The changing face of Cambodia

Cambodia news in English! Here you'll find all the breaking news from Cambodia translated into English for our international readership and expat community to read and comment on. The majority of our news stories are gathered from the local Khmer newspapers, but we also bring you newsworthy media from Cambodia before you read them anywhere else. Because of the huge population of the capital city, most articles are from Phnom Penh, but Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, and Kampot often make the headlines as well. We report on all arrests and deaths of foreigners in Cambodia, and the details often come from the Cambodian police or local Khmer journalists. As an ASEAN news outlet, we also publish regional news and events from our neighboring countries. We also share local Khmer news stories that you won't find in English anywhere else. If you're looking for a certain article, you may use our site's search feature to find it quickly.
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Kuroneko
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Re: The changing face of Cambodia

Post by Kuroneko »

phkachhouk wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 1:05 pm
I’m been to Singapore. Don’t like it but not because of the people. It’s too clinical for me compared to the rest of SE Asia.
You obviously haven't been around Desker Road then, and lets not forget the Forrest Brothels! :lol:

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phkachhouk
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Re: The changing face of Cambodia

Post by phkachhouk »

Bloody Chinese!

Maybe I should elaborate. Singaporeans seem to be quite controlled in their lives. Lots of rules. Lots of cameras. Lots of taxes etc.
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Duncan
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Re: The changing face of Cambodia

Post by Duncan »

Quote from cambodianduck ]

most of the people did not have proper education after the war and as a result their mentality when it comes to working responsibility is different from what we expect of them.


I hate it when people keep blaming a war on not getting a education.

How long ago was it that the KR war ended,,, 40 years ago. How long does it take to educate one self ?
Cambodia,,,, Don't fall in love with her.
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: The changing face of Cambodia

Post by offroadscholar »

cambodianduck wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 2:52 pm
I be honest, as someone who lived in Cambodia for past 10 years and in Sihanoukville since 2 years ago let me tell you how I feel and where this is heading.

Cambodia have always been a poor country after the khmer rouge war, majority of the city population was slain, most were intellectuals and future of the country. A lot of countries have tried to invest in Cambodia but not many have success stories because it is not easy to manage the people here, most of the people did not have proper education after the war and as a result their mentality when it comes to working responsibility is different from what we expect of them.

Anyways back to Sihanoukville. Yes things were cheap there few years back, popular backpacker destination and for locals on holiday. It was just a small village with nice beach and some hotels. During low season there be little people visiting and the locals don’t make much money. Their salaries ranges from $80-150 a month only.

My wife's relatives are from Sihanoukville born and lived there ever since the war, we always visit them prior to the boom. They have been telling us life in Sihanoukville is boring and there is not enough employments, not enough tourists during low season to make money even for businesses.

Cambodia welcomes investments from every country but China is the only one that is really investing in Cambodia now. Sihanoukville is now going through major urbanization, bigger roads, drains, huge construction of hotels and casinos, yes obviously we all know this is still not enough because they really need more workers for the trash collection company and educate the people living there to not simply dump their trash. But the locals that are employed by the Chinese are receiving a double to triple raise in salary. Those who can speak mandarin can make up to 8 to 10x of what they could before. Before it was hard to find a job but now it is hard to find an employee for your business. People have to hire from other provinces. I have friends and families that are receiving $400-500 income now for working with the Chinese companies and the mandarin speakers up to $1000. Go have a look at the posts in jobs forums or facebook groups, you will see the NON-Chinese companies just paying the usual $150-200 still, some even less. So who is helping the Cambodians more when it comes to employments, other companies just trying their best to pay the minimum as they can for cambodian workers.

Houses in city center that before could only rent for $200 a month is now renting for $2000 a month. Land price from $100/m2 became $1000-200/m2. People who owned properties here became instant millionaires. Of course the locals who previously rented in the city have to move further out of town to afford the rents, but it is about 5-8km away to Sangkat 1 which is opposite of Angkor Beer factory about 20mins away from the city center, which is not exactly too far. The rentals there are still low as before in the city, affordable for the locals but now they make more money from employment, resulting in more money saved.

