No sex tourism policy

[vanek333]

Can someone tell us what this means as we are looking at hotels in Phnom Penh and most say this or have this worded on their web pages? Also can anyone recomend a good hotel in Phnom Penh

[lonelywombat]

have a look here. Manor House is very good.

phnom-penh-weekend-t27603.html (http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/phnom-penh-weekend-t27603.html)

[pong]

Can someone tell us what this means as we are looking at hotels in Phnom Penh and most say this or have this worded on their web pages?

As I have to follow tourist etc news: this is mostly specific NGO-Khmer: loads of NGO's there are having dozens of ''volunteers'' spying every single white tourist to see that s/he is not someone doing the most abject of any vice that currentday westerners can think of, esp. those of the english-speaking parts of this world. Persons <18.
Roughly the same wording is now used by travelgiants like Neckermann and ThCOoks etc in their travelcatalogues for nearly any place in this world that has a reputation for sex-tourism with underaged. I think in Khmerland they even have special stickers for that purpose. It makes an immense difference if your boy turns 18 tomorrow-or rather yesterday.

In Phnom Penh it seems there are two categories of hotels. The gay friendly ones try to make it plain on their websites that joiners are accepted. Manor House, for example, just requires the boy to be at least 18 yrs old. It can be a different boy (or two) every night.

A new gay run hotel is scheduled to open in Phnom Penh in mid-March, called the Rambutan, affiliated with Golden Banana in Siem Reap.

The other category of hotel features a prominent statement on their homepage saying тАЬNo Sex TourismтАЭ, or somewhere on the website it says that all guests must register upon checking in (= no joiners). In these hotels, if you are travelling with your partner, thereтАЩs no problem since youтАЩll both be checking in together. But donтАЩt expect to be able to bring a new friend back to your room later on.

[Beachlover]

Can someone tell us what this means as we are looking at hotels in Phnom Penh and most say this or have this worded on their web pages?
If you're a couple or you have no plans to invite guests back to your room, then you'll be fine staying there.

If you're going to there and plan to pick up, whether it be genuine pick ups or prostitutes you're paying, then don't stay in these places. Plenty of hotels that do not have this policy.


In Phnom Penh it seems there are two categories of hotels. The gay friendly ones try to make it plain on their websites that joiners are accepted. Manor House, for example, just requires the boy to be at least 18 yrs old. It can be a different boy (or two) every night...

... The other category of hotel features a prominent statement on their homepage saying тАЬNo Sex TourismтАЭ, or...
Gay friendly and joiner friendly are two different things... Don't get them mixed up.

A hotel can NOT allow joiners but still be gay friendly in terms of making same sex couples feel welcome and not abnormal. A hotel could also NOT be gay friendly, in terms of making same sex couples feel unwelcome/abnormal but still allow joiners, e.g. when single straight guys pick up chicks and take them back to their room.

I also read somewhere that one of the hotels displaying this "no sex tourism policy" is run by a gay guy/couple.

No need to obfuscate what I said above. Whether the hotel is run by straights or gays, if they say тАЬno joinersтАЭ, it means exactly that. The Utopia Phnom Penh hotel listing makes it quite clear for several of their entries whether joiners are allowed or not.

A couple going to Phnom Penh who have no need of additional company in their room really does not need to be concerned about any of this and can stay wherever they please.

[goji]

If your hotel doesn't declare policy on joiners, just e-mail them and ask before booking.

[Beachlover]

I should add that friends of mine mentioned the "no sex tourists" sign in a hotel they stayed in a while back and they had no problems with the place. They were a gay couple and a few singles (also gay) traveling in a group. I forget or didn't bother asking which hotel it was...

Pretty much every hotel in Phnom Penh is gay friendly. The ones with the "sex tourists not welcome" signs are just as gay friendly as the ones without.

Just as in Thailand, you are not going to be treated poorly because you're gay, except in very rare cases.

It's been a while since I viisted Phnom Penh but I can recommend the Foreign Correspondents Club... imperfect but comfortable enough boutique hotel, brilliant location on the riverfront, walking distance to a few gay bars and Heart of Darkness nightclub, highly recommend having breakfast in the open air bar over looking the river - try it out, even if you're not staying there. Oh and I had no problems inviting a couple of hook ups back to my room while staying there... friendly security guard was especially helpful helping one of my cute new friend secure his motorbike inside the hotel. :happy7:

[Khor tose]

Pretty much every hotel in Phnom Penh is gay friendly. The ones with the "sex tourists not welcome" signs are just as gay friendly as the ones without.

Just as in Thailand, you are not going to be treated poorly because you're gay, except in very rare cases.

:

This has been my experience also. I and my partner stayed in a very nice Chinese owned and ran Hotel just down from the Thai embassy and the staff treated us with complete courtesy, but had the no sex tourist sign in their lobby.

As I understand it, government policy in both Cambodia and Laos is that they don't want to follow Thailand's lead by becoming sex tourism destinations. Hence the notice in some hotels. "Don't bring your casual fucks here" might be a clearer message.

