So the US Embassy issues a travel alert for Americans in Cambodia.

Wish we got a fucking warning before they showed up.

Garry.Crabtree wrote:So the US Embassy issues a travel alert for Americans in Cambodia.

Wish we got a fucking warning before they showed up.

OD: Small town? Yes, but have you ever heard of a preemptive strike. A little research, a little money to the right/wrong people, end of problem. Money doesn't talk, it screams. One way or another you deal with it before it deals with you. Get a military mindset/Situational Awareness or suffer.

Lot of ugliness down there. Been building for years, every year a bit worse, a bit more crime, a bit more violent, with the epicenter for the last 6 or 8 years or so at the drunken druggie backpacker end of Ochheuteal (though for a while also up at Chiva's). It arrived with the backpackers and their drugs, or at least this extreme form of it did. I've seen more than one person become the brunt of pointless violence only for being present in that area at the wrong time (usually at or after dark) around the wrong people (ie low life druggie Khmers and barang.) And being a drugged up drunk only increases the possibility. After dark, aggressive loutish behavior is the norm, not the exception, and it's no surprise that violent crime is attending it with increasing frequency. It won't get any better until the cops start doing their job at least a little bit, and that's not going to happen until the feifdom that is Sihanoukville becomes part of Cambodia. (Or, perhaps, if it becomes too much trouble for the local authorities, they'll just crackdown hard one day and put an end to the whole scene.) And unfortunately when it does happen (if it ever does) its going to come at the expense of the freedom to drink all night, whore around, smoke a joint, etc.

Sailorman wrote:OD: Small town? Yes, but have you ever heard of a preemptive strike. A little research, a little money to the right/wrong people, end of problem. Money doesn't talk, it screams. One way or another you deal with it before it deals with you. Get a military mindset/Situational Awareness or suffer.

You're living in a fantasy based on rumors and innuendo. The worst ones here aren't the poor shack dwellers... they're the ones dealing drugs (often rumored to be dealing them for those police and officials you think you can buy) and a few of the freshie type.

The way to deal with it is to avoid those situations that will lead to confrontations of that nature... because in the end you WILL lose. Either money, your freedom, or perhaps even your ability to stay in this country.

According to one person discussing it on facebook:
The new Governor held a meeting with local business owners this afternoon, he outlined his plans for the city and stated he will close the Oucheteal Beach bars, have regular police [patrols in the tourist areas and enforce a major clampdown on drug dealing, he also said he will not be wasting time talking about it like the previous Governor, he said he is a man of action. It will be worth waiting to see if he is a man of his word. I feel sorry for the good hard working bar owners and staff who it seems are going to get caught up in the mire of a few bad eggs.

Sounds like an end to JJs, Dolphin, and Pirate's Cave.

OD: You are the one living in a fantasy world. I ran across this same problem more than once in my many years in Thailand and dealt with it, never lost a cent, but the thief(s) shall we say were deterred. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Man up or be a victim, which are you?

Sailorman wrote:OD: You are the one living in a fantasy world. I ran across this same problem more than once in my many years in Thailand and dealt with it, never lost a cent, but the thief(s) shall we say were deterred. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Man up or be a victim, which are you?

cambodia =/= thailand. in many ways.