Phnom Penh trip report

I have just returned back to Pattaya from a 5 day visit to Phnom Penh. After arriving at the airport the process was fairly painless to get the tourist visa. Bangkok Air give out the visa forms and make sure you have a 6 x 4 passport size photo and $US30 cash. I will try another airline next time. Bangkok Air are expensive and you are bussed to the plane waiting 10 minutes away at the terminal at Bangkok. The boutique lounge is ok each way but nothing special. I heard Chinese airline JC Air are good for price and service and also fly from my preferred Suvarnabhumi airport to Phnom Penh. They might be worth a try next time i fly to Cambodia.


Just outside the terminal at Phnom Penh it was easy to get a sim card and i used a $US5 cellcard which gives you 3GB for 7 days service. I then avoided the pushy taxi guys outside and took the short walk out of the terminal to the hotel across the road and used the Grab app to order a taxi, about $US7 to my hotel. On the return trip I took one of the new tuk tuks which are also available on Grab app and cost $US5 including a tip plus any Cambodia money that I had left over. The tuk tuk was cooler and faster through the traffic than the air con car I took previously from the airport when I arrived.


I stayed at the Highland Hotel which is very close to the Toolbox Bar but never again. Tour groups use the hotel so it can be noisy and overall a fairly average place to stay. I learned my lesson, better hotels from here on in and no tour group hotels.


I heard from friends in Pattaya that the Toolbox bar was very good so that was my first bar stop in Phnom Penh. Doug the owner of Toolbox has spent plenty of time in Thailand and has implemented his own ideas on how a successful bar should be run to make it entertaining and enjoyable for the customers. What Doug has done with Toolbox bar works well and certainly was a lot of fun for myself and from my observations also for the other customers. The staff were very friendly, there was no begging for drinks and no mobile phones in sight on the 5 nights that I attended the bar. Most of the guys do have smart phones now compared to a few years back when they all had the old basic Nokias.


I did buy quite a few drinks at Toolbox and enjoyed chatting with the staff, most are studying English language so the conversation was quite good. When the guys had a drink they stayed with me instead of running off to chat with their friends or check grindr and facebook which happens quite often in the Thai bars.


At around 10pm and every 15 minutes till after midnight there was a very energetic dance routine by three or four very hot guys. Not a lip syncing ladyboy in sight and the guys really seemed to enjoy performing. The dancers mix with the customers or play some pool after the shows and were happy to chat, especially if you bought then a drink. I liked the high energy dancing and the breaks in between the shows were a good chance for a chat with the dancers and other staff and customers. I did not get free drinks or anything else to say good things about this bar, I had a good time there and this is my opinion. I am fairly bored with the rarely changing formula for entertainment or lack of entertainment used in most Pattaya bars, Nice Boys being one exception, so it was refreshing to see the shows and good attitude of the staff at Toolbox bar.


I think whether the staff are offable at Toolbox depends on how you connect with them but they are all gay. There are twinks, a couple of more lean muscle and average build guys. The off fee is $US10. There was a freelancer who was also on Grindr and hanging out with his friends at the bar and pool table with his shirt off and I did meet him in my hotel for $US20 the day after.


I walked past the Blue Chilli bar a few times but the staff looked mostly average build which is not my preference and I am over the ladyboy shows they have at 11pm some nights. From reviews online it is not strictly gay there anymore and there will probably be straight tourists including girls in there to watch the shows. Another customer at Toolbox on Saturday night had been at POC and Space bars earlier and did not have anything too complimentary to say about them. He did mention that if you like larger or more muscle build guys then those bars might appeal.


Heart of Darkness nightclub used to be the place to be after the gay bars had closed but that has become a backpacker haven and the music was extremely loud hip hop when I attended. I had memories of good music and many gay guys dancing and available there late at night from my previous trips to Phnom Penh but that seems to be history now. The gay guys prefer to go to Blueline club which plays Khymer music (Morlum style in Thailand) and is packed with customers every night.


There are masseurs advertising their services on Grindr and work at shops near the Riverside. Oil massage was $US10 for one hour and the happy ending which I usually refuse but because he was very good at doing so I let him continue and paid an extra $US10. He wanted me to go back the next day and fuck him but I had a very hot guy from Grindr in my room at that time. I gave him $US25 which included $US5 for the taxi. As far as the apps go there are many fake photos and you need to be careful to ask exactly what they will do and how much before making appointments. I only took one guy from grindr after seeing many photos and his assurance they were real. He would have been sent away if he was deceiving me but when he appeared he was very good looking and excellent sex, a very horny bottom.