It is understandable that people that say they do not enjoy this place anymore is because it is no longer the cheap, undeveloped town anymore. But no place should be poor and underdeveloped just to satisfy the happiness of visitors or tourists, the people of the province should have the chance to change.

Most other countries have already past this rapid development stage, most may never seen how it was done but this is Cambodia, we all know the standards here are rather low when it comes to law and enforcement. It may look ugly now but lets wait for the end results in the next 10-20 years time, it might be a good ending for the Cambodian people maybe?
Some good points Cambodianduck
For me, Cambo extended the pleasantness of SE Asia from early 2000's onwards, after Phils and T/land were losing their allure, from my point of view. Now back home in the west is looking comparatively good as Cambo rapidly develops.
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John Bingham
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Re: The changing face of Cambodia

Post by John Bingham »

Duncan wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 4:14 pm
How long ago was it that the KR war ended,,, 40 years ago.
Just over 20 years ago.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/surr ... 89671.html
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Re: The changing face of Cambodia

Post by Queef »

John Bingham wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 4:43 pm
Duncan wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 4:14 pm
How long ago was it that the KR war ended,,, 40 years ago.
Just over 20 years ago.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/surr ... 89671.html
Though it is a fact that the KR were active in some remote province until the late 90s, weren't the UN and other organizations actively working to make Cambodia great again (at least the main cities)? Education barely improved but the market for Bentleys and RRs grew at a rapid rate. The Khmer guy across the street from my office has two R35s but never completed HS... Nice guy though. Simple but nice
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Re: The changing face of Cambodia

Post by Clutch Cargo »

cambodianduck wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 2:52 pm It is understandable that people that say they do not enjoy this place anymore is because it is no longer the cheap, undeveloped town anymore. But no place should be poor and underdeveloped just to satisfy the happiness of visitors or tourists, the people of the province should have the chance to change.

Most other countries have already past this rapid development stage, most may never seen how it was done but this is Cambodia, we all know the standards here are rather low when it comes to law and enforcement. It may look ugly now but lets wait for the end results in the next 10-20 years time, it might be a good ending for the Cambodian people maybe?
Yuh. I think many people here get we can't live in a time warp and development marches on..at least in S'ville. And blame the khmer authorities for their lax infrastructure standards and enforcement coz the chinese developers aren't responsible for that ryt?

And yes, those khmers that sold their land and made a fortune, great..albeit they have to now move somewhere cheaper. What about those that didn't own land and rented and have now been displaced coz they can't afford the rapidly increasing rents?

I think you might have heard about "zero-dollar" tours — all-inclusive travel packages prepaid at bargain basement prices and where tourists are 'herded' to mandatory shopping stores and restaurants that are chinese owned...not khmer. And who owns the casinos do you think? I recall reading on other similar threads many local khmer business people not getting a look in to much of this business at all.. The money stays in chinese hands exclusive of many khmers.

Increased employment opportunity for khmers? Yes, lucky if they can get it. Don't the chinese import a lot of their workers? How many local khmers speak fluent mandarin that can earn these $1000/month salaries you talk of... :please:

I see that your flag is Hong Kong so maybe that's an indicator of where your sympathies lie.. :chin:

You might have missed my post from page 1:
However what makes Sihanoukville different in my mind tho is that it's being developed to cater exclusively for the Chinese. Other nationalities are turning away and not going there now because of that. I recall when Pattaya had its West German wave, then it was the Russians and now the Chinese but through it all, the place was always a mix catering for all ethnic types and nationalities.
This is a key issue that is lost in your argument..the issue of sovereignty and making S'ville a pseudo state of China.
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Re: The changing face of Cambodia

Post by phuketrichard »

However what makes Sihanoukville different in my mind tho is that it's being developed to cater exclusively for the Chinese. Other nationalities are turning away and not going there now because of that. I recall when Pattaya had its West German wave, then it was the Russians and now the Chinese but through it all, the place was always a mix catering for all ethnic types and nationalities.
This:::
although the late 70-80's Pattaya and Phuket had lots of black market money from the Germans, than came the Russians in the early 2000, BUT where as the Germans catered to everyone, the Russians catered for their kind
the Chinese have never gotten a foothold anywhere in Thailand outside China town in Bangkok.
and it seems its ONLY SNV in all of SE Asia that they seem to really have taken over the city and made it their own.

