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Basic Questions

Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2017 12:37 am
by WildA
I have some basic quuestions and yes I RFF:

1. ATMs spit out 20s. Transactionally, I assume you just get the small bills at stores. I assume never hand a Tuk Tuk driver a $20?

2. I see a lot of apartments with huge, huge balconies? Are those private or shared?

3. Is there a high level of Burglaries? I assume there is a need to stash the cash and documents at your home? Do the partments usually have security?

4. From the view on the ground, how is the present stae of food safety?

5. Are snatch and grabs common all the time, or just at night?

Re: Basic Questions

Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2017 9:09 am
by Username Taken
1. The ATM that I use (ANZ) also spits out 20,000 riel notes (=$5). But even then, many tuk tuks can't change it. Always easier to have the exact change to pay the tuk tuk or moto driver.

2. Not sure where you see them. Most balconies are 4m x 1m, however there are some places where the balcony goes deeper into the front of the house and could be 4m x 4m. An apartment like that will usually be advertised as having a huge/large balconey. On the other hand, some could be shared. You need to ask when you inspect the apartment.

3. Rarely hear of burglaries, as in break and enter. In the wee hours of the night, like 3 AM, you'll hear dogs barking. They are usually barking at robbers who will use a long stick through an open window to retrieve whatever they see of value. Keep your doors and windows closed. If you have a rooftop, be sure to keep that door locked as well, and nothing of value lying around on the roof.

4. Street food in Cambodia can be a gamble. Food is usually prepared on the floor by hands that probably haven't been washed. My meat and vege is bought in the local markets - sometimes the meat smells a bit off, and green leafy vege can be covered with chemicals. If you want safer food, you should buy your meat and vege from a supermarket like Lucky Supermarket. (No guarantee that the vege is any cleaner though).
Getting stomach pains from eating tarnished food is quite common. Food poisoning will happen once or twice a year, depending on what and where you eat.

5. I would say that there are less snatch and grabs now than, for example, 10 years ago. Daytime or nighttime.

Re: Basic Questions

Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2017 9:44 am
by hanno
Not sure about less snatching, FB pages are full of it. Just this week, the wife of the Crocodile River in Temple Town got pulled off her bike.

Re: Basic Questions

Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2017 11:04 am
by Jamie_Lambo
WildA wrote: Sat Mar 04, 2017 12:37 am I have some basic quuestions and yes I RFF:

1. ATMs spit out 20s. Transactionally, I assume you just get the small bills at stores. I assume never hand a Tuk Tuk driver a $20?

2. I see a lot of apartments with huge, huge balconies? Are those private or shared?

3. Is there a high level of Burglaries? I assume there is a need to stash the cash and documents at your home? Do the partments usually have security?

4. From the view on the ground, how is the present stae of food safety?

5. Are snatch and grabs common all the time, or just at night?
1. tuk tuks wont change a $20 just go to a shop and buy something straight after you been to an ATM,
ABA bank you can get your money out in Khmer Riel, it dishes it all out in 10,000r notes, $2.50

2. maybe the balconies you see are the walkway in front of your front door that get advertised as balconies sometimes, its sort of a balcony, but its not private as its the walkway, cant say ive seen any huge huge balconies out here

3. some apartments have security, our gate is double padlocked and the landladies husband usually is on guard everytime the gates opened to check whos coming in/out, my mates apartment has on site security, break-ins arent something i hear a lot about/ if at all, ive heard stories, but none through my vast circle of friends

4. all depends on your stomach, i can eat the local grub, with little to no problems, ive also had friends who cant stomach it and get the squits, food higine isnt the best here, if youre worried stick to the restaurants, even then though you still dont know, i do a lot of cooking at home

5. dont think it makes much difference day or night from what i see on the news, just keep your whits about ya

Re: Basic Questions

Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2017 1:34 pm
by John Bingham
1. The ATMs I use (Cambodia Public Bank) give out 10,000 Riel notes, as well as $10/$20/$50/$100.
2. I've had places with big balconies, the place I have now doesn't have a big one (it's only about 1.5 meters wide, but it wraps around 2 sides of the house. Any I have had have been private.
3. I was burgled once, when I accidentally left a balcony door open and had assumed it was too difficult to climb up to.