There are many Chinese and other Asians visiting Phnom Penh, I went to the Naga World casino and I was the only non - Asian in both of the buildings amongst hundreds of people. I did hook up with a slim 26yo Chinese from the Blued app on a stopover to Siem Reap. He was a lot of fun and as usual with Chinese tourists that I meet in various countries there was no cost except for one drink which he had also offered to pay for.


There is not much to do in Phnom Penh in the day time if you have been there before and already visited the tourist sights. I took trips to the Aeon 1 and 2 shopping malls. Aeon 2 is larger and newer and built on a reclaimed lake and it is worth a trip just to see the development going on in Phnom Penh. There are hotels and condo buildings going up all over the city. I did notice some cruising happening in the toilet at Aeon 1 but there was always a cleaning lady hovering so I did not bother. For the more adventurous it might be ok but I would rather meet someone in the security of my hotel room. I might take some friends with me next time to Cambodia so we can go bowling or do some other activities together in the daytime.


I would not be interested to live in Cambodia. I went to the local market on Saturday and the lack of hygiene there was very evident. At least in Thailand they usually try and keep the flies away from the meat and fish. It is still a very poor country compared to Thailand which means there are many desperate people looking to make some cash. Security is also an issue with one street vendor warning me to keep my phone away from the street as someone might try to grab it while passing by on a motorcycle. In my opinion the facilities for foreigners are much better in Thailand. I did find most Cambodian people that I met to be very charming, especially the waiters and dancers at Toolbox bar and it was a good experience visiting Phnom Penh again for a change of scenery and bars.

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Originally Posted by aussie_

[FONT=&]I have just returned back to Pattaya from a 5 day visit to Phnom Penh. After arriving at the airport the process was fairly painless to get the tourist visa. Bangkok Air give out the visa forms and make sure you have a 6 x 4 passport size photo and $US30 cash. I will try another airline next time. Bangkok Air are expensive and you are bussed to the plane waiting 10 minutes away at the terminal at Bangkok. The boutiqu loung...


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Thank you for detailed report!

Couple of things regarding the commute,
you said Bangkok Airways is expensive airline, it is a low cost, budget carrier, it's impossible fly to PP and Siem Reap for less. Bangkok Air match prices on most routes to Air Asia fares, they are direct competitors. Bangkok Air usual BKK to PP rate is 1400 baht one way. How can you call this expensive? Air Asia matches that price... But,

Bangkok Air flies Suwarna, and for most people Suwarna is much preferable to DMK, Air Asia flies DMK only.
For traveller from Pattaya, getting to DMK is painfully time consuming, you won't find Pattaya - DMK taxi for less than 2000 baht, while Suwarna is 1000 baht any time. There is no direct bus line. There is a minivan tho, but if you are unlucky, the van is full, and since you have not much time left, your only option then is 2000 b taxi, I've been quoted 2500 as well.
If you really want to take a bus from Pattaya to DMK, you go to North Rd bus terminal, catch a bus to Ekkamai, or anywhere on BTS line, then Skytrain to Mo Chit, and from there A1 bus to DMK. If your flight from DMK is, say, at 20.00, you must leave Pattaya at least 14.00, I'd leave even earlier, BTS can be crowded at rush hour, A1 bus may get stuck in Bangkok traffic. Pattaya to Suwarna is 1.5 hours on bus or taxi.

Coming back with Bangkok Air you are landing at Suwarna and you can take super cheap 120 b bus to Pattaya, I find bus seats much more comfy than taxi seats, taxi usually Toyota Camry.
DMK offers no bus to Pattaya, DMK does have a shuttle every 30 min to Suwarna, but it can take 40 minutes, if there's traffic.
And then there's the DMK itself, smelly rundown shithole.

Flying to Cambodia, Bangkok Air is best choice, but even better option, if possible, avoid Cambodia.

