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Hi guys, I am looking for some advice but let me introduce myself first.

I am from the UK, and probably about 10 years shy of retirement age. I am married to a Thai lady and living in a very rural Thailand location, and generally happy there. I get a small amount of passive income from some investments in the UK and have a chunk in savings in a Thai bank account which I occasionally dip into but keep it there for visa purposes etc.

My current situation is that I am 100% tired and fed-up of the constant immigration harassment in Thailand, and the fact that they treat all long stayers here like criminals. If I stay out of town for one night I need to report everything to immigration within 24hours or get fines. The paperwork for getting my stay based on marriage is outrageous, over a hundred pieces of paper, last one took best part of 7 hours, plus the immigration officers are slow, rude, unhelpful and delight in annoying you and wasting as much of your time and money as humanly possible. I am sick of it and want to take my money elsewhere, having given several months thought I think Cambodia appears to suit me best.

So, I've got some basic questions:

1. What's it like staying in Cambodia long term visa wise? Do they visit you at home? Are they friendly or rude? Is it a constant headache jumping through hoops?
2. How hard is it to open a bank account?
3. How are you treated by locals?
4. Are the local girls available?
5. Is general day to day life easy, or a constant up-hill struggle?
6. What are the biggest negatives about living in Cambodia?

Kindest regards and thanks in advance.

Are you thinking of dumping the Thai girl then, or coming over together? A bit unclear...

As for the visa situation, it's quite easy at the moment, but it wouldn't surprise me if things turned into mini-Thailand within the next five years. You can get a retirement visa easily enough, and then just need to renew every year. Cambodia isn't a police state like Thailand, so no need to register where you live/coming and goings with anyone. It's always amazed me how so many put up with stuff like that in Thailand.

Graham_Smith wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 10:27 am
So, I've got some basic questions:

1. What's it like staying in Cambodia long term visa wise? Do they visit you at home? Are they friendly or rude? Is it a constant headache jumping through hoops?
2. How hard is it to open a bank account?
3. How are you treated by locals?
4. Are the local girls available?
5. Is general day to day life easy, or a constant up-hill struggle?
6. What are the biggest negatives about living in Cambodia?

1: Visas are easy. The situation may change. If you are legitimate - no problem @PSD-Kiwi on here is the King of Visa situations. Home visits - well it's rude to not give police and commune chief the heads-up you're in the commune and would appreciate them looking after you, then fill in a few papers and have a small party with beers and food. They are helpful, kind and are on-call if any trouble arises. Occasionally there is a dragnet to catch illegals - legit people don't need to worry as you are registered with your commune. Jumping through hoops? - Unlikely but can happen if you neglect common courtesy.
2: 6 months visa and a passport with sufficient time left plus some photos is enough. Some MAY ask for address confirmation but I haven't had that in four account openings.
3: In general, same as you treat them. There may be the odd case - same as anywhere really.
4: I hope your wife isn't reading this - but hey... short answer - of course - same as anywhere in the world.
5: Laid back - Khmer employees require a lot of patience and guidance.
6: The Chinese invasion... No seriously - negatives??? Traffic Jams (increasing), Power cuts (now less), terrible local food (in my opinion generally bones and river weeds), flooding (during rainy season), toooooooo many ladies (lol) and tooooo much cheap beer (lol)

Graham_Smith wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 10:27 am Hi guys, I am looking for some advice but let me introduce myself first.

I am from the UK, and probably about 10 years shy of retirement age. I am married to a Thai lady and living in a very rural Thailand location, and generally happy there. I get a small amount of passive income from some investments in the UK and have a chunk in savings in a Thai bank account which I occasionally dip into but keep it there for visa purposes etc.

My current situation is that I am 100% tired and fed-up of the constant immigration harassment in Thailand, and the fact that they treat all long stayers here like criminals. If I stay out of town for one night I need to report everything to immigration within 24hours or get fines. The paperwork for getting my stay based on marriage is outrageous, over a hundred pieces of paper, last one took best part of 7 hours, plus the immigration officers are slow, rude, unhelpful and delight in annoying you and wasting as much of your time and money as humanly possible. I am sick of it and want to take my money elsewhere, having given several months thought I think Cambodia appears to suit me best.

