New members of the Cambodia forum, introduce yourselves here - 2019

Aloha Julien,

I will be visiting the country in late April to get lay of the land as a place to retire. I initially planned to retire in Thailand, but recent changes with their retirement visa as ruled that out.

Being part of the LGBTQ community, I will be looking for similar communities. From my research, it appears that Phnom Penh is the top of the list. I was wonder what other expat experiences are in the country?

Mahalo,
George

Hi George lm already retired in Thailand but as you say due to the recent visa changes  also lookomg  to move to cambodia as you I'm alao planning a trip later in the year it would be good to. Keep in. Contact and exchange experiences

Greetings Expats!

I am Axel and I am currently living in Siem Reap, Cambodia!

I am a professional of the Hospitality industry and I am looking for a new opportunity in the region.

See you!

Hello Axel.

Welcome aboard this forum.

Scroll through the various threads for information, if any question left post it in the appropriate thread or start a new thread

Hope your stay will be a great experience.

Joe
Cambodia expert
Expat.com team

Thank you Joe

Hi everyone
I'm interested in finding work in Siem Reap starting late March or early April. I have my diploma in early childhood education, 16 years experience and my TESOL certificate. Currently in Brazil and flying home to Australia on the 19th March. Any help would be much appreciated.
Cheers

Hello Steve.

Welcome aboard this forum.

Scroll through the various threads for information, if questions still exist, post them in the appropriate thread or start a new thread.

Hope your stay will be a successful one.

Cheers.

Joe
Cambodia expert
Expat.com team

Hi guys looking to come over to Siem Reap in April what areas of town are good to stay in..also any accomodation I should look at..?

Johnnyb23 wrote:

Hi guys looking to come over to Siem Reap in April what areas of town are good to stay in..also any accomodation I should look at..?

Welcome aboard this forum, hope your stay will be a great experience.

For your questions re Siem reap you better address them in the Siem reap forum. To search for accommodation you can search in the HOUSING section here on Expat.com, here the link:
https://www.expat.com/en/housing/asia/c … siem-reap/

Good luck.

Joe
Cambodia expert
Expat.com team

Hi Guys,

Pleased to meet you and thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to network on this fantastic resource, my wife Victoria and I will be relocating to Asia early November 19, both fed up with the 'rat race' and weather lol we hail from Liverpool, England UK, Victoria is a qualified nurse manager, I have management experience within the UK Health & Social Care sector, as well as construction industry background, i.e. qualified City & Guilds Bricklayer & Concreter. We both have TEFL Level 5 (168 hours) including 20 hours classroom face to face module. Our goal is to move to Cambodia and find employment within either educational sector teaching English or other vocations will be considered.

My name is Alan and both myself and my Partner Jan are retiring at 65 and moving to Siem Reap from Australia sometime in the beginning of 2020. As you well know this takes a lot of organizing and we are currently looking at renting out our house in Melbourne Australia for that move.
What do you do with the compilation of a lifetime of stuff???
I am coming there in November during the Water Festival to hopefully meet with some of you to discuss the finer points of our move and to check out some properties to rent for about 6 months to 12 months.
Is there a meet and greet of new and experienced ex pats in Siem Reap for this purpose?
I am still working at this time as an Industrial Sales Engineer and Jan is still working as a Nurse.
I am also Ex Royal Australian Navy Retired.
I will be interested in any advise you can send me.
Regards
Alan Deem

Hi!  I'm a certified teacher from the US who taught in the UAE for three years and, after moving back to the US, discovered I'm truly an expat at heart.  I just accepted a job from an international school in PP and my husband and five year old will accompany me.  I've already found this forum to be a wealth of information and look forward to doing more research before we come over. Thanks so much for maintaining the site and moderating the feedback.

Hello BetinaF.

Welcome aboard this forum.

Scroll through the various threads for information. If questions still exist don't hesitate to put them in the relevant thread or start a new thread.

Hope your stay in Cambodia will be a pleasant one.

Joe
Cambodia expert
Expat.com team

Hey all! Moving to Cambodia in October. Will be teaching English. No idea what school I'll be teaching at but hopefully will be in Phnom Penh

Welcome aboard this forum and good luck with your future job search.

Hope your stay will be a pleasant one.

