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Phillipl

My New Cambodian Life !

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Phillipl

Hello everyone! My names Phillip, nice to meet you all!

Me and my girfriend (we are both in our early 20's) are moving out to Cambodia in mid September this year, and plan to stay in Phnom Penh for a minimum of 10 months (she will be studying at the University there, and i, working.)

So, i was looking to make a few contacts on here! Ive never lived abroad, so understandably im slightly nervous, although i have travelled a lot before out of Europe.

Does anyone have any 'must have' advice for us?

Its 4 months before we go, and ive read a lot on this forum (you all seem very helpfull and nice) so i understand (i think) some things.


Could anyone advise on;

Extending business visa to a legal work visa (i believe i do this once in the country, after having taken the busniess visa at the airport for 25 dollars)

Flights? (We plan this week to take a single ticket with Malaysia airlines for around £350, open returns all seem unreasonably priced?)

Safety there? (Im assuming its the same as every single place in the entire world in that there are nice areas and bad ones...avoid the bad once...what else can you say...)

Appartments? (Maybe someone has one for rent, or knows a decent company? Do foreigners need any specific papers to rent, or just a downpayment?)

Where to live? (I was thinking around the (slightly more quiet?) Russian market area)

Friends? Haha! I won't have any there :'(...so lastly, but not least, who's living in Phnom Penh? Lets have a little hangout!

Im not toooooo mental...promise...

 

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wdwflash

I don't know much about living in PP as I live in Sihanoukville (Snooky or Snookyville) , but do know a little about visa's. When you fly into the airport get the $25. ordinary visa, as the $20. makes it a hassle to get the one year long term visa. There are a lot of places that will help you get the one year visa and I use Ana Travel in Snookyville. Its $290. all in, comes back in three days and is good for a year and work. (I don't work so don't know anything about tax's on work.)

 

Safety? Don't walk down the street with money and gold hanging off of you and get yourself a small safe when you find a permanent place. Theft is a problem in Cambodia, but its mostly sneak-thieves, thieves of opportunity, theft of small motorbikes, household thefts, etc. PP has no public transit system, but lots of cheap moto-dops and tuk-tuks. Driving a motorbike in PP in my opinion equates to a death wish. I've driven a car/truck there with no problem though.

 

Alcohol is dirt cheap (wines, beer, booze.) Electricity is expensive. When you get settled, they sell big jugs of water with a tap on the bottom for a one time deposit on the jug and the water. (The water is cheap.)  

 

I have a one year lease agreement (in English), which most banks want to see to start an account.

 

In my opinion the Cambodian food isn't quite as good as Thai, but there are a lots of places with western food all over PP and Snookyville.

 

I can never seems to find the larger size shoes even in PP and for some reason everything I find is narrow. I mean here you have a whole population that at one time or another has worn nothing but flip-flops, their feet have spread and you have narrow shoes, go figure. And there are shoe factories here.

 

Even the bigger super markets aren't very super. A BurgerKing just opened at the airport and I hear there are plans for 5 more, although when in PP I go to Mike's Burger which in my opinion is better than any other burger/fries I've tried in the whole country. (also rootbeer floats.)

 

A taxi from the airport to the river area (where I usually stay) is around $9. Tuk-Tuks are a lot cheaper from what I hear, but in the PP traffic from the airport to downtown I like some steel around me. A taxi from PP to Sihanoukville is $50 and up, a bus seat is $4/$5. and I haven't priced or tried the new mini-vans. Its $73. to fly from Sihanoukville to PP, plus $6. bus to the airport. This is my new choice as I consider Hwy 4 from PP to Sihanoukville with all its crazy truck drivers to be the Death-Highway-To-Hell. I've driven it on a bigger-bike and car/truck and almost been offed a bunch of times by big trucks, beer trucks, crazy SUV drivers, people on motos not looking when entering the road and/or turning, cows, dogs, etc.

 

Have fun and enjoy.

Edited by wdwflash

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Phillipl

Ooh, thank you very much for the help! The visa information is very useful, i will look more into the 1 year extension!
I have travelled my motorbike in India, and ride here, but i agree its a death wish, India was bad enough.....never again!

Thanks!

Phillip :)

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Phillipl

Thanks really very much Wdwflash, thats some really nice information there, its all working towards getting me feeling like im actually going, its a big step!
One for which, upon your advice, ill be sure to bring plenty of shoes to undertake ! :)

I heard about Mikes Burger, got to check that one out for sure, i'd much rather support them there than bloody burger king, its a shame Cambodia let any foreign food corporations in eventually.....well...at least its not McDonalds....

Ill be sure to take an actual taxi from the airport to the city center :)

I heard the tap water was safe to drink in PP, but i like the sound of your bottled water more i think.... ;)

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mollydooker

I am living in a hotel for the last 3 months very near the Russian market ...its ok with quite a few foreigners in this area ...not sure how you would find an apartment here ...very seldom see rental signs so I guess you need to ask around ...I just get a tuk tuk once a week to a good supamarket closer to Central market for supplies takes about 15mins along the main Monivong blvd, ... I extend my visa thru a travel agent near Russian market which takes 3 days only ...easy place to live and I have no safety concerns at all ....but then my home is Manila !!!

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Phillipl

You have been staying in a hotel for three months? Thats a lot, did they work you out a special price then? :)

Its nice that you find it safe there, it sounds really nice by the Russian markets, is it just that area with very little for rent, or in your experience the whole of PP?

Thanks for sharing Molly!

Phillip :)

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mollydooker

Yes most hotels have a monthly rate ....just a little cheaper than daily rate ....I just don't see the rental signs on the houses or apartments here as compared with Manila where they are everywhere ....I am sure there are agents here who could help you ...but hotels here are super cheap ...worst part about Russian market area at this time is the dust ...partly caused by flood drainage works going on at this time and the rainy season is building up each day now which will settle that also ...

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Phillipl

Most hotels i have seen online are around 14 dollars a night, that would add up a lot over a month, surely more than an apartment? But im guessing the ones without websites are more reasonably priced...
Have you spent any time in the area of the royal university? Living there may be the best bet for us, to stop my girlfriend from having to commute over there twice a day by tuk tuk...but its very close to the Chinese development areas...

Thanks!

Phillip :)

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dicey eye

Why not Riverside?

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mollydooker

Yes I would say Riverside is a better location ...as the university is in Russian blvd ....miles away from Russian market ...I was in a hotel there at Riverside for $10.00 a night for a monthly rate ...but an apartment could work out cheaper ...and give you privacy with kitchen facility ...a tuk tuk will cost $2.00 at least one way from Russian market area ...better to be in Riverside ...

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