We tend to make our own paradise(s). For me its Sihanoukville as you couldn't pay me to live in Phnom Penh. I traveled to Thailand for 33 years and was married to a Thai national for 14 years. There is no way I could now live in Thailand after finding my personal paradise. I was on my way to retire on Ko Samui (touristless end of the island), but found Cambodia/Snooky on the way.

The attitude of the government and people has changed in Thailand. Its no longer the Land of Smiles, but the Land of the Hand Out for Money. Come in for a couple weeks, spend your money and go the hell home! I looked at the Philippines as back in America I had a few friends from there, but it just didn't feel right and/or fit my needs/wants.

I figure Sihanoukviile (and maybe Cambodia) has 6 to 8 years before it changes into what Thailand has become. Thailand is still livable, but at a higher rate and with more hassles the years ago. Cambodia is just starting to awake from a nightmare that killed millions and most of the ruling class still harken back to that era, but now the strings are pulled by the Vietnamese, although China is starting to rape and pillage Cambodia through mega-bribes and large mega electrical power installations like the ones in Ko Kong and Sihanoukville. They have really taken over Ream Park and are raping it even though the Cambodian Supreme Court said they couldn't. For most expats living here its just a bystander sideshow.

My Australian next door neighbor's wife is from the Philippines and she seems to like and fit into Snooky/Cambodia fairly well. There seems to be a growing Philippine community here as she has a lot of friends visit her.

They have really taken over Ream Park and are raping it even though the Cambodian Supreme Court said they couldn't

Ream Park is my hometown and where i grew up. I really like the place as it has a really nice view and a lot of tree. Now the goverment leased it to a few chinese companies for 99 years. They deforested the trees and they developed it. They built a new asphalt concrete road and a lot of luxary bangalows and hotel. However, my villagers seemed to be okay with it as they enjoyed with the new look. They have new asphal concrete road. On the other hand, they didn't realise that those resorts are not designed or targeted for them. Now we have to pay everytime we visit the beach.

Thank you everyone for your responses,

It seems that Cambodia is the place to be now before it gets spoiled. It also sounds that after Philippines any SEA country would be improvement.

Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh are both places where I would stay since I plan to try few and probably stay around six months at each. This and other forums also have information about different areas in both towns so it should be possible to avoid the bad ones.

Philippines is basket case in quite many ways. When Americans left this god forsaken place it was to my understanding the wealthiest Asian country. At the same time South Korea was struggling. But over the years Pinoy’s were able to destroy what they had and South Korea raised among the first world countries.

What is also interesting is that even hundreds of typhoons and earthquakes have hit the country since their independence they still don’t have readiness to help their own citizens. Part of me believes that they don’t want to since catastrophe equals to international aid and millions of USD which will end up to the politicians’ pockets.

Sounds like Cambodia is going through the same as Laos. Some years ago I saw hydropower station project in the northern Laos which had caused large area of forest to go under water. And the forest that was left was cut and logs probably exported with the electricity to China/Vietnam.

Demiurgi wrote:Hi,

I have been living and working in the Philippines few years but since I never felt like home I started to consider relocating to some other SEA country. As I studied my options Cambodia started to feel interesting mainly because of the ease of getting one year visa, cheaper living expenses, and because I have enjoyed my vacations there.

Even I’ve visited most of the 25 provinces Cambodia has, and spent 2-3 months in the country, it’s not enough to know how living there is. Thus it would be nice to hear comparison from someone who has lived in the Philippines and Cambodia. What in Cambodia is better or worse. What is easier or more difficult. And which country is better to live in.

Thanks for any information!

If you want consultation on a professional level I will give you all the information you require for a premium. Pm me if you are interested.

VLayHo-ho-ho wrote: If you want consultation on a professional level I will give you all the information you require for a premium. Pm me if you are interested.

Thank you for very tempting offer, but how you (I assume you are Pinoy) plan to compare the countries and the easiness/quality of living when you haven't been exposed to the pleasantries Philippines gives to the expats? Can you kindly provide more information of your "publication" e.g. table of contents, methods you used for the comparison and your pricing?

Secondly I didn't know there's market for advising on how it's to live in a country when there's forums like this where people can share their thoughts for free, and by trying to sell something that is available for free convinces me that you indeed are Pinoy. This is based on my experience that Pinoys consider foreigners as, nicely put, simple as they and thus tries all stupid things on them. Nice try though.

Demiurgi wrote: Secondly I didn't know there's market for advising on how it's to live in a country when there's forums like this where people can share their thoughts for free, and by trying to sell something that is available for free convinces me that you indeed are Pinoy. This is based on my experience that Pinoys consider foreigners as, nicely put, simple as they and thus tries all stupid things on them. Nice try though.

Never mind those sales pitches. I think the poster was at least educated and raised in the Philippines. "Simple as they" is a very nice way of putting it. However, it was better said to me way back whenever "never under estimate the willingness of a Filipino to do nothing for something" along with "never under estimate the willingness of a Thai to rip you off".

Cheers and good luck. You can always move, don't invest, just enjoy life.

Hilarious development!

NokTang wrote:

Demiurgi wrote: Secondly I didn't know there's market for advising on how it's to live in a country when there's forums like this where people can share their thoughts for free, and by trying to sell something that is available for free convinces me that you indeed are Pinoy. This is based on my experience that Pinoys consider foreigners as, nicely put, simple as they and thus tries all stupid things on them. Nice try though.

Never mind those sales pitches. I think the poster was at least educated and raised in the Philippines. "Simple as they" is a very nice way of putting it. However, it was better said to me way back whenever "never under estimate the willingness of a Filipino to do nothing for something" along with "never under estimate the willingness of a Thai to rip you off".

Cheers and good luck. You can always move, don't invest, just enjoy life.

Demiurgi, I will get to you shortly.

NokTang, I despise your type. Following on from a thread you started, I have no time for you, neither will I afford it any longer.

Demiurgi: If you trust everything you read on the internet, then I suppose you don't need the likes of me offering consultation.
If you would sit down over a coffee and get to know more about my professional history (just because I look Pinoy, doesn't necessarily mean I spent my life in the Philippines-never judge a book by its cover), as well as my knowledge of Cambodia, then as I stated, If you're interested PM me.
I would rather provide you with all the information you needed to make an impartial decision on what could affect your life in the next e.g 5 years, which you can't really put a price on. Some people live and learn, others pay for professional advice.
The choice is yours.

Wow, just straight out of the closet.
Pay me to answer your questions.

Are you a Lawyer VLHH?

frank lee bent wrote:Wow, just straight out of the closet.
Pay me to answer your questions.

Are you a Lawyer VLHH?

I am not a lawyer, but I have been around long enough to know that nothing on this God-given Earth is free.

If you want to get to know my type a little more, I will be having a beer over at Shanghai bar from 6pm onward. Only one beer, any more then you're paying.