Naturalisation and citizenship in Cambodia

Why would any non Cambodian  want Cambodian citizenship? Maybe if your a Scott Neeson or Geraldine Cox and the king hands you citizenship with no strings attached it would be of benefit to your NGO. For example you can buy property and land but you are still a western face, an intruder
and therefore would never be accepted by a Khmer on an equal footing. To the Khmer, foreigner = $$ and therefore fair game.
For an expat wishing to buy citizenship I understand there is a substantial cost involved. I've heard many numbers ranging from $35K to $150K .... depends on your luck on the day I suppose.

If your an expat thinking of buying land, be very very careful. Recently a group of expat investors sold a block of land to a well known, notorious Khmer ' businessman'. The contract was very specific with payment terms agreed to. The buyer paid 50% and then refused to pay the remainder saying the land wasn't what he wanted....that's 4 months after paying the 50%! He said, take me to court if you want the remainder. Neither the agent or lawyer was able to help. Would a Cambodian passport have made any difference? I doubt it as the rich and powerful here are above the law.

Absolutely not. I've been told it's about $80,000usd or more.......No way.

I have thought about becoming a Cambodian citizen and have rejected the idea for two reasons:

First, Bhavna's list of possible requirements to become a citizen fails to mention one that is truly spectacular in my book IF it is accurate.  What's the cost?   I have to say the following came from an expat so is COMPLETELY hearsay.  He told me that an expat friend of his (in Kampot) looked into becoming a Cambodian citizen and was told (by "someone" in the government) that he was welcome to take Cambodian citizenship for $80,000 (US).  Apparently his friend did just that because he was interested in doing significant business in Cambodia and becoming a full citizen would give him free reign to do business.  He has NOT regretted his decision and has done "very well" in real estate development in a short time.  I have no interest in doing business here so the COST, alone, put the kabash on the idea for me.

The second reason is more philosophical.  I come from the USA which is frequently referred to as a "melting pot" of citizens who originally came from many countries and cultures to become ONE Citizenry.  We refer to ourselves as "Americans" (which I disagree with since anyone from the OTHER 22 nations of North and South America ARE "Americans"  too.........but it is the way it is.)  It is true that, for the most part, ANY law abiding person who is allowed to immigrate to the USA, fulfills the requirements to become a citizen and takes the oath of allegiance to the Constitution of the USA WILL be considered an American by his/her fellow citizens.  Now I can hear the jeers of some of you about MAJOR problems you have with that last sentence or two and I GET IT!  I am ignoring the significant numbers of racist, xenophobic and bigoted people in the American citizenry BECAUSE I am making another point.  Let me put it a different way.  If I became a Cambodian citizen, doing WHATEVER it takes and lived in the country, learned to speak Khmer and developed many friendships, participated at my local Pagoda and was involved in my community for 30 years, I would ALWAYS be considered the "foreigner" who lives in that house down by the river.......or wherever by Khmer people.  I don't believe I would EVER be considered a "Cambodian."  On the other hand, if I was a Khmer person who moved to the USA and became a citizen of the USA, I would (generally) be considered an American citizen pretty much right away by MOST of my fellow citizens.  Bottom line for me is, "Why would I want to become a citizen of a country (ANY) where I would not REALLY be considered a FULL member of the "Clan?"

I wouldn't do it for the simple reason that it's not set in concrete. You pay the $ 80,000 or more dollars to become a citizen of Cambodia and a year or two or three the government decides to change their agreement about foreign citizenships. I've been here long enough to know how things work.                  Example: A French National had a business here with 13 hectares of sugarcane plantation. The Khmer business partner walked off with hundreds of thousands of dollars, the governmen relocated 1,000 Khmer families on the plantation. They burned everything to the ground and moved in. What are ya going to do dial 911 ?    It doesn't matter if you spend you $80,000 or more dollars here to become anything. You'll never have a leg to stand on. You are White and you are a Foreigner. I've seen so many foreigners from All Over the World Lose Everything. Be careful out there ......Do you Homework.   But on the flip side, if you happen to have a nice reliable trustworthy wife and family,,,,well then it's a different story. Happy Wife, Happy Life.

When you pay a deposit you occupy the land. Then pay the Balance. Then the seller must try to evict you. If he tries then he must payback the deposit first. Bad legal advice from a bad Cambodian lawyer. They are generally corrupt and was most probably working for the seller or with the Seller to scam the buyer.And Documents NOT Signed stamped and witnessed by the local Sangkat in the khmer language. Are not legally enforceable. Except between foreigners ON OTHER PURCHASES...its then only a legal binding contract.