Joe
Cambodia expert
Expat.com team

Hi guys and girls, I have lived in Thailand for some years and I can honestly say it's not an attractive country any more mainly the visa but also the cost of living and the present government  although I will be spending time there I want to explore Cambodia firstly the visa is very good but its also much cheaper, Thai immigration have you running round in circles plus you can't work without a work permit and I would strongly advise from avoiding one many problems things like accountants pocketing your tax etc etc. I have friends that go to Cambodia they swear by it and also Vietnam comes over well, where ever you are and whatever you do enjoy, regards Dave.

Hi everyone,

My name is Vourn.  I am a Khmer American who moved to Cambodia just about 3 years ago.

Although it's my homeland, the nuances that makes Cambodia, "Cambodia" special is why I am here.

For better and worse, it is home. 

I am looking forward to meeting new people and helping out any way that I can.

Cheers!

Hi Vourn, thanks for your post, well I'm in England right now and probably will be for most if not all of this year, I've been to Cambodia many times but only across the border from Thailand and back on visa runs, I have a house and girl in Thailand but the visa is making me seriously consider moving to Cambodia I will most probably mix the two, I like the idea of Siem Reap opposed to PP as I hear its very busy I really want somewhere with a bit of action but also nice and quiet with not so much traffic, in time I will buy a Landcruiser and I'm also toying with buying a minibus through import from Korea, its all to do with money and I'm waiting to hear about money coming my way but it will depend on the outcome of a court case, I have heard Kampot is good? hope to hear back my email is *** cheers Dave.

Hello at all
Im Nicolas and i live 2016 and 2017 in cambodia. I have a khmer girlfriend and a baby who are living in cambodia. The last year i worked in switzerland. Now quite my job and will return to cambodia in may to look if cab find work and live for a long time in cambodia

Hello david cooke.

Welcome aboard this forum.

Scroll through the various threads for information, if any questions remain don't hesitate to post them in the appropriate thread or start a new thread.

Hope your stay will be a pleasant one.

Cheers

Joe
Cambodia expert
Expat.com team

Thanks, Julian 😀
I am Rebecca working for CamHR company in Phnom Penh, currently busy recruiting some qualified foreign language teachers for clients in Hainan of China. Please text me if anyone is interested in such jobs.

Cheers

Rebecca

Hello all,

I have been living in Phnom Penh for over 2 years now, born in Belgium.
Working as AM Visual Production. Interested to see if there are many other Belgians around

Cheers

Hi Joe, must say this site is very good, no regrets joining lots of people willing to share info, great for everyone. cheers Dave.

Hello guys,

My name is Sven. I am an 44 years old guy from germany. I live in cambodia/ Takeo province with my family.

I am Seeking a Job in cambodia. My skills are Marketing and also i was a field staff for a big newspaper in munich/ germany 16 years. I like to communicate with people and sell products like advertising or each other product. In 16 years i sold more then 10 Millions euro for my company.

Also i have experience in branch restaurants, cooking and as a waiter, i went to high school for accounting and economics 2 years. After 1 Year studied econimcs.

I like hard work. Sometimes i done 2 or 3 jobs same time. Working is my life. :-)

Sincerely

Sven

Welcome to this forum Sven, hope you will have a good time here.

Scroll through the variety of threads for information and if you still have questions post them in the appropriate thread or start a new thread.

As for jobs, you can search the job section here and there are also quite some jobs available on Facebook, in groups like Teaching in PP, restaurant jobs and so on.

Good luck.

Joe
Cambodia expert
Expat.com team

HI  i come from Brisbane Australia  we have been here now 8mths i think we have settled in ok we are running a Boutique  Villa so that has been keeping us busy.

Hello!
My name is Candice from South Africa. I will be moving to Cambodia mid August for a year.
I will be living in Toul Kouk.
I really enjoy cycling and would very much like to join a cycling group if possible. I am also Catholic and would need to find a Catholic church. I am very social and thoroughly enjoy spending time getting to meet new people.

Any advice on what to expect with regards to the move would be helpful.

Thanks
Candice

hi
for Church,you can find them ;one near RUPP,and another one is near Entraktevy High school.

