Yeah that looks way better than the shocking 10% with $20 cap lol

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I'll be arriving in Cambodia in around 2 weeks, do I need to get Riel or will I be fine with just US?

usd is accepted almost everywhere

After 2 weeks in this country I feel the duty to give a psa... Don't come here unless youre chasing live cash. Thai/Phils 3x better for just about everything besides beer prices.

Sounds like you're in a unique position to give a run-down on the three countries and that sounds like something I'd love to read. Care to expand more on your post?

6am post feels like your posting this after a bad experience... I've barely spent any time in thailand and never been to Philippines.. please expand further if you can.. Thanks..

Met a new dutch guy tonight absolute legend obviously doing well and my god he knows how to party, took 4 girls home with him but had his phone stolen at one of the bars... I'm sure this will leave a sour taste in his mouth and will have bad things to say about his time in Cambodia He went home pretty angrily.. but I'm sure the 4 girls (1 lb) should be able to calm him a bit lol

So I'll see you Thursday for the party in Pattaya?

over a year total between cebu city and phnom penh (here now)....ill post some generalities.... u can find good food , women , and lodging anywhere but heres my view.....1)lodging- phnompenh has better apartment/condo , hotel , value prices and easier to deal directly with owners to rent/buy . And the agents in philippines are beyond bad as a rule and avoid them 2 ) transportation - philippines much better (cebu) for 2 reasons . Jeepnies literally around 15cents . Over 100 cabs taken , all but one used the meter . Friendly too , cheaper (than tuc tucs) , and they know where your going and almost all have passable english . No price gouging and little bull**** like so many phnom penh tuctucs ...Uber/ect now does improve phnom penh ill add , but most still dealing with tuctucs still i think -- and if you like to walk philippines is better . More beggars , but mostly passive , and if your walking at a brisk pace they rarely ask you twice . I cant imagine a guy in phnom penh wearing a cast , old, disabled , ect trying to walk anywhere slow . He would be completely engulffed and surrounded by tuctucs in thirty seconds flat 3) Food -cambodia wins hands down ( especially western) . So many quality places you can just randomly walk into with all different kinds of options . Not bad portions for 3 to 5 bucks . Quality overall....philippines overall horrible . Little chance of decent value meal randomly that tastes ok and small portions . If u find a place /meal thats good , go there a lot . But it wont last forever , cuz constant turnover employees , not much effort , out of stock ( macdonals out of coffee , french fries , icecream , chicken , and pop once but they do deliver so thats good ) 4) women - philppines for wife or girlfriend , phnom penh for bars and party girls/hookers/less hassle short term . I will add foreigners get a much better reception the fartther u get away from riverside , ect . Still language barrier though .....There is a reason why the philippines produces so many miss universe winners , and why so many men that have visited never go back to other asian/white women . If " there is nothing more attractive than happiness ' then these women beat all other cultures hands down . They are very passionate and intense and bubbly . Always laughing and singing. Which if your 'playing the field' beware . They desparately want babies and support (and relative pressures for money ) and extremely jealous...... if your considering visiting philippines take a buddy with you . Its not like phnompnh where you can go barhopping lots of places on foot and roam around (except at malls in philippines there re many drink/restaurant places/low key ) and be around other foreigners which is kinda nice when its your first time . More spreadout in philippines for foreigner locations , many less sportsbar hangout places / gogobars/ect , and you can feel a little isolated much easier (i think) .But they truely are a gentle , social , very polite , and foreigner friendly culture . An absolute must visit place if your living in cambodia

Not a bad experience just another mediocre night.

It's hard to complain with out coming off as a spoiled brat but just giving my opinion compared to Thai/Phils. Maybe 2 weeks isnt enough to give a fair assessment but...

It's obviously less developed, dirtier, more poverty stricken, lacks street lights, and has a dark history. All things I knew before I arrived so I won't harp on about those cons too much.

- The level of english is definitely worse

- The girls are definitely less attractive. Even if you prefer small darker skinned girls, they dont take care of themselves. A lot of black/yellow/missing teeth, bad skin etc.

- Small sample size of 4 girls but the sex was bad with 3/4. Things like reluctantly blowing me and spitting into a towel the whole time. Would rather just not bring them back if they're not gonna enjoy themselves.

- This is gonna sound super douchy but, the attention you get as a young white guy in Cambo doesnt compare to Phils/Thai. I got used to being asked to take pics with random girls/gay dudes just walking around at the mall or at a restaurant etc. Get catcalled every 2 minutes in Thai/Phils and even the older people smile all the time.

- The bar scene is pretty withered in PP but even worse in Sihanoukville. Most of the hostess bars are pretty dead and I hate being the only customer in a bar with 8 girls surrounding me. Tough life I know but it is awkward.

I also dont like how the bars are in clusters. There's no way you can go home with a girl one night and then avoid her bar the next time you go out. I haven't even bar fined a girl and im having to deal with girls harassing me for going to this bar or talking to that girl etc. I've noticed most guys simply just dont care but it gets to me. I know the same could be said about Thai/Phils but it seems worse here.