I really wonder what lead to that? Could it be more than casinos, like having a deep sea port in the Gulf of Thailand which would be closer to the Spratley islands than HK and they could tie up the whole shipping lane to the south china sea.
Soon they will build a super highway thru Laos and Cambodia down to their own city on the bay

Dont forget, the Chinese plan decades in advance....
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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Re: The changing face of Cambodia

Post by cambodianduck »

clutchcargo wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 5:16 pm
cambodianduck wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 2:52 pm It is understandable that people that say they do not enjoy this place anymore is because it is no longer the cheap, undeveloped town anymore. But no place should be poor and underdeveloped just to satisfy the happiness of visitors or tourists, the people of the province should have the chance to change.

Most other countries have already past this rapid development stage, most may never seen how it was done but this is Cambodia, we all know the standards here are rather low when it comes to law and enforcement. It may look ugly now but lets wait for the end results in the next 10-20 years time, it might be a good ending for the Cambodian people maybe?
Yuh. I think many people here get we can't live in a time warp and development marches on..at least in S'ville. And blame the khmer authorities for their lax infrastructure standards and enforcement coz the chinese developers aren't responsible for that ryt?

And yes, those khmers that sold their land and made a fortune, great..albeit they have to now move somewhere cheaper. What about those that didn't own land and rented and have now been displaced coz they can't afford the rapidly increasing rents?

I think you might have heard about "zero-dollar" tours — all-inclusive travel packages prepaid at bargain basement prices and where tourists are 'herded' to mandatory shopping stores and restaurants that are chinese owned...not khmer. And who owns the casinos do you think? I recall reading on other similar threads many local khmer business people not getting a look in to much of this business at all.. The money stays in chinese hands exclusive of many khmers.

Increased employment opportunity for khmers? Yes, lucky if they can get it. Don't the chinese import a lot of their workers? How many local khmers speak fluent mandarin that can earn these $1000/month salaries you talk of... :please:

I see that your flag is Hong Kong so maybe that's an indicator of where your sympathies lie.. :chin:

You might have missed my post from page 1:
However what makes Sihanoukville different in my mind tho is that it's being developed to cater exclusively for the Chinese. Other nationalities are turning away and not going there now because of that. I recall when Pattaya had its West German wave, then it was the Russians and now the Chinese but through it all, the place was always a mix catering for all ethnic types and nationalities.
This is a key issue that is lost in your argument..the issue of sovereignty and making S'ville a pseudo state of China.
1st no idea how the HK flag appeared on my profile, lol. I am not a Hongkie and hongkies hate China to the guts....

If you go the the local market, like Phsar leur the main market, you will see 100% of the vendors there are khmers and at least 50% of the people buying there is chinese... If you go to khmer retail shops selling furnitures, electronics, whatever man, you will see most of the buyers are chinese. Before there was little purchase power, now the economy is starting to grow here, khmer poeple do make money from this, be it from business, land or employment.

Go to a construction site, you will see majority of the workers are cambodians, they used to be paid $8/day and now it is $20/day. Go to a casino, you will see majority of the workers are khmer, only 1 chinese supervisor and at least 2-3 khmer supervisor per table. XIHU the biggest Chinese owned hotel in Sihanoukville now, go have a look who they hire in the hotel staffing and the casino.

People who rent have to move out of course as they could not afford the rent anymore in the city, but isn't this happening everywhere else in the world, even from where you come from. Prices goes up all the time depending on area and development level. You can't tell the khmer owners to not accept more money from chinese and to accept less money from their locals. That is not how it works.

How is it a pseudo state of China when all the people in charge of the province is still khmer, land owners are still khmers, sure people can buy with proxy or whatever but that is illegal at the end of the day and the court can cancel the ownership out if found out. Khmer people still live in Sihanoukville, more than before even, a lot come from nearby villages and province to work here now.

It is easy for you to come visit Sihanoukville a while and think you know everything.
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Re: The changing face of Cambodia

Post by frank lee bent »

Go to a construction site, you will see majority of the workers are cambodian
no
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