johnny lightning wrote: ↑Fri Nov 24, 2023 9:52 pm As a one time resident of the place I can only say that the OP's idea of progress and mine differ greatly!

Someone might call it progress when the population has doubled and same time a notable reduction in severe flooding occurrences, and the absence of water and electricity disruptions.

orichá wrote: ↑Fri Nov 24, 2023 11:19 pm Great location to make an action movie...

John Bingham wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2023 12:22 am

orichá wrote: ↑Fri Nov 24, 2023 11:19 pm Great location to make an action movie...

Yes, a great location for an action movie about Chinese gangsters.

Yes, of course, and also Thais, Vietnamese, Americans, Jews, Serbians, Croatians, Russians, Bangladeshis, Indians, Pakistanis, Italians, Spanish, Germans, Swedes, Taiwanese, Japanese, Koreans, Africans and Chinese triads from Guandong and Hong Kong ...

NARCOS 4: Asian Exchange

I have been mulling the idea for some time. But Netflix and Amazon are America/UK-bound, and there is no local Italian or Brazilian division here...

I applaud the lessening of flooding and fewer power cuts. The doubling of the population (Khmers,right?) in a town that looks like much of it is Gaza, not so much.

It always had a seedy charm. I spent months at a time there. Went fishing on Brian’s boat and stayed on Koh Rong once. The island with the jetty, was that Rong or Saleum? Had lots of mates, drank at Tony’s awful bar and went to quiz nights at that place below Victory Hill. Stayed for a few months on Victory Hill, enjoyed mornings at Hawaii was it? The black fireman from England had the shack there. Way back went on Roddy’s brothel tours chasing the dragon, frequented the chicken farm and Biba sometimes. And that other brothel in town, Rainbow something.
Liked swimming below Independence Hotel. Stayed at the Hoo Ha for months at a time. The young pommy blokes built it. There was a bowl of ganga on the bar and sometimes a bowl of that horse tranquilliser stuff. In 2012/13 stayed at a mates hotel at Otres. The beach was beautiful. Found a facebook photo from 2016 of the family and a birthday cake at that hotel. The Chinese had just offered to buy it so it was just before the invasion. Took my daughter to the orthodontist the other day and when I said she was from Cambodia the receptionist said I went there. She said she went to Sihanoukville and left her phone on the beach while swimming. Stolen of course. And she swam everyday with a cut on her leg which became badly infected.
Now that is the genuine Sihanoukville experience. I must have visited 50 times but won’t see it again in this life.

Whoring, drugs and drinking.

That's what most expats and visitors did since the first backpackers in the 90s.

There wasn't a lot else to do back then. Not that I minded. Used to sit at the Marlin once in while having a sundowner and watching the cattle wander back home down mainstreet. Not sure I would even recognize that spot any more.