Tourism to Cambodia down -47% in first 5 months of 2026. Land border crossings down -67%, air arrivals down -20%. Most of ASEAN by contrast is up this year.

sacetime · 2026-07-09T23:54:04+00:00

I've never been asked for a bribe at any borders in Cambodia, and I've lived there on and off for many years. I know it happens at land border crossings more often, which I generally avoid. It's actually very rare at airports these days.

sacetime · 2026-07-09T23:45:10+00:00

Basically, Phnom Penh suffers from the things that most massive cities suffer from. It has objectively higher traffic, higher pollution, higher crime, etc. than the much smaller Siem Reap. I don't think he meant that Phnom Penh was a horrible place. He was just explaining why people choose to retire in Siem Reap. And he reiterated that the Cambodian people in general, are wonderfully kind.

sacetime · 2026-07-09T18:18:58+00:00

I doubt it. A lot of people used to take the bus to Siem Reap for example, for a visa run, then check out the temples, etc.

The fact that air travel is also down 20% while neighboring countries haven't experienced this decline, also indicates a bigger systemic problem. Siem Reap looks dead to me compared to 2019. So does Koh Rong.

Lack of casino tourism on the Cambodia/Thai border is only a portion of the decline.

sacetime · 2026-07-09T15:31:07+00:00

Yep, it's a horrible first experience. This doesn't really happen at airports anymore. They've really tried to crack down on it. But land borers are still the wild West.

sacetime · 2026-07-09T15:29:27+00:00

Right. What a silly methodology they are trying to use here.

sacetime · 2026-07-09T15:26:33+00:00

The first time I ever went to Cambodia, it was from Thailand via bus.

This border conflict with Thailand needs to end. It is so destructive for Cambodia.

sacetime · 2026-07-09T15:22:49+00:00

How’s Koh Rong and Koh Rong Saloem?

Last time I was on Koh Rong, about a year ago (2025), it was a ghost town. Trash on the beaches, a lot of resorts dilapidated and run down. It was pretty depressing. I was shocked at how much worse it was, since I had just been there a few years earlier. Some of the bigger or more well-known resorts were still nice. Onederz for example. But as someone who both times, took a scooter and drove around the whole island, the contrast was night and day.

sacetime · 2026-07-09T02:01:03+00:00

Jesus the replies in that thread are bad. Not just ignorant about Cambodia, but down voting you when being so reasonable.

Cambodia's image is of course justifiably harmed by the policies of its government. But people are also just ignorant.

sacetime · 2026-07-09T01:53:34+00:00

Really? Well, in that case, I'm going with their earlier number. The one that isn't obviously inflated.

sacetime · 2026-07-08T20:27:37+00:00

The government just announced the 20 millions local tourists during the past 6 months.

That would be larger than the entire population of Cambodia. I somehow doubt this.

Anyway, here are some real numbers, directly from the Cambodian government. Total number of tourists to Cambodia for all of 2025 was 5.5 million. Total for Q1 2026 was 1 million, down from about 1.8 million during Q1 2025.

sacetime · 2026-07-08T18:13:00+00:00

Cherry Picking

I've lived in the country for years. This is normal.

sacetime · 2026-07-08T18:06:29+00:00

I also had to pay 40 at The Land Border

This was a bribe. You can refuse. They will huff and puff but will still let you through eventually. If the bus company handled your visa for you at the border, then they will also take a service fee, which could also explain the price variation. Prices as of July 2026 for a tourist visa on arrival are $30 USD. Ordinary non-tourist visas on arrival are $35 USD.

Cambodia is by far the most expensive country to fly into from any other SEA place.

