Developing your social circle in Phnom Penh

It's hard to start fresh in a new city. You have learn to find accommodation, how to get around, where to get your groceries, etc., the list goes on and on. Another major stress factor is how to find new friends in the city.

Expat groups in Phnom Penh

Unlike some other cities, the expat groups in Phnom Penh are surprisingly active and easy to get a foot in. With some quick chats on Facebook, you can begin to make friends before you even set foot in the country. The best way to meet expats is through various expat groups on Facebook.

Phnom Penh Expats and Phnom Penh Expats Network are both fantastic resources for new expats in the city. On Phnom Penh Expats, you can find essentially an open-air flea market. Expats will sell everything from homemade sausages to motorcycles and even houses or apartments! This is really useful for furnishing your house. They also accept lots of questions about life as an expat in the city.

Phnom Penh Expats Network focuses on bringing expats together. You can ask questions, and you will occasionally find a few jobs or things for sale listed on the page, but the true gem of this page is the meetups that they post about. They share various meetups that expats have organised in the city. The page itself will occasionally organise its own get-togethers, but it mostly posts meetups from other people. You will find everything from general get-togethers to more special interest events.

Parents or expectant families, you're in luck. One of the best and most active expat pages for the city is Phnom Penh Mamas. In this group, you will find a fantastic resource of moms (though dads are also welcome) who can help answer any questions you may have about raising young ones in Phnom Penh. They also run occasional parent get-togethers to help you find some new mom friends. A great supplementary parent group is Cambodia Parent Network, where parents list kids items for sale. You can find some great deals here because children's amenities can be costly in Phnom Penh.

Socialising with locals in Phnom Penh

Do you want to meet up with locals as well? Khmer Study Group offers free Khmer lessons to interested expats and has regular dinners (USD3-4 per person) that bring locals and expats together to exchange languages and socialise. Knowing some of the local language will help you to make more friends in the country and get around much easier.

Technology has made many things easier, including making friends in a new country. Utilising the fantastic expat pages on Facebook is a great way to start making friends in Phnom Penh.