Cambodia or Thailand

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yartims
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Re: Cambodia or Thailand

Post by yartims » December 2, 2019, 10:33 pm

the chinese are moving in big time bldg 100s of casinos in snooky villle
locals can no longer afford to pay the rent on a humble shack

https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/10 ... 28003.html

a lot of it is dirty money being invested


the only good Tory is a lavatory

Kenr6583
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Re: Cambodia or Thailand

Post by Kenr6583 » December 3, 2019, 2:59 am

Fuzzyken, did you submit for a retirement Visa? If so after submitting your paperwork how long would it take you to get it back?

Fuzzy Ken
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Re: Cambodia or Thailand

Post by Fuzzy Ken » December 3, 2019, 8:12 am

About visas:
Visa on arrival available for many nationalities at airports and some border crossings. If you intend staying in the country for more than 30 days it is advisable to get the "ordinary" visa which I believe is $35 and can be extended.

If you are over 55 years of age you can apply for a retirement extension visa when you are in the country.
There are many agents who will sort this out for you. The cost of the one year visa is currently about $300. The agent that I use only required my address in Phnom Penh and my passport from which of course they can see my age is over 55. Agents may make a service charge.
The one year visa is multiple entry and can take about ten working days to acquire. Because I needed my passport to go elsewhere within the ten days, I was offered the option to pay a service charge to get the visa issued quickly. Less than 24 hours later I collected my passport with the visa and no problems.

Other rules apply if you are under 55.
As with all countries, entry requirements can and do change so arrive, get the $35 visa on arrival and use the 30 days to look around. It certainly ticks all the boxes for me and a welcome change to 90 day reporting, TM30's, exit/re-entry permits, money in the bank and the rest, that occupies our lives and test our patience in the land of smiles.

More about Phnom Penh at: https://www.fuzzykensblog.com

Fuzzyken

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AlexO
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Re: Cambodia or Thailand

Post by AlexO » December 3, 2019, 8:51 am

yartims wrote:
December 2, 2019, 10:33 pm
the chinese are moving in big time bldg 100s of casinos in snooky villle
locals can no longer afford to pay the rent on a humble shack

https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/10 ... 28003.html

a lot of it is dirty money being invested
Was down there about 7 years ago and even then, the Cambodian Government were selling complete Islands to the Chinese. Have just watched the Aljazeera documentary and its heartbreaking to see what Snooky has turned into. Hope it does not spread.

Kenr6583
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Re: Cambodia or Thailand

Post by Kenr6583 » December 4, 2019, 4:31 am

AlexO wrote:
December 3, 2019, 8:51 am
yartims wrote:
December 2, 2019, 10:33 pm
the chinese are moving in big time bldg 100s of casinos in snooky villle
locals can no longer afford to pay the rent on a humble shack

https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/10 ... 28003.html

a lot of it is dirty money being invested
Was down there about 7 years ago and even then, the Cambodian Government were selling complete Islands to the Chinese. Have just watched the Aljazeera documentary and its heartbreaking to see what Snooky has turned into. Hope it does not spread.
Hope they keep their asses way down south.

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GT93
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Re: Cambodia or Thailand

Post by GT93 » December 4, 2019, 6:31 am

Yes, I appreciated the link to the video from yartims. Hopefully the Cambodian government is going to push back against foreign criminals "invading" Cambodia. Dumping the body from the car in the middle of the road suggests the crims think they can get away with pretty much anything down that way.
Lock 'em up - Eastman, Giuliani, Senator Graham, Meadows and Trump

Kenr6583
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Re: Cambodia or Thailand

Post by Kenr6583 » December 4, 2019, 7:49 am

What's funny about this is it wasn't too many months ago that the Chinese we're leaving in droves because the Cambodian government had a crackdown on online gaming. I guess they figured they would just go ahead and build their own casinos.

