Random questions everywhere...

Ask us anything. Cambodia Expats Online has a huge community of long-term expats that can answer any question you may have about life in Cambodia. Have some questions you want to ask before you move to Cambodia? Ask them here. Our community can also answer any questions you have about how to find a job or what kind of work is available for expats in Cambodia, whether you're looking for info about Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, or anywhere else in the Kingdom. You're also welcome to ask about visa and work permit questions as well, as the immigration rules change often, especially since COVID-19. Don't be shy, ask CEO's community anything!
kaya14
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Random questions everywhere...

Post by kaya14 »

Hi all, I'll be moving to Phnom Penh alone in a few months, and was wondering about the below:

- Is there a Ikea equivalent in PP for knick-knacks like cutlery/crockery/containers etc?
- Where do people go for fresh produce (beef/chicken etc)? I heard supermarkets can be a tad expensive.
- are electronic items safe for purchase/use? I heard that the electricity flow can be quite erratic and can cause blackouts/damage to electrical equipment. if so, where can I get surge protectors?
- are there shops selling authentic Korean facial products eg Innisfree, Etude House (I know there's a face shop in Aeon)
- which is better, Grab or PassApp? i'll be travelling from the area around the Royal Palace to near the Russian market everyday (20 min journey, according to Google maps).
- Any safe massage parlours to recommend?
- Any cafes to recommend, for chilling out?
- As I'll be in PP over the Ancestor's Day and Water Festival long holidays, what do people usually do then?
- is there a pest problem in PP e.g. rats/cockroaches/lizards?

thanks in advance!
Barang chgout
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Re: Random questions everywhere...

Post by Barang chgout »

kaya14 wrote:Hi all, I'll be moving to Phnom Penh alone in a few months, and was wondering about the below:

- Is there a Ikea equivalent in PP for knick-knacks like cutlery/crockery/containers etc?
- Where do people go for fresh produce (beef/chicken etc)? I heard supermarkets can be a tad expensive.
- are electronic items safe for purchase/use? I heard that the electricity flow can be quite erratic and can cause blackouts/damage to electrical equipment. if so, where can I get surge protectors?
- are there shops selling authentic Korean facial products eg Innisfree, Etude House (I know there's a face shop in Aeon)
- which is better, Grab or PassApp? i'll be travelling from the area around the Royal Palace to near the Russian market everyday (20 min journey, according to Google maps).
- Any safe massage parlours to recommend?
- Any cafes to recommend, for chilling out?
- As I'll be in PP over the Ancestor's Day and Water Festival long holidays, what do people usually do then?
- is there a pest problem in PP e.g. rats/cockroaches/lizards?

thanks in advance!
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prahocalypse now
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Re: Random questions everywhere...

Post by prahocalypse now »

kaya14 wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 7:56 am
- is there a pest problem in PP ?

It's mostly confined to Sihanoukville.
Last edited by prahocalypse now on Tue Sep 11, 2018 5:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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that genius
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Re: Random questions everywhere...

Post by that genius »

Never seen lizards categorised as pests before.

Unusual list, must say.
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Re: Random questions everywhere...

Post by Duncan »

kaya14 wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 7:56 am Hi all, I'll be moving to Phnom Penh alone in a few months, and was wondering about the below:

- Is there a Ikea equivalent in PP for knick-knacks like cutlery/crockery/containers etc?
- Where do people go for fresh produce (beef/chicken etc)? I heard supermarkets can be a tad expensive.
- are electronic items safe for purchase/use? I heard that the electricity flow can be quite erratic and can cause blackouts/damage to electrical equipment. if so, where can I get surge protectors?
- are there shops selling authentic Korean facial products eg Innisfree, Etude House (I know there's a face shop in Aeon)
- which is better, Grab or PassApp? i'll be travelling from the area around the Royal Palace to near the Russian market everyday (20 min journey, according to Google maps).
- Any safe massage parlours to recommend?
- Any cafes to recommend, for chilling out?
- As I'll be in PP over the Ancestor's Day and Water Festival long holidays, what do people usually do then?
- is there a pest problem in PP e.g. rats/cockroaches/lizards?

thanks in advance!


Yes to all.
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Like the spoilt child she is, she will not be happy till she destroys herself from within and breaks your heart.
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Re: Random questions everywhere...

Post by hiway5 »

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StroppyChops
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Re: Random questions everywhere...

Post by StroppyChops »

kaya14 wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 7:56 am Hi all, I'll be moving to Phnom Penh alone in a few months, and was wondering about the below:
Okay, I'll attempt to answer this inline as I can't be bothered adding quote tags to each line.

- Is there a Ikea equivalent in PP for knick-knacks like cutlery/crockery/containers etc?
No, although there are a number of VERY cheap plastics shops and a couple of Japanese seconds shops. Join one of the Facebook expat groups that specifically focus on this sort of question.

- Where do people go for fresh produce (beef/chicken etc)? I heard supermarkets can be a tad expensive.
Supermarket meat can also be a tad toxic if you are not careful where you buy. Some of the bigger supermarkets are regularly accused of bleaching out of date meat and repackaging it. There are a number of Western suppliers of meat, Strokesy's Meats near Russian Market springs to mind, as does Super Duper, also in Toul Tom Poung - but western grade beef is going to cost you, big time. Don't eat the local beef at home, it is not drained correctly when slaughtered and will give you constipation at best, and make you very sick at worst. If you're brave enough, buy pork from the Khmer markets (e.g. Russian Market) but ONLY early in the morning, and if you're not going to eat it that day, immediately freeze it. As an ex-chef I find the pork to be better than restaurant quality "back home" but the seller has to like you. Chicken breasts can be bought in frozen 1kg packs at many mini-marts and are not only safe to eat, they're cheap and good product. Smallgoods are stupidly expensive. Most brands of fresh milk are not fresh milk, look for the Thai brand Magnolia if you want real milk, or Moo Moo if you want really real milk.