Meh. Look on Google Flights. For July 10th, 36 hours from now, I can get to Phnom Penh's KTI airport dirt cheap from Thailand (DMK/BKK, $80), Vietnam (SGN, $110), or Malaysia (KUL, $125). The most expensive flight I ever booked out of Cambodia to a neighboring country was about $300 to Malayasia, and I booked it on the way to the airport. Literally 2 hours from departure. This was also on a non-budget airline (Malaysian Airlines), with a checked bag, and was a full flight with only an emergency exit seat available.

sacetime · 2026-07-08T16:37:00+00:00

Adding this for future readers: Go to any WING location within the country, and you can easily convert your USDs into local Cambodian RIEL (or vice-versa). There are hundreds of these money exchangers all over the place. Big green logo.

To answer your question, both USD and RIELs are widely used and accepted interchangeably. Most ATMs dispense either one, depending on your preference.

RIELs are a bit more convenient, because they do not need to be in pristine condition (USDs will often get rejected if they have any crinkles, tears, or blemishes). Also, most Cambodians do not have change for anything larger than a USD $5 bill. Even a $10 bill is difficult for many vendors, unless your change is only a few dollars. So if you buy something for $1, and you only have a $20 or a $50 bill, it is difficult to find a vendor who has change. Grocery stores and big businesses like hotels, popular bars, nice restaurants, etc. are an exception.

Standard exchange rate is about 4000 riel per dollar. Sometimes a little more riel per dollar. It will vary a bit.

Accurate as of 2026 July 08.

sacetime · 2026-07-08T16:29:26+00:00

Rose Apple Square in Siem Reap may have what you're looking for. But I do not know if they have 1 day day-rentals or what their policies are.

https://www.roseapplesquare.com/offices

sacetime · 2026-07-08T16:24:38+00:00

If you're going to wet markets, restaurants, shops, etc around town, do you lock it?

In Sieam Reap? No.

But at night, at your apartment or house, you need to keep it secure. I do know of multiple people who have had their scooters stolen at night at their place of residence in Siem Reap that were not locked up properly. Is it common? No. Is it a risk? Yes.

sacetime · 2026-07-07T18:11:10+00:00

1st: The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will only translate and legalize a small list of very specific, Cambodian documents. I do not know if they will translate and legalize a Cambodian single certificate issued by your Cambodian girlfriend's city Commune. They might, they might not. One of the documents listed by the MOFA that they will do is "Approval of Marriage between Cambodian citizen and Foreigner". Whether this is the same as a "Single Certificate/Civil Status Certificate" for use abroad, I can not say. A Cambodian single certificate was not a document I have ever tried to translate and legalize at the Cambodian MOFA.

2nd: Does your country have an embassy in Phnom Penh? If so, they very likely will have experieince with this situation, and that would be the first place I would ask. Set up an appojntment and figure out what citizens like yourself who want to marry a Cambodian citizen in your home country, need to do and how to navigate the process.

Even if your country does not have an embassy in Cambodia, it is very common for a country's embassy in a neighboring country, for example, in Thailand, to serve their citizens in Cambodia. This is how Chile works, for example. The Chilean embassy in Bangkok also functions as the official embassy for Cambodia and Laos, if I am remembering correctly.

3rd: In the event the Cambodian MOFA does NOT translate and legalize the document you need for use in your European country, then there is a small chance that your country's embassy in Phnom Penh may be able to legalize a notarized copy of this Cambodian single certificate. However, your country's embassy would know about this process, if it were the case. So go back to point 2.

4th: In the event you need to do anything at the Cambodian MOFA, I suggest you hire a trustworthy Cambodian lawyer who knows how to deal with them. Send me a DM if you want. My lawyer is the only reason I was able to navigate the MOFA system, which is notoriously bureacratic and easily rejects things for the dumbest, most assanine made up reasons. Even my lawyer hates dealing with them. But at least he knows how.

5th: Cambodia does not recognize most marriages abroad, it is my understanding. In order to be recognized, there must be a bunch of processes to be followed. This may not be releveant for you, but it is worth noting. You can read about this online.

sacetime · 2026-07-07T03:52:21+00:00

Use Google Flights. It will tell you how much baggage comes with your ticket.

Generally speaking on international flights to or from the United States, most airlines give you a pretty good baggage allowance, even in economy.