Welcome to Cambodia.Have a nice time and memories in Cambodia.love


Thank You

I am looking for the best place to live in Cambodia. Am hoping to move there in October from America and stay for a very long time. Will be on a mid-range budget and looking to have fun with and be some help to the people. Would like to take part in Buddhist activities, do some very part-time volunteer Conversational English teaching (certified) for Monks especially but also maybe school kids/University students, hospitality workers, whoever—and enjoy nice scenery, non-debilitating sex, and ganja. I don't drink alcohol anymore, so the ganja is important. But without question the most important facet is a friendly, relaxed, progressive atmosphere and population. I would be very grateful for any contact from anyone with constructive observations, helpful hints, and ideas about general or specific aspects of life as an ex-pat in Cambodia—especially in relation to where is the best place to get the above-described conditions met. I am in good shape for a 67-year-old man but an area that does not require a mile uphill walk to get clean water, and a room/apartment with a bathroom and kitchenette in it that is quiet enough for meditation but close to where things happen are musts. Been there, done that rustic adventurous thing, having lived some in the woods in America, in a very rural Thai temple for half a year (which is the subject of my second book, “Reincarnation Through Common Sense”) and more. Convenient shopping, some creature comforts such as working Internet, groceries near by, Juice bar/Vitamin store accessible in-country somewhere, air conditioning, etc. would all be nice if it doesn't break the budget. (I'm guessing AC might be essential most of the year?) I know you have a lot of relaxing, etc. to do and I very much appreciate any time and attention you can give me for a response. Many thanks. Be well, Tenzin (alias Doug “Ten” Rose)  p.s. I have worked at (and managed a dorm once at) hostels in America, and so may also eventually be able to help out hotel/guest house owners with more than the conversational English teaching—perhaps writing promo copy in English as well as direct guest contact. But I digress! Any work of such a type will be very secondary to relaxing, meditating, partying, and writing!

Hello! 

I'm nearing retirement age and am not very financially secure.  The wages in the states are much lower than the cost of living and there doesn't seem to be any changes to our current policies and ways of life coming, even in the distant future.  I'm very worried for my well being, safety and ability to provide for myself.  I'm specifically looking in and around Cambodia as it appears to be the safest and most cost efficient place to be for a woman in my position.

I am in the beginning stages of my research and welcome any resources, information and advice.

Thank you!
Kaye

Hi. Welcome aboard this forum.

You will find a lot of information when scrolling the threads or by using the search function at the upper right corner.

I think you realize that there is no answer to your various wishes except your own interpretation.

The only way to find a place where you feel well is to come over, travel through the country and decide which is best for you. It's very personal and what is good for me is not necessarily good for you.

I can assure you that you will find several nice places to stay and that you will be fine in Cambodia.

Good luck.

Joe

Cambodia expert
Expat.com team

Hi Everyone,

My name is Jared, and I'm currently doing research on moving to Cambodia, specifically Siem Reap.  I'll be taking a trip there in September with my brother, planning on doing as much on the ground research as possible while there, but I'll be lurking around this forum as well trying to figure it all out.  Nice to meet you all

Hi Everyone,

I'm Chris, recently moved to Phnom Penh seeking new opportunities and a challange. I've been working in London and Cambridge in the UK for approximately ten years and fancied something new.

I really loved Cambodia when I travelled around here and Asia some months ago. I've now settled here and am looking for a job, ideally in the Finance/Insurance/Regulation sector.

I've been to quite a few networking events and met quite a number of key people in various banks and investment firms, but as yet haven't managed to find a job. I keep getting told Expats generally do not work in Finance in Cambodia (other than CEO/MD positions etc).

Any tips and advice would be greatly welcomed!

Thank you,

Chris

Well welcome to cambodia, don't give up, sometimes in the service industry english is important, of course teaching English, but I've heard of Chinese organizations that are trying to teach their executives English, I'm retired just a thought maybe to get your foot in the door besides straight up teaching English, I live in Vietnam also of course teachers make a lot of money in Vietnam, but they too have corporate building programs based around English, no matter how qualified you are in your industry, which I'm sure you are, English is always going to be your greatest potential for making money , greatest of luck if you picked cambodia out of all the others , well  I know your already a smart guy, I'm older, I've been around I'm from USA, but nothing beats the people of cambodia, good luck, ask joe Khmer if you need anything, he knows everything,

Hi Y'all! Am hoping to move to Cambodia semi-permanently in November and perhaps write 3rd book there. Am looking for reasonably priced, comfy space and good people. Looking forward to reading all of these posts! Be well, Tenzin

Fearless , you can find everything you need to be happy it sounds like in Phnom Penh, good hospital ( Royal) lots of very nice women, and recreational things , I'm sure you will be fine here , I would look at the Russian market area, 150-800 all are furnished most if not all have free WiFi and ac, and it's a nice area , as for volunteers I too thought the same when I arrived, but you don't have to look for opportunities to help, yes maybe organized volunteer, but your neighbors kid,  thousands of tuk tuk drives all would love to be helped with English , the people of cambodia are very very kind and other than purse or phone snatching, honestly not much crime , staying out till 2 am and walking around is still safe yet not recommended, of course you come from USA like myself and it's the most dangerous place , so safety isn't a issue housing is easy to find , it's all here enjoy your stay , but everyone has the same idea to help this third world country, where as I came to find out , we especially in USA need the help, these people for the most part are happy and content, WE ARE THE ONES WHO NEED THE HELP, I think you will see how more advanced society is here as compared to USA , they will be teaching you what's important in life and how to maintain wonderful family bonds that we have no concept of , you will be the student not them , greatest of luck to you here , it's fantastic !