So, I've got some basic questions:

1. What's it like staying in Cambodia long term visa wise? Do they visit you at home? Are they friendly or rude? Is it a constant headache jumping through hoops?
2. How hard is it to open a bank account?
3. How are you treated by locals?
4. Are the local girls available?
5. Is general day to day life easy, or a constant up-hill struggle?
6. What are the biggest negatives about living in Cambodia?

Kindest regards and thanks in advance.

1. Easy. I have a 1 year multiple entry EB Visa (Employment and Business). I can get a job (don't want one) or buy and run a business, including WORK in it. I don't think you can do that in Thailand. If you are 55 or over you can get a retirement visa easily. I don't know anyone here who has visa headaches.

2 Easy. Get an apartment and take your lease agreement with you along with your passport. I recommend ABA. Also, the cash you have to keep in the bank in Thailand, you can bring it here and get 7.75% interest at Prassac Microfinance.

3. Locals are fine. Never had any trouble, but I don't go looking for it by staggering around drunk at 3am on my own.

4. Plenty of local girls looking for a barang partner, either free or for a fee. Most want 3 things, Marriage, children and financial security. Same in Thailand I suspect.

5. Cambodia is a really easy place to live. None of this shit about registering your movements etc. The hardest part is doing your shopping, The supermarkets are crap, you will end up having to corral all your purchases from 2 or 3 places. I would give my right nut for a Big C in Phnom Penh.

6. The place is filthy, but Thailand is none too clean.
Transport is easy and cheap. Use the online apps, PassApp or Grab.
Beer is super cheap, from 50c for a draught beer in an open air bar. You can drink in an air con bar for a $1 a beer easily.
The local food is awful. Just my opinion.
Phnom Penh is stuffed full of great little French restaurants and bistros and most they are great. You can eat very well for between $5 to $10. There is a thread on this site which lists some of the better places. I was in Pattaya for 2 months and one of the reasons for leaving was the food was generally so bad.
The healthcare standard is bad. And I mean BAD. There are good European and Australian doctors here and you should only use them for you GP requirements. Specialists are another matter. If you need serious medical services you'll be back to Bangkok for them. I have seen a Khmer cardiologist here, but only on the recommendation by my French doctor and only because he practiced in France for 15 years. You don't get to do that by being a fraud. I wouldn't trust the locals for anything without a serious recommendations. I have a French doctor, a Dutch physiotherapist and a Spanish dentist. Medications are easy to obtain but only go to a decent pharmacy, that way you have a better chance that they are real.

Any specific questions? Just ask...

Hope this helps...

I am particularly interested in this statement:

...There are good European and Australian doctors here...

Most grateful if you would identify the Australian Doctors practising in Phnom Penh together with their address and contact particulars for their particular medical practice.


OML

The crap food is a concern. Here even in rural Thailand I can get Australian steaks, Italian pasta and mozzarella, good sausages and cheeses etc.

Maybe when my visa runs out I could come and check it out for a few weeks. The people where are I live are honest almost to a fault and would chase me down the street if they saw me drop a one baht coin. From what I read Cambodia can be quite sketchy with regards to scams and theft - would you say that is true?

Ot Mean Loi wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 2:25 pm I am particularly interested in this statement:

...There are good European and Australian doctors here...

Most grateful if you would identify the Australian Doctors practising in Phnom Penh together with their address and contact particulars for their particular medical practice.


OML

Dr Gloria, of course.

I think you should definitely visit Cambodia before deciding to move. Cambodia does not resemble Thailand and doesn't suit everyone. You gain on some things and lose on others, so it depends on what's important to you.
A place in the countryside near Siem Reap might be a good fit for you, (shops, western food, not far from Thailand), but you need to see for yourself. I would at least come for a couple of weeks' visit to check things out.

If you can get robbed or scammed in Thailand you can get robbed or scammed in Cambodia (Or anywhere for that matter)

there is plenty of good western food in the major areas
the local street-food etc is far far worse than thailand, or perhaps almost anywhere else

but we want to know if you're dumping the wife, or bringing her too
and cheating on her