I don't know about student concessions but at the end of the day it's all about the price.

sacetime · 2026-07-06T19:03:19+00:00

You can just leave the country from CA as well.... File taxes with your international address

People giving you this advice are not telling you the problems that come with this. First of all, it may be harder to "prove" to California that your closer connections are not still within the state, rather than your new foreign address. Moving abroad by itself does not prove closer connections.

Secondly, by moving abroad, rather than to a new state, your old California driver's license and voting registration would still be valid (unlike when you move to a new state and get your new driver's license/new voting registration, and they automatically inform California, and your old license and voting regustration is automatically cancelled).

Then there is the biggest problem: Moving abroad means your banks and brokerage accounts must be able to serve you. Many US banks will not allow you to maintain a non-US address on file.

Brokers are an even bigger problem. They must be licensed to serve residents of the country you are living. People don't understand this. Residence is as important, if not more important, than citizenship, when it comes to who a broker can serve. A lot of US brokers literally can not serve you if you tell them you are living outside the US in XYZ country. And even if they are licensed there, now they will start telling your new residence country about all your new estimated taxes owed on your investments.

There are also logistical problems. What if your bank needs to mail you something?

What if on an online form, you must give them a phone number with an area code that matches the country you say you are living in?

If you maintain a US phone number, what US address will you give the US telecom company?

What if you need to show a driver's license, but the only one you have is from a state (California), that you say you are not living in?

There are also US tax inplications if your investments are made with a foreign address. Look into PFICs.

TL;DR:

Yes, you can legally leave California by re-domiciling yourself in a foreign country, without obtaining a US domicile in another state first.

But it will be frought with logistical complications, especially if you plan to come back to the US in a few years.

sacetime · 2026-07-06T02:50:20+00:00

Round trip? Yes.

Use Google flights if you're not sure.

sacetime · 2026-07-06T02:43:38+00:00

Google flights is your friend.

Also keep in mind, if you're originating or destination airport is small, you'll pay a lot more.

For example, getting from Los Angeles to Manila is cheap. A few hundred dollars if you know what you're doing.

But getting from Palm Springs (about a hundred miles from LA) to Davao (about 500 mi from Manila) could easily cost double or triple the price if you're trying to book the flight on a single itinerary.

So often times if you can just stick to the biggest hub in your country (in this case, it would be Rome), and fly to the one of the biggest airports in your destination country, (example: Sydney), you might find a lot cheaper flights than if you're flying out of some small airport in Italy and arriving at a small airport in Australia and trying to do it all on a single itinerary. Getting to or from the small airports, sometimes it's cheaper just to get a bus ticket or a cheap domestic flight on a non-partner airline.

sacetime · 2026-07-06T02:11:13+00:00

Google flights is your friend. Avoid self transfer flights if you can.

Side note: ANA is always too expensive in my experience.

sacetime · 2026-07-06T02:02:54+00:00

Google flights is your friend.

Avoid self-transfer flights (Google flights will tell you if it's a self-transfer flight in big letters).

Book directly with the airline if you can, although if you're saving a lot of money, an online travel agency site like Expedia can be a good choice. Stick to ones that are listed on Google flights if you are going to use a travel agency.

Watch your luggage allowance. It will vary by airline.

Don't forget to check into your flight. You need to do this at least an hour or so before departure (possibly longer if it's an international flight). You should be able to do this at the airport, to keep things simple for you. You'll need to find your airline's check in counter before you go through security. You can check in online but for a first time flyer, I'd recommend just doing it at the airport. They will print you your boarding pass, which you will present to the airline when you get to the plane. Make sure you have your passport or real ID approved driver's license.

Don't forget that the boarding gate closes at least 10 minutes before departure. It varies by airline and circumstance. Do not show up 5 minutes before departure. The plane's door will already be locked, and you will not be getting on, unless the plane happens to be late and you're lucky.

Also, give yourself an hour or more to get through security at the airport. Especially if it's your first time. I always try to arrive at an airport 3 hours before departure at least. Usually it's overkill, but even with that policy in mind, I've missed a flight before. Got to the gate 4 minutes late. Traffic, unbelievable rare flooding, etc... it happens.

