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I don't mean the obvious, Aon Mall. I mean in attitude and prices?

A British tourist who just fkew in from Burma was shocked 'shopkeepers are very rude to me'. I told him that he must have had some freak negative encounters, that Khmers by and large are patient, warm (if less demonstrative than Filipinos and less formal than Thais) and easy-going.

I may be changing my mind. Had a long chat with a fellow geezer who has also been coming from the 1990s (me early, him mid). We comisurated about the lack of adventure, lawlessness and well - the obvious major change. But until today I still thought that despite development, SUVs and job opportunities in other than the NGO gravy train, that Khmers as a group are wel, cool headed and nice.

A trip to Phsar Tuol Tom Long ('Russian Market') has me reconsidering. People have told me stories about how it is a tourist trap. But I never saw it that way until today. Typical responses when I came into a clothing stire asking for a suitable garment were...

- ignoring me, reading smartphones
- tellling me they didn't have what I was looking for
- getting irritable if I asked them to consider if they might have something close

I remember when stall operators were owner-operators, usually women, very open to bargaining and they tried *real* hard to make a sale. Today's general mood was 'bugger off, you've asked me something that requires me to think' and it appears by *employees*.

Ah, maybe PTTP is an anomoly. But I don't feel the hunger of even 2005. Phnom Penites have they become fat?

Maybe it's time to move to Sri Lanka or Laos. Cambodia, at least in the city, is starting to feel too much like the rest of the world.

Georgina wrote:
Cambodia, at least in the city, is starting to feel too much like the rest of the world.

The traffic alone can make one feel like this.

Georgina wrote:
Maybe it's time to move to Sri Lanka or Laos.

Out of curiosity, have you been to these places?

I have heard that Vientiane reminds people of what Phnom Penh was like about 10 or 15 years ago. Only with more traffic, LoL.

You went to the one big tourist trap in town... What did you expect? Central market is similar. If you speak a bit of khmer with them or go to "non-tourist" sections (food/bike parts) then it's just like any other market. But if you want clothes, a tailor, or a painting... I don't go there often because I live far away, but I've formed some good relationships there with several sellers AND employees who recognize me after months/years. Maybe you just had them on a bad day. Still, it's one of the biggest tourist spots in town, so a bit of rudeness and aloofness is to be expected. I'd say it's still miles away from Thailand or Vietnam though.

True. But I *am* talking to them in Khmer! Seems to make my reception worse.

I still see a vendor I know from the 90s and she is still professional and accommodating and gives me a fair price.

General Mackevili wrote:

Georgina wrote:
Maybe it's time to move to Sri Lanka or Laos.

Out of curiosity, have you been to these places?

Laos twice, but only Vietiane and a long trip up from Tachilek to Mengla on the border with China. Laos is too sleepy compared to Cambodia. Sri Lanka not yet though I have travelled the resf of South Asia a lot. Jaffna interests me for many reasons. Knew an American who lived there before the civil war.

laos people are as friendly as Cambodians and so are THAIS
city people are city people where ever u go,
rude, obnoxious and short temper , especially if ur dealing with people there to make money.

shop assistants are worthless everywhere in se asia as there not being paid shit so could care less and are

1. playing on their phones
2. talking with friends
3, eating
4 sleeping
5.picking their noses, putting on make up
6.watching u to see if ur going to steal something

I think phuketrichard is on to something here with city mentality. It reminds me of Woody Allen's monologue which contains the following. "How do people in New York start the day? They cop an attitude and go outside." In my village the Cambodian locals do not like the big city. They find everything overpriced and the people kraeut krathom(arrogant) I usually have a good time in Phnom Penh except when I have dealing with a place that caters to foreigners, hence I avoid them as much as possible. I taught in Thailand for six months in Pitsanalok and hated it Thais told me people in the south were much nicer thus propagating another international belief. At lease in Germany, France, and the US people believe the further south you go, the more cordial people become. I never heard this about Cambodians living in the south of the country.

I taught in Thailand for six months in Pitsanalok and hated it Thais told me people in the south were much nicer

OK; having lived in the south for over 28 years i can tell you they are not any nicer,
if ur out of the cities there nice everywhere
but than again they say the northern food is better and i do agree with that

Thai Moslems are very friendly, but not as easy to get to know and not as accepting of outsiders.

Well in Cambodia, I do not see that many variations in regional food. In coastal cities there is of course seafood and to the east a slight Vietnamese influence and to the west, Thai. But within Khmer food per se, it seems pretty much the same. I only stated a wide held belief; that does not mean I believe it.