All these talks of violence makes SR like a safe heaven. It's worth mentioning though, maybe except from the straving/drug addict locals; the youth gangs are quickly learning.

Hotdigr wrote:And also, for you fella's that think Sihanoukville has some sort of monopoly on random violence, google "Australia coward punch". Its that bad over there, not just are the media campaigning for a king hit to be re-labelled, many pollies and police are backing the call.

This, from a guy who can box a bit:

frank lee bent wrote:Whatever the circumstances- the one with the least connection will pay.
That means you witeboys.......................

Been a lot of reportage in the Phnom Penh Post of late of the gang culture that seems to be gaining ground.

Sorry to disappoint you but thankfully quite a few "whiteboys" that settled here 5, 10 or 20 years ago, have better connections than these criminals.

And sometimes having one of those as a connection becomes your connection

LTO wrote:Casinos have been there since the mid/late 90s. The skyrocketing violent crime rate is a phenomenon of the last 6-8 years or so, basically corresponding with the influx of large numbers of the clownpants variety of low-class tourists, the coming of criminal age of Khmer youth, and the huge rise in the use of white powders, all in what is traditionally one of the most corrupt and poorly controlled fiefdoms in Cambodia. Nature is just taking its course.

"Fiefdoms" I had to look that one up. Good word!

Couple of nights ago I was standing on the side of the dance floor in one of the beach places. I was about 3 AM. Drink backpacker walks up to me and asks if he could drink from my glass, well it was more telling me what he would do. I kindly declined offer. He said something I could not understand. Thanks to his second effort at telling me, I learned that he wanted to hit me but because of [again could not understand] I was lucky and he would not do it for now.
He kindly added that he is an Englishman and would do what he wants.

I was quite concerned about this little prick. While I had no interest in spoiling my evening and just more a few steps to the side and watch him rumbling around, some locals might take seriously his stupidity. Let's wait if he shows up in the news with his face down on a dirt track.

Otherwise the area is pretty safe.Every ten meters a motorbike guy trying to sell a ride or something else. Plenty of customers around for both.

I admire the business-minded patience of the locals in dealing with these backpackers. They behave like being on spring-break and have no clue what they're doing.

The best experience so far was a free show. A piss drunk and drugged 6 feet tall and not at all slim backpacker girl (cow) expressed her interest in one of the bargirls who spent their afterwork hours there not just in words but also used her hands. THhe small Cambodian was not happy. Maybe 5 feet tall she managed to kick and box the cow and also got her hands into the cows long hair. it was like in a movie, screaming, fists flying, kicking, some drunk backpackers trying to go between (bad idea, those balls were hurting, i m sure ) until finally the staff separate the two ladies. Now the cow got mad at the staff and threatened the staff - MobiDick on dry land....

In sum, unless you're totally drunk and act offensively not much to worry down at the beach. Dont cheat the working girls, they have friends who might pay you an unfriendly visit. Maybe some incidents have a lot to do with a drug deal gone bad.

As for others, it is as safe as in any other restaurant or club.

I see on Facebook that the Snooky police caught some moto thieves and got 8 moto's back. My guess is that the police knew who they were, let them operate, but did the bust when the Sh*t started to roll downhill from the governor. Driving around Snooky yesterday I actually saw a cop on a cop moto patrolling the back beach road by Sokha beach. Also there seems to be more police on the streets.(not enough to enforce all traffic law though.) Something came down as I don't seem to be alone when I stop at stoplights now.

Throughout the past week getting from the Golden Lion roundabout to the center was pretty costly for moto drivers. There were two checkpoints every day. One when coming from the roundabout near the Ocean Lucky Supermarket and the other further on near the "orange" supermarket. Plus spotters of course. It must have been highly profitable. They also showed off a new car at the roundabout with motocops driving around. Surely, they show their presence but I doubt that they have changed their habits.

Everyone talks about "connections" here like it's a game of top trumps. I'll take see two star general and raise you a deputy governor.

It doesn't work like that. Power here is in vertical silos, someone who's a big boy in one silo can't just rock up to another and start telling people what to do.

Also unless they are family no one here is going to lose some of their karma points to get you out of a jam. The only thing that gets you out of a jam here is hard cold cash.

Pizzalover wrote:Throughout the past week getting from the Golden Lion roundabout to the center was pretty costly for moto drivers. There were two checkpoints every day. One when coming from the roundabout near the Ocean Lucky Supermarket and the other further on near the "orange" supermarket. Plus spotters of course. It must have been highly profitable. They also showed off a new car at the roundabout with motocops driving around. Surely, they show their presence but I doubt that they have changed their habits.

Yep and to all the people who say that they target barangs, funnily enough I have driven right past them up to 5 times a day in the last few days and haven't once been stopped.In fact, in 2 years I have been stopped once only, showed my ( supposedly unacceptable) international drivers licence and was waved on my way in about 30 seconds with NO money being exchanged. I dunno, maybe I'm Batfink in disguise or something?! I suppose wearing a helmet, shirt, having your mirrors intact and your lights off IS a bit like having wings that are like shields of steel!