The freelancer seen is pretty small in PP from what I can tell and almost non existent in Sihanoukville. I personally dont love gogos/girly bars etc for girls because there's no chase or much thrill in it.

I just prefer the hunt even if she ends up asking for $ in the morning it's generally more fun. If I do decide im gonna bar fine a girl she has to be hot which is much tougher to find in Cambo (see above)

Doesnt seem like picking up non working girls is much of an option either. As I mentioned they dont seem to like white guys nearly as much as Thai/Phils. Where as Thai/Phils it is pretty easy to bang non working girls. Almost comical how easy it is sometimes.

- Food here is pretty meh, Seems like some decent options in PP but Sihanoukville is pretty bad options wise. I could see why some people would prefer Cambodia for western food but for me most of the "restaurants" don't deserve to be called restaurants. More like seedy dive bars that also serve food. Also seems like a lot of restaurants close kindve early. I prefer Thailand and even Phils (Cebu is pretty bad) for western food. Thailand is the clear winner for local cuisine though.

- Walking around here is pretty sketchy at night. Even felt the need to stash my poker roll in my sock. Although this might be unwarranted because I haven't actually seen anything bad happen. Just seems sketchy overall.

Lastly, the backpackers. Need I say more?



Cost of living seems lower, cheap drinks, and rich Chinese fish are the only reason I'd recommend cambo to live long term.

that is both disheartening and hilarious.

i swear i've seen this on twilight zone...

as a guy who shares the perspective of a western tourist visiting asia, i understand all the comments.

not to boo hoo on the thread (b/c i enjoy the tales of debauchery), however



aren't we missing the whole point of visiting another country, which is to have an immersive cultural experience?

reminds me of the military whenever they go to the middle east--they bring with them huge trailers and generators along with name brand corporations--mcdonalds, tacobell, starbucks, etc to service the troops.

which is great, b/c who doesn't love air conditioning and iced coffee in the desert?

but when you go to another country, we inexorably bring with us our own exaggerated expectations of comfort and very humanely seek out to restore our daily routines.


i used to work with a guy who rode in his truck and never once turned the air conditioning on.
i asked him, "hey, D, why don't you turn the A/C on once in awhile, eh?"

he replied, "b/c it's hot outside, and if you get in the car and have the A/C on, you will get used to it. But when you inevitably have to get outside and have to work, your body will not be used to the heat."

so I got used to the heat.

My whole point is there are better options that are very easily accessible and similar expense wise. So why stay in the hot truck?

I don't mean to bash the country or the people, I'm just simply saying I personally prefer Thai/Phils for the lifestyle I strive for. If my options were N.A or Cambodia I'd prob just get used to the heat.

By all accounts the English is worse here so no argument there. But this reminds me of a friend of mine during college who took a trip to Japan and complained that none of the signs were in English. We forget that it is a foreign country and while other places may speak English better, it seems odd to me still that this should be a chief complaint. I came here for that which is different and an unfamiliar language being spoken seems a big part of that.

Regarding the girls, yeah some of them spit into a towel but I've also had girls here who will more than gladly toss my salad and do just about everything else. And I've been part of three and four ways that would put anything I ever did in the States to shame.

The food thing is merely an issue of sample size as the Western food scene here is nothing short of great. Almost everyone I know who has stayed here long term has gained weight.

I've never had anything happen to me in terms of violent crimes in over three years and very few people I know have had any such experience.

And at the end of the day this is a poker forum and it's presence here looms large over all other issues.

I agree with you on the backpackers though.


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We're in the midst of a holiday here in Cambodia called Pchum Ben. It's a period of days in which ancestors are honored and most locals return to their home provinces to visit with family. So I rented a minibus and took my girlfriend, the baby and some of her family to a region of the country called Prey Veng. I've never really spent any time in the rural provincial areas so much of the visit was a bit of a culture shock. The houses are very crude by Western standards and some even resemble thatched huts. There is no running water as it is gathered and used out of cisterns and electricity is hit and miss at best. They raise their own food and buy the rest from a butcher next door which is really just a slaughter house. The first day was spent preparing that night's dinner and drinking beer, lots of beer. My GF and I ended up getting a hotel nearby and then reconnected with the family the next morning to go to the temple. There I met just about every grandmother in town as they continually stared at me and laughed at every movement I made. We gave offerings to the monks, received their blessing then returned home with the family in tow. My girlfriend was so happy about the trip, I was really glad I was able to put it together for her and the family. Still, I'm glad it's just once per year.



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Nice Story and Pics PT looks great.

Love this thread, hope to make it there sometime to play some poker and relax

nice pics!

Nice unexpected change of pace. Great pics

Did we miss a key plot twist here?

We have a little baby girl.

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You mean a baby Triad?

Congratulations!

Thanks man. I'm crazy about both of them so couldn't be happier.

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wtf lol. I was just there 3 months ago and you were happily single... nek minute....

We were together a while back and separated, then got back together a few months ago. In the interim she had a baby girl that I am now raising. The father is out of the picture and for all intents and and purposes I am her father. In fact she already calls me such, although she can barely talk. I'm not sure if I've made the best decision, but I'm certain I made the right one.

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