Fuzzy Ken
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Re: Cambodia or Thailand

Post by Fuzzy Ken » December 4, 2019, 2:51 pm

Just wanted to firm-up some prices and I have converted this info to Baht:
Draft beer and cans of beer are usually 23 Baht for 330 ml for the local products
Beer Lao, I have seen large bottles for 53 Baht in the local supermarket
Heinz Beans 36 Baht
HP sauce around 26 Baht per bottle
Tuk Tuk for a journey of say 2 Km about 60 Baht
Local bus 11 Baht to the next stop or the end of the line which can be around 8 Km

Everywhere accepts USD and Riel but you do need to check your change particularly if you pay in one currency and get the change or some of it in the other currency.

I cannot comment on the nightlife but bars are open at least partway through the night along streets 51 and 136 and elsewhere and no shortage of female and other company, so I understand.

Why not come and take a look, its not all that far..
Our website has more: https://www.fuzzykensblog.com

Fuzzyken

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GT93
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Re: Cambodia or Thailand

Post by GT93 » December 4, 2019, 3:43 pm

It will be interesting to see if Vlad decides it's worth future visits.
Lock 'em up - Eastman, Giuliani, Senator Graham, Meadows and Trump

vlad
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Re: Cambodia or Thailand

Post by vlad » December 4, 2019, 5:15 pm

Like Fuzzy says go look for yourselves.

choi choi
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Re: Cambodia or Thailand

Post by choi choi » December 4, 2019, 5:19 pm

I think him no go there stay!....... Him lub Udon long tham LOL

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DRILLER
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Re: Cambodia or Thailand

Post by DRILLER » December 4, 2019, 5:35 pm

'other company' :-k
temptation is a .....

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pipoz4444
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Re: Cambodia or Thailand

Post by pipoz4444 » December 5, 2019, 7:05 pm

Fuzzyken wrote:
December 4, 2019, 2:51 pm
Just wanted to firm-up some prices and I have converted this info to Baht:
Draft beer and cans of beer are usually 23 Baht for 330 ml for the local products
Beer Lao, I have seen large bottles for 53 Baht in the local supermarket
Heinz Beans 36 Baht
HP sauce around 26 Baht per bottle
Tuk Tuk for a journey of say 2 Km about 60 Baht
Local bus 11 Baht to the next stop or the end of the line which can be around 8 Km

Everywhere accepts USD and Riel but you do need to check your change particularly if you pay in one currency and get the change or some of it in the other currency.

I cannot comment on the nightlife but bars are open at least partway through the night along streets 51 and 136 and elsewhere and no shortage of female and other company, so I understand.

Why not come and take a look, its not all that far..
Our website has more: https://www.fuzzykensblog.com

Fuzzyken
Correct, I found no problem using either currency.

In fact many places presented you with a Bill printed in both USD and Riel, giving you the option of which Currency you wanted to pay in.

Not to mention, if you did want any USD, you went to the ATM (I tied the ABA Bank ATM) put your Credit Card in and it dispensed brand new US Dollar notes and the exchange/conversion rate was reasonably good.

The Bars/Restaurants etc, will take either currency, but naturally they like the USD notes. They will even take the US Dollar notes in very shabby/poor condition. Some of the USD notes looked like they were ready to go into the bin and some were very old, but no problem the Restaurants, the Bars,the Tuk tuk Drivers,the Market Stalls and the Shops, all readily accepted them.

pipoz4444
That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

ajarnudon
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Re: Cambodia or Thailand

