How low can you go ?


Cambodia News (Siem Reap): On January 20, 2020, at 3:30 pm, a 35-year-old British man, PETER​ JAMES WELLS, was arrested for causing trouble in public and living illegally in Siem Reap.
Peter WELLS came to Cambodia from Vietnam on September 11, 2019, through the Bavet border. His one month tourist visa expired on October 11, 2019, and he did not get a visa extension which would allow him to remain in Cambodia legally.

It seems the Brtish man was out of funds, because in the afternoon of January 20, at 3 pm, the suspect tried to rob some Cambodian schoolkids by menacing them with a stick and asking for money at the Borey Prem Prey market in Siem Reap.

The police were called and they took the British man into custody and then sent him to the Department of Investigation and Procedure. The British man was surly and refused to cooperate with the police or answer any questions.
He has been sent to the deportation office.

Getting stroppy and trying a 'no comment' interview isn't going to do you any good here. He could end up in Prey Sar for a year because they forgot about him. Good...

I always wonder how people who "travel" end up in these shameful situations.

Well he's most satisfyingly gone.....

Doc67 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 11:41 am Getting stroppy and trying a 'no comment' interview isn't going to do you any good here. He could end up in Prey Sar for a year because they forgot about him. Good...

If there is justice, he will share the cell with Bubba.

Does it get any worse? Strong armed robbery of children. Westerners begging in Cambodia is one thing, but using violence to rob children, ffs. This loser should have been taken in hand by some locals and quietly disposed of.

As much as we like to make generalisations about our hosts out here, I'm sure they make generalisations about us, and this kind of thing really doesn't help. What sort of impression would those school kids be left with about westerners after an encounter like that? Every time I read about foreigners misbehaving / getting into trouble / begging on the streets / making an embarrassment of themselves, I can't help but cringe a little and I often end up feeling a bit of shame on behalf of the person who's causing the problem, for no other reason that I''m sure I'll be lumped in with people like that when Khmers make generalisations about us westerners.

Especially now that there is a review starting about tightening up the visa procedure, people really need to be aware that their behavior does have an impact on all of us.

Well said.

I do believe the cachet of being a westerner has definitely waned in Cambodia compared to 10, 15, 20 years ago.

I think these days we're more tolerated than admired by the locals.

Brody wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 1:40 pm Well said.

I do believe the cachet of being a westerner has definitely waned in Cambodia compared to 10, 15, 20 years ago.

I think these days we're more tolerated than admired by the locals.

“Admired“, that is really funny. I can tell you the locals don't care that much what we are doing in general. If your behaving all right you will be tolerated, some people that you have a closer relationship might even like you.
But admiration would mean some serious charity work or something similar.