[alann]

I lived one year and worked there...I realised (even through some country music videoclips) of how intolerant Cambodia is toward gays, but worse for lesbians. It is a very macho society which the tourist doens't really perceive as such. They laugh at Thailand because of her tolerance of it.

What do you mean by joiners?

[Marsilius]

Joiners are people who you invite back to your hotel room without previously having checked them in as an official co-guest with you at the hotel.

[alann]

thanks for clarifying this.

I lived one year and worked there...I realised (even through some country music videoclips) of how intolerant Cambodia is toward gays, but worse for lesbians. It is a very macho society which the tourist doens't really perceive as such. They laugh at Thailand because of her tolerance of it.Ah, the voice of sanity. You won't last long here my friend if you keep up that approach.

[alann]

I lived one year and worked there...I realised (even through some country music videoclips) of how intolerant Cambodia is toward gays, but worse for lesbians. It is a very macho society which the tourist doens't really perceive as such. They laugh at Thailand because of her tolerance of it.Ah, the voice of sanity. You won't last long here my friend if you keep up that approach.

Meaning??? What is here (geographically or on the forum? Or are honest opinios not valued....I talk of experience...

[a447]

Alann, I think (hope) Kommentariat is being facetious here. He's saying that the board does not value people who tell it as it is.
Then again, I may have misread it.

I stayed at the Aqua guesthouse a few years ago (126 Street 63, Chaktomuk, Daun Penh, Phnom Penh 855). It's about a 15 minute leisurely walk to the river side. I took a boy back from the Blue Chilli Bar (wish I hadn't - he was a dud), and it wasn't a problem at all. Noone said anything.

I chose it because I had read on the net that joiners were ok. It is not a 5 star by any means, but my room was very clean and quite large. And it was in a quiet area.

[Neal]

Honest opinions, funny stories and reports on experience are always welcome on this board.

[a447]

Honest opinions, funny stories and reports on experience are always welcome on this board.

Hey Neal, you forgot one.
Honesty in the posts themselves.

I mean, you did just forget, didn't you?

[Neal]

I am getting weary of this conversation. In Posting Rules and Guidelines:


Sawatdee-gay-thailand.com an Anonymous Board

Sawatdee-gay-thailand is an anonymous board. It is not the job of the administrator or moderators to obtain the identity, age, or whereabouts of a poster member. It is not the administrator or moderators job to verify posts or their accuracy. The administrator and moderators only job will be to maintain a certain amount of calm on this board and to try and identify anyone who breaks the rules by attempting to obtain more than one username.


Now while some of you may wish to carry on arguements etc, the board does not need policemen. If you can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that someone is using multiple usernames you may at your discretion report that user and the names to any moderator via PM.

If your arguement pertains to the age, whereabouts, places a user visits, how many boys a poster has had, how much they have paid them or what they say they do or don't do, please refer to the above guideline. Might I suggest like I have done before that if you suspect someone is exaggerating in their posts and it bothers you to the point of starting a war or stalking them to the point that it becomes flaming then I suggest that member put the other member on ignore.

If the above explanation is not sufficient, the board is still for sale.

Further debate on the topic of what is allowed and what is not will be in the Posting Rules and Guidelines Forum.

[Beachlover]

I lived one year and worked there...I realised (even through some country music videoclips) of how intolerant Cambodia is toward gays, but worse for lesbians. It is a very macho society which the tourist doens't really perceive as such. They laugh at Thailand because of her tolerance of it.
I've only been to this country twice and only really mingled with the locals on my first trip (second trip was with my BF). So wouldn't say I have a great deal of experience but I think what you're saying is valid and true.

While I felt as comfortable in Cambodia as I do in Thailand about being gay, when I got to know some of the locals (and I'm talking about reasonably educated middle-class or trade trained guys here), they made it pretty clear that homosexuality is a fairly tough thing to get past your family there. Most of them had major issues with their families upon coming out or chose not to come out. This is much less the case among Thai guys I know.

So yeah, Cambodia is very gay friendly on the outside to us tourists, but underneath that, it's actually not so easy for the locals.

[Krazy4thai]

I stayed in Flamingo Hotel last year. I emailed before booking inquiring as to their Joiner policy. I was told all joiners would have to be registered. I had no problem and wasn't asked to register the few new friends I brought back with me. However I didn't push the point by bringing back too many joiners, only 1 per day. A couple of repeat encounters with previous lads tho.

There seemed to be a lot of str8 joining going on, which made me a little more relaxed the 1st time I brought someone back with me.

My outgoing personaity probably didn't hurt :happy7: as I became very well aquainted with the reception staff in short order. It's not a flash hotel, but quite comfy never the less. Also has elevators, a big plus for me. US$30/night. Good location, within a few minutes walk of Blue Chilli and a couple of other bars (one of which has moved I believe) and also a direct route to Sisowath Quay. I wouldn't walk it at night tho as $1 will get you there on a taxi bike.

Enjoy Cambodia, it's very different to Thailand, more different than I expected and very inexpensive too.