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Originally Posted by DoubleDutch

you said Bangkok Airways is expensive airline, it is a low cost, budget carrier, it's impossible fly to PP and Siem Reap for less. Bangkok Air match prices on most routes to Air Asia fares, they are direct competitors. Bangkok Air usual BKK to PP rate is 1400 baht one way. How can you call this expensive? Air Asia matches that price... But,

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I always Fact Check and for this exercise Google Flights provided the following data for 21 November. Instead of quoting prices I'll use percentages

Air Asia (DMK) was the cheapest
Thai Smile (Swampy) was 30% more expensive
Bangkok Airways (Swampy) was between 85% and 288% more expensive depending on time of day
Thai Airways (Swampy) was 377% more expensive

Absolute poppycock Double Dutch! Grade A* Bullshit. For starters Bangkok Airways is not a low cost budget carrier. It is a full service airline with complementary food and drink and luggage included in the fare and even a lounge at BKK which is open to economy class passengers. Secondly it is normally more expensive than Air Asia although in my opinion better value for money. Thirdly it flies to Suvarnabhumi Airport not “Suwarna”. Finally there is lots to see in Cambodia including the incomparable beauty of Angkor Wat and I think your advise to “avoid Cambodia” is absurd - it is a wonderful country.

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Originally Posted by Andaman!

Absolute poppycock Double Dutch! Grade A* Bullshit. For starters Bangkok Airways is not a low cost budget carrier. It is a full service airline with complementary food and drink and luggage included in the fare and even a lounge at BKK which is open to economy class passengers. Secondly it is normally more expensive than Air Asia although in my opinion better value for money. Thirdly it flies to Suvarnabhumi Airport not “Suwarna”. Finally there is lots to see in Cambodia including the incomparable beauty of Angkor Wat and I think your advise to “avoid Cambodia” is absurd - it is a wonderful country.

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Buy a ticket 2 weeks in advance, and Bangkok Airways one way is 1400 baht. Is this expensive? There is no way to fly to Cambodia for less, do you get that part?
And that was clearly the point of my post, OP aussie_ was simply mistaken, when he claimed Bangkok Air is too expensive.

Just to annoy you further, I looked at Air Asia DMK - PNH booking 2 weeks from today, 3 weeks from today, lowest is 1530 baht one way. So not only is Bangkok Airways cheaper, it is "full service", as you pointed out, I was wrong to call it budget airline, meaning you get 1 free 33cl beer lol. Great success!

What exactly then is poppycock in my post? You prefer DMK to Suwarna? Fine, but you are then the only person on Earth who feels that way.


Apologies for misspelling Suwarna, but you knew what I meant. No? Here - Suvarnabhumi, hopefully now you understand which airport I was talking about. I call it Suwarna just to annoy you, and people like you. Did you know, people call it Swampy, had I used Swampy, would that have made you happy?

Nah, you'd still be upset, because Cambodia is a shithole, and you know it. Take Thailand, and make it worse in every single way, and you end up with Cambodia.

What's really bugging you? You have misfortune of having to live in Cambodia, and not in Thailand, because Cambodia is dirt cheap, and your pension stretches further there? I always meet expats from Thailsnd, who moved to Cambodia because of 50 cents beer.
Whatever your reasons, please don't tell me it's these fucking ruins lol

Did you catch any spelling errors, teacher?

Double Dutch - I don’t live in Asia and am not retired. My suggestion to you is to find a good psychiatrist who can help resolve your troubled and tortured mind. You will find life much more tolerable if you are more pleasant to people. Good luck.

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Originally Posted by Andaman!

Double Dutch - I don’t live in Asia and am not retired. My suggestion to you is to find a good psychiatrist who can help resolve your troubled and tortured mind. You will find life much more tolerable if you are more pleasant to people. Good luck.

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WTF was that lol.

I was not rude to you, it's you, who called my argument for Bangkok Airways poppycock, whatever that means. But I really was not rude, I only corrected what were clear, gross mistakes in OP post. That should not make you totally flip, and freak out.

Dude, it is not my fault Cambodia sucks, trust me, I wish it didn't, since the country is dirt cheap, beer 50 Cents US, cigs less than half of Thailand.
But food, oh man, it is nasty! You may think I'm exaggerating, I'm not. Thai food and Cambodia food are completely different, you'd think such close neighbors have similar food, unfortunately not even close.

