Chad Sexington wrote: ↑Mon Sep 05, 2022 6:56 pm

SlowJoe wrote: ↑Mon Sep 05, 2022 5:58 pm

Bsway wrote: ↑Mon Sep 05, 2022 3:04 am What do you do with the local currency change though if you pay with US??

You can also buy things with Khmer riel straight up. Changers convert it by multiplying the USD price by 4,000 or 4,100...

I get tired of paying with USD now and wondering if my notes are going to be rejected and ask for everything in Riel because it's so much easier to spend.

That’s another advantage of using Riel, no hanging around while the notes are scrutinized for fakes and rips, you hand them over, they count it and your on your way.

Too right - Riel notes (especially smaller ones) can be old, filthy, torn, creased up whatever and they will be accepted. But hand over a USD 20, 50 or 100 in less than pristine condition and you get it handed straight back. If that happens I wait until I am in a low-lit bar late at night, they will take anything.
Also with larger USD notes you get most of the big change in USD with riel for the smaller amounts which are useful for tuktuks and passaps. Try giving a passap driver anything larger than a KHR5000 and they always say, "no change, no change", probably expecting the rich barang to say ok keep the change. Takes about 5 minutes of stand off with some verbal abuse for them to discover they actually do have change...

Small note (pun partially intended), it's not too bad paying with larger amounts in riel as well. $100 is only 8 50k notes or 4 100k ones.

I remember one time counting $25,000 ish in riel, and it was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. All fit in a typical black plastic bag, and not all of the notes were 100k or 50k either (mostly 20s and 10s actually, a few stacks of 5k in there too).

John Bingham wrote: ↑Mon Sep 05, 2022 10:19 pm

SlowJoe wrote: ↑Mon Sep 05, 2022 9:52 pm $100 is only 8 50k notes or 4 100k ones.

I'm seeing more 50,000 Riel notes around but in many years here I've only ever had one 100,000 Riel note. There were old green 90s ones with Sihanouk on them that only army guys ever seemed to have but I only remember having one modern one ever. I changed it up shortly after getting it as I was heading for the sticks. It would be good if there were more in circulation.

They're annoying though because they're so freaking huge. The old ones were much more manageable but even less common though.

I always try to order new 100.00 bills from the U.S. to bring to Cambodia. If I get a torn USD note, I take it to the machines at NAGA, insert the bill and maybe play a hand or two and cash out and take the ticket to the cashier.

SlowJoe wrote: ↑Mon Sep 05, 2022 9:52 pm Small note (pun partially intended), it's not too bad paying with larger amounts in riel as well. $100 is only 8 50k notes or 4 100k ones.

I remember one time counting $25,000 ish in riel, and it was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. All fit in a typical black plastic bag, and not all of the notes were 100k or 50k either (mostly 20s and 10s actually, a few stacks of 5k in there too).

In my experience 20k and 50k notes are still king in the ATM's. The problem being having a pretty thick wallet after cashing some Khmer money. One 50k riel note will explode into a whole extended family of notes after buying a cup of coffee.

I think it's not so much location which determines whether to use USD or riels, but the items bought. Hard assets are generally priced and paid for in USD (land, woofer, houses, cars, motorcycles....), the rest can be paid in riels too.

Lonestar wrote: ↑Tue Sep 06, 2022 4:06 am I always try to order new 100.00 bills from the U.S. to bring to Cambodia. If I get a torn USD note, I take it to the machines at NAGA, insert the bill and maybe play a hand or two and cash out and take the ticket to the cashier.

When you have the 100 dollar bill where do you usually break it ?

I was going to Aeon mall and buying a few things.

other suggestions?

Walkabout used to be the go to place where you could always break 100.00. I usually break mine in the Supermarkets.

BklynBoy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 06, 2022 6:48 am

Lonestar wrote: ↑Tue Sep 06, 2022 4:06 am I always try to order new 100.00 bills from the U.S. to bring to Cambodia. If I get a torn USD note, I take it to the machines at NAGA, insert the bill and maybe play a hand or two and cash out and take the ticket to the cashier.

When you have the 100 dollar bill where do you usually break it ?

I was going to Aeon mall and buying a few things.

other suggestions?

You can break it in Wing, True Money or E-Money shops, everywhere in the Kingdom. You can exchange for riels too : you'll get 405.000 to 410.000r for USD 100.
In the countryside, everything is paid in riels, except for bigger expenses above 100 dollars ; actually, we see more 100$ bank notes than 10$ !