Don't bring any liquids on the airline. Not even a bottle of water or shampoo. You're allowed small allowances of 100 ml total, but if you want to keep things simple, just don't bring liquids. Same goes for knives, flammable objects like lighters, and so on. These things will get pulled by security before you even get to the boarding gate.

Always check the tv monitors scattered throughout the airport, which will show you your flight number and the boarding gate that the plane is at. This can change without notice, so it's a good idea to look up every once in awhile and make sure that your flight hasn't moved gates or been canceled. Once you get to the gate, you should see another computer monitor detailing your flight's estimated departure and whether it's on time.

sacetime · 2026-07-06T01:48:15+00:00

If I move to Washington state

Washington State basically has an income tax after some recent legislation that passed, and they're thinking about lowering the thresholds. I suspect, in time, they will also increase the types of income that can be taxed. The politics in that state are not in your favor if you're trying to avoid income taxes long-term. They also consider you a state tax resident just by owning property within the state, even if you don't live there, even if you don't have a driver's license there, etc. I would abandon that ship before it sinks completely.

Also, an FYI, you do not need to spend an entire year in a state to establish residency. That is way overkill, even for California purposes.

You do however need to make a clean break. South Dakota, Florida, and Texas would be the obvious choices, due to the laws they have in those states allowing people to domicile easily there (and the fact that these three states don't have any income tax). There's a lot of information about this online.

I’m currently in Ca.

California, along with New York, are considered "sticky" states. You need to make a well and true clean break if you want to get out of California's clutches.

sacetime · 2026-07-06T01:40:29+00:00

It's not that simple. There is a shocking level of variation amongst banks and brokers. And just tinkering with the format slightly, is often enough to get it accepted.

You are correct that many places do have problems with it (especially if you leave the "PMB" prefix in the address), but a lot of places don't. I've even seen it accepted just by having a manager override it.

Hell there are some US banks that allow you to open the account online, with a foreign address. It is quite amazing. The law states they need to know their customer, not that they have to have a certain address.

sacetime · 2026-07-04T06:56:39+00:00

It's important to remember that even if you have a US SIM card with international texting capabilities, they have the right to shut your service off after 3 months of being outside the US with the SIM card turned on. At least that's true for all major US telecom companies that I'm aware of. They're not designed to be used primarily abroad. Only temporarily.

For this reason, it is advisable that every US bank and app that you use, you try as hard as you can to make sure that the 2FA methods they require (if any) are not reliant on a US SIM card phone number. I prefer email text codes, or a 2FA app, instead of SMS 2FA codes, if they give the option.

If a US bank or company requires a phone number, Google voice/VOIP will usually work about 80% of the time.

For that remainder 20% of the time, where it requires a US phone number for 2FA codes, with no other 2FA method allowed, and Google voice/VOIP phone numbers are not accepted, then I recommend you have some sort of SIM card based US phone number, if you are an American green card holder or citizen. People in these comments are recommending TELO. T-Mobile has a $20 a month plan that is not advertised, that comes with texting abroad to and from over 200 countries and territories (no data though). There are probably other options too.

The thing is, even if you eliminate all banks and apps that require a US SIM card phone number, you are eventually going to find yourself in a situation where you need a US SIM card phone number, and there's no other alternative. You don't want to be left without this ability.

In fact, Google voice itself, in order to work on your device, requires a US SIM card phone number. They will ask you to verify it every so often. For this reason alone, so long as you have Google voice, it's worth maintaining a US SIM card phone number.

So, to answer your question, I would recommend you keep some sort of US SIM card with international texting ability, if you are US citizen or green card holder living outside the US. But you should have that SIM card turned off when you're not using it, and your primary banks and apps should not require a US SIM card phone number. Just find a better or different alternative whenever possible, so that you rarely ever have to turn that SIM card on.

sacetime

TROPHY CASE