easily avoided. 🍺😁🍍🙏
@@ForRiel have a great time day. Cheers 🙏🙏♥️♥️
thank you for the vid,i am planning to work hope i am able to adapt quickly and respect to the culture
You can do it! 😄💪
Cambodia have a lot of ghosts. R they're friendly n safe? When the ghost get drunk then theyre go crazy. Have u get any ghost harassing u? Have they let u eat dirt gourmet?. Ghosts.😂❤
No ghosts so far, luckily! I hope if I meet any, they are friendly ones. 😁👻😱
Found Vietnam more dangerous as far as theft, overcharging taxis, tour operators cheating or turning on touritst etc
We totally agree. Vietnam is extremely draining with the endless hassling from vendors. There is some of that in Pub Street and the markets but nothing compared to Vietnam. Haggling for everything, every single day is so annoying.
As usual, this is an excellent presentation. Thanks for the info.
Glad you enjoyed it!
If Cambodia not safe, there’s no country in the world is safe.
I agree! Dogs and traffic are the things I fear. Not much else.
We been to Cambodia countless of times. In 2018, both my wife and I contracted dengue fever while we were there. I got really sick and thought that I was going to die. Of course, I started to have symptoms while we were in Korea on the way back home. When we arrived home, I went straight to the ER. Our local doctor didn't have much experience in treating dengue but I survived. For sure, I would say traffic accident has always been my main concerned while we were there. Everything else, I don't feel threaten. Thanks for the info Claire.
Wow sounds like you had a nasty case of dengue. Awful! I agree that traffic is probably the main thing to be concerned about. Thanks so much for your input. 😁🙏🍍🛺🐈⬛
I got dengue fever in the Philippines in 2020 and yes you do think you're going to die.
You must make sure that you have sufficient medical insurance and read the fine print carefully
Yes definitely! 🇰🇭🙏😊