ONLY RIEL FOR REAL?

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Jamie_Lambo
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Re: ONLY RIEL FOR REAL?

Post by Jamie_Lambo »

Luigi wrote: Someone explain to me how using Riel is better for the Cambodian economy.
because fuck the US thats why!
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John Bingham
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Re: ONLY RIEL FOR REAL?

Post by John Bingham »

I've never had any notes bigger than 20,000.
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ExPenhMan
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Re: ONLY RIEL FOR REAL?

Post by ExPenhMan »

On my last trip through, I experimented a bit by asking the price in riel and paying in riel. Took some getting used to when some notes are very similar in colour to others. But I would not want to carry 149 x 20,000 riel notes for the iPhone I bought last year. Here, I'll save you calculator sweat: 2.985 million riel.
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Re: ONLY RIEL FOR REAL?

Post by Sailorman »

The lady who runs that drug store is an idiot. I used to trade there and in her old store by the big bend in the main street. She was always up in Phnom Penh at some school and had her clueless relatives running the stores. Hopefully she will lose enough business where she will close both shops. She also could never seem to keep a good supple of the drugs I needed. I wonder what currency she used to pay her schooling in whatever subject she was taking. Bet it wasn't in Riel and I bet the subject wasn't Business Management.
I now use the drug store halfway between Samedrea and the big market. You go past Samedera headed to the big market. You pass one cross street and its on the left by the dentist. She always has a supply of what I need.
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Re: ONLY RIEL FOR REAL?

Post by Sailorman »

BTW/ There are 10 countries other than the US that use the US dollar as currency,(including the British Virgin Islands), and 14 that use it with their home currency. (including Cambodia.)
Luigi
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Re: ONLY RIEL FOR REAL?

Post by Luigi »

When I use my ABA acct. I withdraw $1,000.00 US at at a time. I wonder what denomination I would receive if I chose Riel. Prolly need to back my Honda Wave into kiosk with my shopping basket haha.
Here is what I know. If I need to leave this country or any other my US$ is good most everywhere.
I would rather have $9,999.00 in US$ strapped around my waist than any other paper currency. :good:
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juansweetpotato
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Re: ONLY RIEL FOR REAL?

Post by juansweetpotato »

Luigi wrote:Wait a minute. Let's review. Pharma would make prolly 25-33% on my purchase. How much they make on currency exchange. When barang customer walks what do they make? $00.00.
As a former business owner I think I will go back. And ask about their logic.

Wait. Sorry. Forgot where I am for a moment. :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm:
They are Khmer They built Angkor Wat you know! They don't need your money (really they do but ssshhh!).

You can be fairly sure the mark up would have been around 100% or more unless you know what's what. I have seen differences of 400% in prices for the same medications in different pharmacies. Thank god I have found an honest one now. Apparently anti-biotics from India are 4 times cheaper in his store! He must be about to close down! He's doing pretty well actually.

I've seen their pride before. I went into a printers to get a decent copy of my genuine TEFL certificate from a PDF doc. They turned me down saying that it may not be genuine. Glad to see somebody in Cambodia has some standards. ;)
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juansweetpotato
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Re: ONLY RIEL FOR REAL?

Post by juansweetpotato »

Jamie_Lambo wrote:
frank lee bent wrote:they are not changing the money free of charge.
this pharmacy was discussed extensively on the sv fb group and all agreed it is a scam.

the staff went and changed my dollars for me and didnt charge me
People complain about anything on facebook, its not a scam if you go in there and pay in Riel like they have posters all over the shop saying they only accept Riel,
if paying for something in the countries local currency is all people have to complain and worry about... 1st world problems... :facepalm:

i do think using $ for big transactions is much more practical though aye
I have some issues with Reil.
1. The notes can be confusing. the 5,s and 10's are almost the same. As are the 100's and 500's. I find I'm always staring to see which is which when at night.

2. I have been caught with the old 5 for 10 scam on one or two occasions. Normally I just put it down to me making a mistake, but I have been certain once or twice too.

3. The locals normally love taking dollars and giving you back Riel. They make in the transaction. You may not think it worth it, but they do.

4. When I have changed 100$ at a changers, I got back to find out that one of the bundles of 10,000's was in fact 5,000's with 2 tens on the outside.

5. When you buy in the chain shops or supermarkets, garages, etc you will get charged anything from 4100 to 4400 per dollar if you pay in Reil. This is of course another tax on top of the barang tax.

6. If this country ever went to the Reil it would be fucked. Maybe they'll change to the Yuon though.
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Luigi
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Re: ONLY RIEL FOR REAL?

Post by Luigi »

"Fuck the USA" Ok, I can go with that. When I lived in Panama, guess what US$, when I lived in BVI's, guess what US$, I left there for Belize, guess what US$ was king. In Nicaragua everyone wants US$, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, same same. Canada, eh. no care. Venezuela circa 1985 (yeah I know right) USA fukun $. Barbados, St. Kits, St. Martin, all gods saints want US$. O:-) Why you ask. Because it it still the currency of the world. etc.etc.etc. Wake up Jamie, the count is 9. :stir:
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juansweetpotato
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Re: ONLY RIEL FOR REAL?

Post by juansweetpotato »

Luigi wrote:"Fuck the USA" Ok, I can go with that. When I lived in Panama, guess what US$, when I lived in BVI's, guess what US$, I left there for Belize, guess what US$ was king. In Nicaragua everyone wants US$, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, same same. Canada, eh. no care. Venezuela circa 1985 (yeah I know right) USA fukun $. Barbados, St. Kits, St. Martin, all gods saints want US$. O:-) Why you ask. Because it it still the currency of the world. etc.etc.etc. Wake up Jamie, the count is 9. :stir:
Whether people like it or not, the US dollar brings stability through so many countries hoarding it like gold.It's in their interest to see it stable; otherwise, all chaos will be let loose. It will be awhile before all those countries start dumping their dollars for another standard. The Yuan is coming though, maybe and there's always the Euro lol.
Last edited by juansweetpotato on Mon May 09, 2016 10:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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