So unless you are really struggling and every cents counts, no reason to go there.
Gay apps are dead, compared to Thailand, there is no gay areas such as in Bangkok and Pattaya.
Cambodia is truly a developing nations, with visible poverty, you see it everywhere, it is not a pleasant site.

But if you must go, fly Bangkok Airways, it is cheapest flight from Bangkok, to both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
Air Asia has now flights to Sianoukville, via KL, but for the love of God, don't go there.
There is nothing there! (Except some ruins in a forest)

Hi Aussie.

For me an interesting post and report. Especially since I am going to Cambodia for 4 days at the end of November, for the first time.

It's interesting to know about Toolbox, and will put that on my list to visit. Thanks also for the app and massage advice, and security etc.

For me I'll be doing the Air Asia option, though I'll be travelling from Pattaya to DMK, and I am under the impression there is a bus link from Suvarnabhumi.

I'll want to do the S1 and killing fields etc, and assume that tour guides are readily available?

Thanks.

The Killing Fields are a bit out of town but everything else is close by, if I recall.

Any tuk-tuk driver will take you. I paid $15 to go to the Killing Fields".

Thanks for that A!

I'm really looking forward to it!

aussie, thank you very much for your excellent report. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

It is unfortunate that double duch got wacked out and ran off on some bullshit about air travel but then we must wonder what runs through the mind of a person who dismisses Angkor Wat as ruins in the jungle when it is one of the great wonders of the world.

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Originally Posted by robofox

Hi Aussie.

For me an interesting post and report. Especially since I am going to Cambodia for 4 days at the end of November, for the first time.

It's interesting to know about Toolbox, and will put that on my list to visit. Thanks also for the app and massage advice, and security etc.

For me I'll be doing the Air Asia option, though I'll be travelling from Pattaya to DMK, and I am under the impression there is a bus link from Suvarnabhumi.

I'll want to do the S1 and killing fields etc, and assume that tour guides are readily available?

Thanks.

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We (friend and I) fully enjoyed our trip to Cambodia. Was not keen on Siem Reap, but Phnom Penh was nice, we did enjoy our stay.

The thing about Cambodia is it's not like Bangkok or Pattaya. It's diffrent. Yes it's cheap, but you can find guys there for pleasure! I hope to go again sometime soon.

The killing fields was a nice day trip, but sad but worth the visit.

We didn't manage to get to Sianoukville on this trip, as we had limited time, due to visiting Siem Reap, which was a waste of time. But next trip, we may go there, even if sex is not so available, but a visit to the beach is always nice, as there is not much to do during the day in Phnom Penh, especially if/once you've done all the siteseeing already?

Anyway, you can always find sex anywhere in Cambodia.

Just visit and enjoy yourself! See for yourself.

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Originally Posted by Blacktouch

We didn't manage to get to Sianoukville on this trip, as we had limited time, due to visiting Siem Reap, which was a waste of time.

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This depends entirely on what you are interested in.

The Angkor Wat temples are amongst the most amazing sights in the world. The centre of Siem Reap also has a nice vibe, or at least that's how it was on my previous 3 visits.

Phnom Penh does of course have more bars.

give me cambodia any day before thailand

Cambodia, especially Sihanoukville used to be my favourite beach holiday destination, but not anymore. Almost all of the rustic atmosphere is gone, especially the city beaches. With rubbish strewn everywhere and almost non-existant municipal cleaning services, I'm now back to Dongtan Beach. Earlier this year I noticed a great development project by Chinese investors taking the choicest beachfront real estate. Some of the favourite small hotels are no longer listed on Agoda, as they have been leased to Chinese companies. And the plastic pollution is too glaring and unsightly, even on the nearby islands. Prices have been on the rise. Boys have gravitated to Pattaya and Bangkok.

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Originally Posted by goji

This depends entirely on what you are interested in.

The Angkor Wat temples are amongst the most amazing sights in the world. The centre of Siem Reap also has a nice vibe, or at least that's how it was on my previous 3 visits.

Phnom Penh does of course have more bars.

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We visited Angkor Wat Temples. Was interesting to see. But once you've done that, no much else to do.

We still perfer Phnom Penh over Siem Reap.

Thanks for that Blacktouch.

I guess any Tuktuk driver will take me to the beach? If I have time lol.

Getting closer now!