The are few, if any, BJs in Cambodia. Thats the only minus for me.

i like thai food and thai language much better -
can’t get either in or or out of my mouth here -

but so many hoops there about reporting in where to go for immigration - here it’s all done for you -
and we drive on the “ right “ side of the road here
but no mcdonalds - and i like using american $$ to just use my credit card for almost anything and so no ATM charges , or money conversion, etc

and yes BJs seem to be uncommon -
but HJ happy ending were on the menu
past tense. not concerned for that anymore.

John Bingham wrote: ↑Sat Apr 13, 2024 2:44 pm

WildAlaskaKen wrote: ↑Sat Apr 13, 2024 2:15 pm The are few, if any, BJs in Cambodia. Thats the only minus for me.

That's most likely down to you.

Naw dude, I can assure you I know what Im doing. You need to get out more.

Thailand is too authoritarian, the ruling dynasty there is collapsing (and the King's daughter doesn't look like she'll wake up from that coma), and there is a strong sense of malaise, bitterness and discontent in the air: Thai people hate each other, politics and regionalism (e.g Thai vs Isaan "Thai") is an enormous divide, and there is a sense that the same things that are leading to collapse in the West (of which Thailand behaves like a colony towards, esp. the US and UK) are also causing decline in Thailand. I also find your average Thai to be extremely resentful and bitter towards foreigners, and their deep-rooted inferiority complex towards both Cambodia and the West would be sad if it weren't so amusing, and this chip on their shoulder affects their overall collective intelligence.

Regarding Vietnam: is a nice country, a Marxist country, no real complaints, friendly open people, but the country is very bureaucratic, long-term visas can be hard to come by, and I find that Tieng Viet is much more difficult than Phesar Khmer.
Additionally. While you can live in Vietnam, I feel like you can never really become part of the social or economic fabric, and dual-citizenship is impossible unless one is Viet Kieu, let alone surpassing the difficulties towards basic naturalisation in the first place.

On a side note, Ho Chi Minh is a great city and I really enjoy the time I spend there, especially the food culture.

Regarding Cambodia: I find it to be more expensive overall than both Thailand and Vietnam, and this is the biggest drawback: Basics like milk or kitchen knives for example cost far more here than in either, and that to me is the biggest drawback, as the lack of manufacturing base means that things that could be cheaper almost always are not (and let us hope that changes here).

However, I find that people here are a lot more clever and have a better sense of (sardonic) humour than anywhere else in Asia, and yet even with that, they are still far more friendly, even if at times a bit shy.

The single biggest draw for me, however. Is there is a good sense that what you do here actually matters: Open a factory today, tomorrow you could be the key leader in your industry. I don't get that same sense of mobility and upward positivity that one finds here, where, even if people work hard, at least they know their wages are rising, they have choices in work, and life is improving. There is a strong welcome towards foreigners to join Cambodian society, and even if one is Khmer and never will be, I never feel excluded on account of my race. People here respond in Khmer when I engage them in Khmer, and I've always liked that too.


This is all my personal, opinion, not fact of course.

Golf … you can play 9 holes on the par 3 for 10 bucks! That’s value. And they keep the course in above average condition compared to most SEA courses.

"....deep-rooted inferiority complex towards both Cambodia and the West" ???

i dont find thai's resentful at all of farangs and to say that farangs are richer than them> LOL

ur lowly lady selling fruit shakes in phuket, is able to work 5 months/year and take the rest of the year off>
not many farnags can say the same
Even the "rich" tourist, who works 11 + months to vacation 2-4 weeks in Thailand

As far as politics, dam as an American, not for me to say Thailand is failing , (even as corrupt as it is), and getting worse ( no more so than Cambodia thou)

Another point,
i find the thai's very resourceful as far as work goes, so many small shops, stalls, road side restaurants everywhere, night markets in even the smallest towns which u dont see in Laos, Burma or Cambodia

wont repeat all of the other stuff i have said before

to each their own

Not to go on and on … but I want to add one more positive point about Khmer people … if they can speak English, they are very open to conversation with just about anyone … I am talking about commoners … elites are a tad stand-offish, still trying to sort that out. And another one thing … Khmer people a quick to laugh and slow to anger. I really appreciate that.