Things happen everywhere, you gotta live life though and not let these things worry you, just keep your wits about you and you're good as gold. Life is about experiences, can't live sheltered because bad things happen.

I have only witnessed one bag snatch in 2015, street 51 restaurant and outside seating where 3 boys came asking for money "give me dollar" the younger one said, he was about 10 years old and accompanied quickly by two slightly older who went on too do the same at other tables, until one customer gave from her handbag, the shoeless youngster with the unwashed look of poverty, on receiving the small nominee note, thanking, performing the hand gesture (Anjali Mudra) or known as the Sampeah in Cambodia. Instead of the handbag going back to the more safe place, the lap of the seated Khmer lady it was placed on the table, from her side one of the older boys grabbed it and tossed it toward the other older one begging at the next table, now all three had made their escape with the waiter in hot pursuit following down the street, unfortunately the lady was not to have her bag retuned for her kindness. It was in the same area I saw a drunk jealous boyfriend/husband of a bar prostitute arguing with her in the street! He was carted off in a tuk-tuk after he received her stiletto heel to his head.
Last incident I had seen was in BKK1 where a group of Chinese guys (about 8 or more in their early 20s) following a single guy heading for the restaurant over the road from myself, "shouting" at what my lady friend said the victim was Khmer. Possibly also twice the age of his younger assailants, these guys didn't care about the public in the restaurant, or that if anyone would intervene with their actions.
So now the situation, he enters the establishment, the young men go in and beat him there in a very public place, I only saw a waitress try to hold one of the guys back. Being the single guy was of their own nationality was of no importance or consequence, more so the group of tuk-tuk drivers on the street stayed where they were, until the attackers left. The gang beat him so badly the staff had to get him to hospital due to injuries.
But overall I would read like many of you, about these kind of misadventures and worse, stabbing's, shootings and murders on this forum, or by other forms of media. Some night times I have been known to go into the city streets and dark alleyways for the sole purpose of photography. I am aware too of the danger that it could bring, its always best not to forget this and be aware of the environment you may enter, then again the environment of home I had just left maybe more dangerous being in the city suburbs, one thing is you don't see police out at night times.

Why do so many foreigners live in Phnom Penh? There are many other places where a person can live, where this kind of thing happens much less.

Crime is increasing, particularly phone and bag snatching, because people post videos on Facebook and Youtube. The criminals also watch these videos and get ideas.

Only a very small proportion of crimes get reported. Thousands don't.

explorer wrote: ↑Sat Sep 14, 2019 5:55 am Why do so many foreigners live in Phnom Penh? There are many other places where a person can live, where this kind of thing happens much less.

Crime is increasing, particularly phone and bag snatching, because people post videos on Facebook and Youtube. The criminals also watch these videos and get ideas.

Only a very small proportion of crimes get reported. Thousands don't.

Yes, if Facebook and YouTube did not exist crime would drop dramatically. All one has to do is think back to the pre 2000 days. Crime almost didn t exist except of course the ones perpetrated by those who daily bought newspapers

Jerry Atrick wrote: ↑Fri Sep 13, 2019 8:51 pm Guess I've always been lucky. None of this shit ever happens to me.

*knocks on wood *

yeah often I feel like I drunkenly wonder through my life with bullets just missing my head

explorer wrote: ↑Sat Sep 14, 2019 5:55 am Why do so many foreigners live in Phnom Penh? There are many other places where a person can live, where this kind of thing happens much less.

Crime is increasing, particularly phone and bag snatching, because people post videos on Facebook and Youtube. The criminals also watch these videos and get ideas.

Only a very small proportion of crimes get reported. Thousands don't.

Because there are no other places that have the quality of amenities available in Phnom Penh. I have lived in Phnom Penh over 20 years and if there was a better place I would go and live there. Crime is generally location and time specific. If you live in Phnom Penh and are not the sort of person that wanders around drunk in the early hours of the morning in "sex tourist" and "downmarket" tourist areas you will generally avoid any problems.

In Phnom Penh there are many good wine shops where I can get very good French wine at reasonable prices, There are some good delies such as Thai Huat where I can get good French cheeses, pate, foie gras and caviar and it is only about 10 minutes ride from my condo. Other foodstufs I buy, such as good quality steak, lamb and oysters are readily available here but not so much outside the capital.

There are also some very good restaurants here serving a variety of ethnic dishes which are not readily available in the provinces. I tend to go French mostly with restaurants that have good wine lists such as Bouchon.



There are also some very good fully equipped and serviced apartments available here at reasonable prices complete with pool, sauna and gym and 24/7 maintenance and security. Also a good location is important with pleasant surroundings and for example Chroy Changvar offers some very nice riverside locations. This sort of accommodation is not readily available outside the capital.



Phnom Penh is a great place to live!

And the honest khmer people is vera pleasant to meet.
I really don't want to live in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh... or even Jomtien beach since the Thai king die, the thai people mood get worse there.
Kuala Lumpur ? A life between shopping mall.
I love Philippines, but the food there is so fat. I travelled there between 10 islands to find a place selling vegetables

-

I will go out with less cash and be careful twice.

Long live Phnom Penh.

Sounds like the common theme here for those who got robbed was that they were drunk off their a$$. That might be why many of you didn't have this similar experience. You didn't turn yourselves into an "easy mark"

Jerry Atrick wrote: ↑Fri Sep 13, 2019 8:51 pm
*knocks on wood *

I don't know why, but in French we do also say "knocks on wood, and touch some monkey's skin" -> "Je touche du bois, et de la peau de singe".

Usually the guy who says that touches your skin, or someone else's skin around, but not to a total stranger though. An acquaintance at least, but better a friend or someone at the same table.

Do you have that line in English, or any other language, of is it just us ?

No idea why wood or monkey's skin are about luck, but that's what we say.

Ghostwriter wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 3:02 am

Jerry Atrick wrote: ↑Fri Sep 13, 2019 8:51 pm
*knocks on wood *

I don't know why, but in French we do also say "knocks on wood, and touch some monkey's skin" -> "Je touche du bois, et de la peau de singe".

Usually the guy who says that touches your skin, or someone else's skin around, but not to a total stranger though. An acquaintance at least, but better a friend or someone at the same table.

Do you have that line in English, or any other language, of is it just us ?

No idea why wood or monkey's skin are about luck, but that's what we say.