- are electronic items safe for purchase/use? I heard that the electricity flow can be quite erratic and can cause blackouts/damage to electrical equipment. if so, where can I get surge protectors?
You get exactly what you pay for, depending on your bargaining skills. For example, a $20 JBL sound system is knock-off crap, but if you don't know that you deserve to get stung. Yes, power quality is abysmal, and you should buy a decent grade of UPS for EVERY piece of electronics that's important to you. Chantra Computers in TTP is about average on pricing, but don't buy a bunch of small UPSs, get the mid-range ones as the small ones fry very quickly. Once you've installed your UPSs, if they constantly tick ("bashing") your wiring is faulty and needs to be addressed. Incidentally, don't buy surge protectors, you need UPS.

- are there shops selling authentic Korean facial products eg Innisfree, Etude House (I know there's a face shop in Aeon)
yeah, don't care about this one

- which is better, Grab or PassApp? i'll be travelling from the area around the Royal Palace to near the Russian market everyday (20 min journey, according to Google maps).
PassApp has a much larger market share, and you'll have no problems getting pickups between those two points. Alternatively, use both so if one is not accepting your booking, go the other. Caveat - all transport systems are subject to scams, but you get to learn about those on your own as part of acclimatizing.

Google's 20 minutes can be accurate, or about an hour off depending on traffic conditions, the rain, and if HE is on the move.

- Any safe massage parlours to recommend?
If by massage parlour you mean a place where you can get a real therapeutic massage, there are a few but are high priced. If you're female consider Open Arms in TTP.

If by massage parlour you mean rub and tug, every single massage parlour with a 10,000r ($2.50) sign out the front provides that, and probably more - not my area, others are more experienced. The parlours you see on Riverside are all the R&T variety, I'm told, although you can get a decent seated massage (try it, won't bother explaining it) in the public front room at around $7 an hour.

- Any cafes to recommend, for chilling out?

Far too many to mention and asking the question will probably start a poo-storm of derision from long termers. The explosion of the coffee shop market is a point of constant conversation. Avoid Brown (all of them), the coffee sucks. If you want a local but safe alternative, check out Kilik Bakery in TTP. If you're a Christian NGOer, Jars of Clay on Street 155 in TTP is obligatory.

- As I'll be in PP over the Ancestor's Day and Water Festival long holidays, what do people usually do then?
They usually remember their ancestors and participate in water-based events. What do you plan to do?

- is there a pest problem in PP e.g. rats/cockroaches/lizards?
Depends very much on your location and what's around you. PP still has open sewers complete with sewer rats, but rats (two models, one quite large) are common. Ants, referred to by the expat sector as "little fkn black bastards" spend several months a year tormenting anything alive, and some take to flying in swarms. Several types of cockroaches will offer to share your lodgings, unless you undertake chemical warfare. Neighbourhood dogs will bark and roosters will crow all night, but possibly not near Riverside as that would disturb the royal rest. Two main types of lizards - barking geckos that are quite cute and tokay lizards that literally yell "Fuck You, Fuck You" (I'm not making this up, Google it) while in the area. No-one can agree whether tokays are cute or scary, although my Khmer mate tells me they make really good pets if you get them young enough that they don't bite hard yet.

-thanks in advance!
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Re: Random questions everywhere...

Post by beaker »

"i'm the one who has to die, when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way i want to"
jimi hendrix
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Re: Random questions everywhere...

Post by AdvisorExpertTravel »

beaker wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 6:57 pm ikea ---> https://sweetmemorystore.com/ikea-cambodia/
maybe also possible to order directly from Thailand:
https://www.personal-shopper-bangkok.co ... g-service/
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Re: Random questions everywhere...

Post by bolueeleh »

Duncan wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 5:35 pm
kaya14 wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 7:56 am Hi all, I'll be moving to Phnom Penh alone in a few months, and was wondering about the below:

- Is there a Ikea equivalent in PP for knick-knacks like cutlery/crockery/containers etc?
- Where do people go for fresh produce (beef/chicken etc)? I heard supermarkets can be a tad expensive.
- are electronic items safe for purchase/use? I heard that the electricity flow can be quite erratic and can cause blackouts/damage to electrical equipment. if so, where can I get surge protectors?
- are there shops selling authentic Korean facial products eg Innisfree, Etude House (I know there's a face shop in Aeon)
- which is better, Grab or PassApp? i'll be travelling from the area around the Royal Palace to near the Russian market everyday (20 min journey, according to Google maps).
- Any safe massage parlours to recommend?
- Any cafes to recommend, for chilling out?
- As I'll be in PP over the Ancestor's Day and Water Festival long holidays, what do people usually do then?
- is there a pest problem in PP e.g. rats/cockroaches/lizards?

thanks in advance!


Yes to all.
dude u gave a neg karma to barang chgout for a one word no n u post a 3 word yes to all which basically same as a one word yes, wats up with tat?
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