Thanks very much twinsguy20! I appreciate you taking the time to answer. I'm 68 and in 2001-2 spent a year and a 1/2 in Thailand (including 1/2 year in a Buddhist temple), so I am not completely unfamiliar with Southeast Asia--but then again I'm not in the shape I was 20 years ago! You're preaching to the choir as far as telling me how screwed up America is and that many other countries have a much better idea of what life is supposed to be. I have looked at my homeland as the 4th Reich for decades. I kept hoping for, and working towards, a come back--inventing charity projects, working for environmental groups like Greenpeace, etc. (full details at website in About Author section if you are at all interested), but the odds gets slimmer every day. America has become so morally bankrupt that 7 out of 10 folks are on prescription drugs just to try to erase the reality of what they're doing from their minds. Of course another 20% are on street drugs trying to do the same thing. I have been sticking to the herb for decades now and as spooky as it feels, I seem to be the sanest one in most crowds that I enter here. I am curious about you saying, if I read you right, that I might like PP better than SR. Most of my research has shown that either SR, or K or K on the beach, might be nicer. Now of course you are there and knowledgeable in all the nuances of the area, and I haven't been in Southeast Asia in 20 years--and never in Cambodia. So obviously I know squat and you know a lot. Why do you think PP is favorable? Well, again thank you very much for the contact and I hope to hear more from you. Be well, Tenzin

Fearless , honestly I'm 62 and might have familiar habits if you know what I mean, I just think siem reap is very nice but it's all about tourism, as it should be with Angkor wat, yet pp has a small town feeling but large enough to find everything, it's just a personal preference, wow I guess you and I have exactly the same feeling about our own country, you are not alone brother! As jo Khmer says it's worth going to each of these places and checking them out , as far a herb goes ( of course I want to go on record as only speculation on my part) it's relatively easy to find in all of cambodia, it's still illegal, but hardly, let's just put it this way , you will go by many bars and they will be openly smoking that evil weed, but please don't be one of those guys it's not recommend! So for myself ( remember I'm only speculating) but all or most apartments have balconies, and this will solve a lot of problems, I have heard this, ( I personally would never get a apartment without a balcony ) if you get my drift, be discreet, or not at all, yes backpackers smoke openly, which I by the way have never heard of any problems associated with weed, but as far as any other street drugs go ABSOLUTELY NOT, this is a fact and since you already went to Thailand, I will tell you your a fool to smoke that evil stuff anywhere except USA Canada and in Southeast Asia cambodia or Laos, if caught in Thailand or Vietnam your in huge trouble not even worth it , but cambodia I personally recommend being discreet, you know like We  did  in the 70s and 80s in USA treat it that way and you will not have any problems, but do check out the other cities, they are all cool and each has a different charm to them , it's kinda of apples and oranges thing, but all are much better and MUCH safer than USA  so my advice is  this
1. NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TALK GOOD BAD ARE EVEN SPEAK OF THE GOVERNMENT, AS THIS IS THIER COUNTRY NOT OURS, IF YOU SOMEPLACE AND THEY ARE DISCUSSING THE GOVERMENT LEAVE IMMEDIATELY.
2. DO NOT BE AROUND ANYBODY DOING HARD DRUGS, DONT TRY TO HELP THEM IF THEY OD ETC. LEAVE IMMEDIATELY!
3. AND SHAME ON YOU HA , BUT IF SMOKING THE HERB IS YOUR THING THEN JUST BE DISCREET, YOU DONT NEED A PARTY TO SMOKE ONE ALONE ON YOUR DECK.
SOME HOW I THINK YOU AND I MIGHT BE KINDRED SOULS HA good luck as I always say the Cambodian people are the kindest happy people in Southeast Asia, my opinion only , good luck finding housing is easy no background checks etc, if you find a place you like pay as many months as you can afford up front which I pay by the year and I go for straight 40% discount, all cash up front , most landlords will not turn you down , everything in this country is negotiable, later good luck friend