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Let's dare to dream and say the government throws open the doors on 1st November - no quarantine - no testing on arrival - E-Visa for Tourists, just like it was in 2019.

How long before the tourist areas begin to resemble what they were like before this shitshow started, with small hotels open and viable, a multitude of bars and eateries all vying for swarms of people, busy streets and lots of new faces and returning old one. The Good Old Days.

1-2 years, or never

Poll should of been:

< 12 months
1 - 3 years
3 - 5 years
> 5 years
Never

My vote is 3-5 years

edit: i'm trying to be optimistic

Assuming fully open and no more hurdles, I expect a push and pull as people come and things open.
It will be extreme until things start to normalize. Supply chains need to develop again.

If Cambodia would open up soon not much will change anytime soon. Loads of tourists will just wait and see because they are scared a spike in infections will lead to new travel restrictions. Either in Cambodia, at their travel hub or in their home country.

What happened back in spring of 2020 has changed the way people look at travelling. Freedoms people used to take for granted have been taken away overnight and it could happen again. The average tourist doesn't want to run those risks.

3-5 years

I chose 6-12 months, but have no expectation of the good old days. There's too much opportunity for it to exploited in a not too pleasant way- maybe Chinese money turning familiar places into Chinese ghettos, and supply and demand would probably make it all rather stop/start.

There will be a certain amount of desperation, which will likely make it seedier in places. Which is a shame, as there has been an opportunity to tidy things up a bit.

It will be interesting to hear what those folk on here who are involved in related businesses would like to see, and expect to see.

Quote - just like it was in 2019.
The Covid19 virus has effected all of us without any doubt, your quote is going back to the normality of the times when most of us had free travel, or more so the freedom of that travel. I can remember the times when you were writing what was the best to do at the time, travel on, go home, stay put. Most other members and myself were thinking the same at the time, guess what! Most of us are still here. What were we thinking, was it the best choice to do so, or even now do any of us wish we had done things differently. See you over at Harry's it's easier than traveling overseas.

I'm with Chuck sadly. 3 - 5 years.

I don't think that things will ever go back to "before" the pandemic. In Cambodia or elsewhere.
Some restrictions on travel will remain in place for the next years to come, which will deter some tourists. Those of us who are used to traveling a lot will have to get vaccines and do tests, or change lifestyle.

As for inside Cambodia, it's hard to say, and decisions (on Covid restrictions and rules) by the authorities are almost day to day. It's possible that on 1 Nov (or some other random date) that suddenly all the rules will fly out the window.

However, as has been noted, the Covid rules have been used to close a lot of low-cost entertainment venues in Cambodia. The big casinos seem to be open (not sure, but that's from news reports), Nagaworld hotel and casino is open in PP at least, and many of the "Chinese" casinos in Sihanoukville and on the Thai border are still operating.
Meanwhile, people having family parties with beer are being raided by the cops, and the KTVs are still shut. Not sure if this is a deliberate policy (to stamp out vice among the population), or if it's just a "by default" attitude, where the big guys get preference as usual, because it's easier to shut down the nobodys.
Anyway, conclusion: Who knows what will happen ? Not me anyway.