Tourists attacked with iron bar in Sihanookville?

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topaz18046
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Tourists attacked with iron bar in Sihanookville?

Post by topaz18046 »

I just read an article on two British tourists being attacked with an iron bar in Sihanookville? (http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic ... vince.html.) It made me curious as to what, if any, weapons one may carry for self-defense in Cambodia? A friend of mine (married to a Vietnamese) told me, before I recently traveled to Vietnam, that anyone caught by police carrying a knife are not prosecuted. They simply take them out the back of the police station and shoot them. They are never seen again and nothing is reported in the news media. What is Cambodia's position??
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Re: Tourists attacked with iron bar in Sihanookville?

Post by Soi Dog »

Mind you, that Tripadvisor post is 3 years old. I can find no other write-ups about their alleged ordeal. My first impression is that post is somewhat dubious but definitely rare if true. Purse snatchings by local youth are not unheard of, but why would a "middle-aged white man" then proceed to hop out of a tuk-tuk and assault the two innocent victims of a bag snatching (one of them a female) with an iron bar out of nowhere and for no reason? It could have happened. There is the occasional deviant psycho running about...but that is definitely not unique to Sihanoukville. I suppose we could all encounter one in a "wrong place, wrong time" scenario. Being the victims of two unrelated crimes in two minutes is a pretty tough and bizarre streak of bad luck.

As for the "police in Vietnam immediately executing anyone found carrying a knife" theory.....come on.
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Re: Tourists attacked with iron bar in Sihanookville?

Post by General Mackevili »

That was back in 2012? Wow, time flies!

I believe PEPPER SPRAY is perfectly legal to carry around. Pharmacies sell it and I think there was a licensed company a few years ago that claimed they were the only ones legally allowed to sell them here in Cambodia.

Random hint: You can buy stun-guns (maybe they're called electric batons) at the bookstore. They are flashlights too, and are in the sports section. I never got around to verifying that, but a buddy had one and said that's where he got it from. However, I think those aren't legal here in Cambodia.

I assume you can run around with any knife you want, and can buy all sorts of them at almost any market.

What you want to carry?

A buddy just got robbed by a motodop in Phnom Penh last night and maced the thieving bastard, LoL!

Maybe he will come tell us the story here...
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Re: Tourists attacked with iron bar in Sihanookville?

Post by General Mackevili »

Here is his story, LoL:

WELL THAT was a fun Khmer New Year outing. I had a moto dop drive down a dark street, pull over, and try to rob me at knife point. To his credit, it was quite a large knife. To my credit, I carry pepper spray. First I dropped my money on the ground and then as he picked that up I threw the dice and unloaded in the general direction of his face. It worked. I should have kicked the shit out of him and retrieved my money, but I was a bit shaken by the whole affair and ran like hell instead. He got most of my cash ($14?) but I kept my phone and tablet. He picked me up on Riverside and I said Toul Tom Poung and he was driving in that direction, just sort of taking the long way round, like over towards Naga and then down by Aeon mall. I ran to Norodom and Mao and then got a different moto home. That moto dop was super pissed at me for only paying him 3000R (all that was left in my bag), but at least he didn't whip out a hunting knife. Tis the season.
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topaz18046
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Re: Tourists attacked with iron bar in Sihanookville?

Post by topaz18046 »

In relation to Soi Dog's comment re the attack. I also found it incomprehensible. No motive and there was an insurance payout but why would someone carry an iron bar? The bar girls would surely find it with their gropings. As far as the police in Vietnam. My friend has visited there many times and has many friends there. I feel it is a bit over-the-top myself in a place where bribes are the norm. Personally I would not want to test the theory. I did note during my visit to Saigon and Nha Trang markets that there was not a single knife on sale. Not even a pocket knife nor a keychain knife. Boxcutters were also absent.
Last edited by topaz18046 on Mon Apr 20, 2015 2:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Tourists attacked with iron bar in Sihanookville?

Post by Cam Nivag »

Soi Dog wrote:I can find no other write-ups about their alleged ordeal.
If only there was a website where people overanalyze and make snide comments about anything bad that happens in Sihanoukville:

[Link to the other forum deleted]
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Re: Tourists attacked with iron bar in Sihanookville?

Post by Soi Dog »

Cam Nivag wrote:
Soi Dog wrote:I can find no other write-ups about their alleged ordeal.
If only there was a website where people overanalyze and make snide comments about anything bad that happens in Sihanoukville:

[Link to the other forum deleted]
That is just a forum discussion of the same exact Tripadvisor write-up. Since you started that K440 thread you linked to, why did you label the victims "sexpats"? One was a female and she said the other was her boyfriend.
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Re: Tourists attacked with iron bar in Sihanookville?

Post by frank lee bent »

i read her other ta reports and nothing remotely like this incident.
i am inclined to believe it.
strange things happen in KS.
i am starting to find out.

best to keep moving here as you are harder to hit.
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Tourists attacked with iron bar in Sihanookville?

Post by EDC »

General Mackevili wrote:I believe PEPPER SPRAY is perfectly legal to carry around. Pharmacies sell it and I think there was a licensed company a few years ago that claimed they were the only ones legally allowed to sell them here in Cambodia.
So to clarify...is this for sale at most pharmacies...or only select one's? Any in S'ville?
General Mackevili wrote:Random hint: You can buy stun-guns (maybe they're called electric batons) at the bookstore. They are flashlights too, and are in the sports section. I never got around to verifying that, but a buddy had one and said that's where he got it from. However, I think those aren't legal here in Cambodia.
Do you mean these may be available from EBC? I remember walking along Otres at night late last year and coming across a father showing his young child (maybe 4 or 5 yrs old) how to turn on the torch and not the "stun" side of one of these units. I'm sure you'd only do it once if you got those switches mixed up! :(
General Mackevili wrote:I assume you can run around with any knife you want, and can buy all sorts of them at almost any market.
I had this confirmed to me by a Khmer friend who is in the army and is good friends with police bigwigs here. As long as you're not carrying for offensive reasons you can carry a knife without any issues
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Re: Tourists attacked with iron bar in Sihanookville?

Post by General Mackevili »

EDC wrote:
General Mackevili wrote:I believe PEPPER SPRAY is perfectly legal to carry around. Pharmacies sell it and I think there was a licensed company a few years ago that claimed they were the only ones legally allowed to sell them here in Cambodia.
So to clarify...is this for sale at most pharmacies...or only select one's? Any in S'ville?
General Mackevili wrote:Random hint: You can buy stun-guns (maybe they're called electric batons) at the bookstore. They are flashlights too, and are in the sports section. I never got around to verifying that, but a buddy had one and said that's where he got it from. However, I think those aren't legal here in Cambodia.
Do you mean these may be available from EBC? I remember walking along Otres at night late last year and coming across a father showing his young child (maybe 4 or 5 yrs old) how to turn on the torch and not the "stun" side of one of these units. I'm sure you'd only do it once if you got those switches mixed up! :(
General Mackevili wrote:I assume you can run around with any knife you want, and can buy all sorts of them at almost any market.
I had this confirmed to me by a Khmer friend who is in the army and is good friends with police bigwigs here. As long as you're not carrying for offensive reasons you can carry a knife without any issues
I've spotted pepper spray at numerous pharmacies. In Phnom Penh, at least.

I think they are around $10.



I forget which bookstore, but it was either of the 2 popular big ones in Phnom Penh. Peace Book Center or the other huge chain. IBC? I forget the names...
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