Arrival into Phnom Penh (Immigration and Into Quarantine)

Doc67 · Post by **Doc67** » Thu May 27, 2021 9:00 am

Download the Grab app and register a credit/debit card. Tuks are half the price for long journeys and short trips (a few blocks) are less than 4000 riel.

They have a map show them where to go, you nearly always get to where you are going without problems. One you get to where you are going you just get out and walk away. No haggling, no small change needed, no thigh slapping by the tuk pretending to look for change, and no getting dirty old notes given to you by a driver (eventually).

Open an ABA bank account and then use a 'virtual' card for the Grab app, with a low limit applied to the card.

Once you've taken all the Tuk-Tuk games out of the equation, life is much easier, especially if you can't speak tuk-tuk to tell them where to go.

Apollo91881 · Post by **Apollo91881** » Thu May 27, 2021 9:37 am

The Judge wrote: ↑Thu May 27, 2021 7:36 am Once you're out of quarantine, general rule of thumb when buying tuktuk/motodop fare, clothes, food, etc. is 1/2 of whatever they say initially, with exceptions for convenience stores, mall shops, and places that have computerized sales terminals.

Assume nothing is safe, not even for 5 seconds. Lock everything at all times. Never give money upfront unless you don't want it back. Always a good idea to have a lot of smaller currency so you can only give exactly the amount due. Many nefarious Khmer (tuktuk/motodop drivers, among others) will play games saying they don't have change, and expect you to tell them to just keep the change, just so you don't wait a long time for them to dig through places they know money isn't, and make you feel like you're being a cheap Charlie.

Keep your phones and carry packs tightly strapped to you. Covid has, believe it or not, upped the level of thievery in Cambodia.

Welcome and good luck!!

Yes, I’ll second the phone snatching is prevalent. Backup any photos to a cloud system.

The Judge · Post by **The Judge** » Thu May 27, 2021 3:54 pm

Oh, forgot to mention, don't expect much help from the cops. They're often said to be part of the problem, rather than a solution.

Of course, there have been occasions when they have helped, but they are outnumbered by the times they haven't.

MaxNormal · Post by **MaxNormal** » Thu May 27, 2021 6:40 pm

@PSD-Kiwi
@Doc67
@The Judge
@Apollo91881
@Anchor Moy

Thank you for all the good advice. Will be taken to heart.

We have opted out of the provided meals and are enjoying the restaurant food very much. The provided meals were perfectly acceptable but maybe not quite $10 worth. For a bit less and a wide choice the restaurant meals are really good.

We are looking into the apps you guys mentioned and of course taking note of the safety advise.

Thank you for all your kind responses.

Each evening we sit out and look at the city we can see around us and are so glad we made it here. The quarantine is certainly much easier in this great hotel. The staff are so friendly, helpful and kind and its proving a lovely introduction to the Kingdom

Anchor Moy · Post by **Anchor Moy** » Thu May 27, 2021 7:29 pm

Hey Max,
You have been lucky with your hotel, but you also have a good attitude, ie; no air-con working in your room, but working that out with staff.

I have no experience with the current quarantines, but IME this is how things work in Cambodia generally. You negociate in a friendly way, and people will try to accomodate you. You meet them half-way and you will get what you want. More or less. It's give and take.
Stay cool and enjoy your time.

Frankl · Post by **Frankl** » Sat May 29, 2021 7:27 am

Thanks MaxNormal, a great post, informative, thorough, and cheerful I'd say with your attitude you will enjoy your time in Cambodia.

lagrange · Post by **lagrange** » Sat May 29, 2021 8:25 am

The Judge wrote: ↑Thu May 27, 2021 7:36 am Once you're out of quarantine, general rule of thumb when buying tuktuk/motodop fare, clothes, food, etc. is 1/2 of whatever they say initially, with exceptions for convenience stores, mall shops, and places that have computerized sales terminals.

Assume nothing is safe, not even for 5 seconds. Lock everything at all times. Never give money upfront unless you don't want it back. Always a good idea to have a lot of smaller currency so you can only give exactly the amount due. Many nefarious Khmer (tuktuk/motodop drivers, among others) will play games saying they don't have change, and expect you to tell them to just keep the change, just so you don't wait a long time for them to dig through places they know money isn't, and make you feel like you're being a cheap Charlie.

Keep your phones and carry packs tightly strapped to you. Covid has, believe it or not, upped the level of thievery in Cambodia.

Welcome and good luck!!

A rather depressing view, but I guess it depends where you live. I live in Siem Reap, I never use tuktuks, there are slow and uncomfortable. Passap (for the little rickshaw cabs) gives you the price when you book, takes about 30 seconds for the process and I have never had a problem - but then I always make sure I have the right change.
I rarely bargain on anything that will save me less than $2, they need it more than me. Yes I am often ripped off but I can afford it, iI see it as a contribution to world poverty.
I can leave my bike helmet with my bike and bags of shopping while I go into the market and know they will not be touched, they never are. The one item (apart from my wallet) that I never let out of my sight is my $1500 cellphone. But it was the same in London, Athens, Auckland etc. In fact I find Siem Reap to be safer than all those cities. Of course if I lived in PP I may have have different outlook on life.

JUDGEDREDD · Post by **JUDGEDREDD** » Sun May 30, 2021 2:36 am

I guess it's more a list of what to be mindful of. Personally I like to throw caution to the wind and have weird experiences but I always keep some wit about me.

Have fun you lucky bastard!

Lost50 · Post by **Lost50** » Mon May 31, 2021 2:15 am

All sounds like such a racket, so many eager to get your $2k.

No idea why anyone would head to Cambodia, I wish you the very best but Cambodia is a complete mess

From corona to Snooky to SR to the Chinese invasion to the fact that Cambodians are starving now shows its a place to not donate to. My friends in SR cannot eat due to no tourists, the gov does nothing, now they eat because I donated directly. Cambodian gov does nothing but yeah goid job on your $2000 'donation'.

Being here, you buy into this genocide. This is akin to supporting flogging or murder of gov opponenrs in Iran, Iraq etc etc.

Shove your selfish nonsense.

Keaton Calhoun · Post by **Keaton Calhoun** » Mon May 31, 2021 7:29 am

I have a one-year EOS is it possible to leave Cambodia for a few weeks and then reenter on the EOS Visa. Was wondering because I read somewhere on the forum that when the pandemic first began immigration was canceling the EOS of people who left the country.

Arrival into Phnom Penh (Immigration and Into Quarantine)

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Re: Arrival into Phnom Penh (Immigration and Into Quarantine)

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Re: Arrival into Phnom Penh (Immigration and Into Quarantine)

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