Post by ajarnudon » December 16, 2019, 11:53 pm

"The Bars/Restaurants etc, will take either currency, but naturally they like the USD notes. They will even take the US Dollar notes in very shabby/poor condition. Some of the USD notes looked like they were ready to go into the bin and some were very old, but no problem the Restaurants, the Bars,the Tuk tuk Drivers,the Market Stalls and the Shops, all readily accepted them."
Having worked in the Australian banking system for more years than I care to remember, I find it mildly amusing - nah, laughable - that the USA persists with paper notes, all the same size and colour. How long will it be before there is a class action on behaf of the visually impaired?
I was on the counter of an Australian Bank when we changed to decimal currency back in '66, but all of those old notes were already different colours and sizes. Since then the parties that developed the polymer banknote in Australia - the CSIRO, the Reserve Bank of Australia and the University of Melbourne - have refined the product with clear holograms that cannot be forged, and patented the technology. Today, Australia has exported that technology to 25 different countries. The polymer material increases the lifespan of a banknote over a paper note tremendously (without researching, probably around 5 - 7 times, before they are are withdrawn from circulation as worn/soiled/torn).
And any of you Aussies out there that don't realise the great work that the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation has done over the years, check out on Google who invented WiFi. The CSIRO deveoped and patented it, but the technology was stolen and used by nearly all of the big ICT companies. The CSIRO launched actions against them in world courts, and the result was that large (many years ago) damages had to be paid by those huge multinationals of around 800M AUD - long time ago, but check for yourself. I would think that there should still be incoming royalties for the technology, but not sure on that.

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Re: Cambodia or Thailand

Post by ajarnudon » December 17, 2019, 12:27 am

I have had a permanent house in Udon for around 11 years now, but for the past six years have commuted to work in Banngkok while building a house in my wife's village about 25 kms from Udon. You really were an "institution" in Udon Ken, and I am sorry we didn't get to catch up before your move. Life will be cheaper for me when I retire soon, taking out air fares, dual rents, utilities etc. I hope that with having my own house the cost of living in retirement will make the Oz pension go further. The Immigration issues have never been a worry for me. But, like many others, I have thought about Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia as viable alternatives given the ever strengthening Thai Baht.
I have had two short stays in Cambodia, and enjoyed those times - the French left a wonderfu legacy with the bread. On the first occasion I hired a motorbike - for the benefit of others, great outside PP, but you place yor life at risk in the capital.

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pipoz4444
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Re: Cambodia or Thailand

Post by pipoz4444 » December 17, 2019, 2:08 pm

That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

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Re: Cambodia or Thailand

Post by Fuzzy Ken » December 17, 2019, 2:55 pm

ajarnudon wrote:
December 17, 2019, 12:27 am
I have had a permanent house in Udon for around 11 years now, but for the past six years have commuted to work in Banngkok while building a house in my wife's village about 25 kms from Udon. You really were an "institution" in Udon Ken, and I am sorry we didn't get to catch up before your move. Life will be cheaper for me when I retire soon, taking out air fares, dual rents, utilities etc. I hope that with having my own house the cost of living in retirement will make the Oz pension go further. The Immigration issues have never been a worry for me. But, like many others, I have thought about Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia as viable alternatives given the ever strengthening Thai Baht.
I have had two short stays in Cambodia, and enjoyed those times - the French left a wonderfu legacy with the bread. On the first occasion I hired a motorbike - for the benefit of others, great outside PP, but you place yor life at risk in the capital.
Many thanks for the kind words
Anyone with doubts about Cambodia should take a proper look with a visit. I have little knowledge about the provinces but Phnom Penh has plenty to offer. This city is modernising fast with several very large supermarkets, new hospitals and good WiFi etc. Of course, the big benefit is the ease of getting a visa. Within a couple days I acquired a one year multi entry visa. No 90 day reporting, no TM's, no insurance and no uncertainties. I tried to get a post office box in Udon but gave up after 12 years. I have a POB here in PP which took less than 12 minutes to get and costs $16 per year. All-in-all it makes such a nice change to playing games where the rules are constantly changing. I feel welcome here.

My restaurant in Udon is still open although with far fewer tourists, business is slack, I hope it will improve, my Lek is clinging on by her fingertips to keep the place open. Used books though, are proving to be our saving grace.

More about Cambodia at our blog https://www.fuzzykensblog.com
Good luck everyone
Fuzzyken

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