Safety in Cambodia

Hi Christine
Only answer"Safe in everywhere you go even at night".
social problems or tensions:corruption in everywhere.

its hard to say because it depends on where you go and what you do.

as expats / tourists we don't get to see much and mostly deal with hotels, restaurant staff, travel agencies, taxis etc.

in touristy areas one can be harassed by beggars, touts, street vendors and tuk tuks like everywhere in the world.

general rules apply everywhere  as in always checking your change, keep valuables out of sight and only take the necessary money you expect to spend for the day plus a little extra in case of emergency.  obviously as in all developing countries a foreigner will always be seen with a big dollar sign on their forehead. 

as someone once said: "coming from the west, we forgot what it means to be poor".  the other day i went to a remote village to help someone and i saw their living conditions; thus i can't blame them for wanting a better life at any cost.

as most foreigners here; we only see downtown Phnom Penh, Sihanoukvile, Kep and Siem Reap - and these are premium locations that the average local has only heard about.  but if you venture in the country side, then its a much different reality and one can understand why these people are attracted to the cities, foreigners, tourism etc.

i lived for a while next to a few embassies ( diplomatic district ) yet all the houses / villas were literally caged from the outside and barbwired.  some houses kept dogs while others had cameras and a night guard. 

needless to say that gambling and drug abuse are rampant among the locals of all ages and that's where theft, crime etc stems from.  some people might look nice and friendly but that's because they've had their fix.

perhaps, as in all cities around the world, venturing out at night alone can be considered unsafe.  one can find lots of drug abusers, alcoholics, bums roaming the streets, begging and trying to find a naive tourist to pickpocket.
plus the lack of police officers patrolling the streets.

in my opinion, the only social problems i've seen here are poverty, lack of well paying jobs, drug abuse and gambling.   some employees do get paid $80 to $120 a month; and its probably gone within the first 2 weeks.  the government is spending on infrastructure but i think they should also try to improve the people's living conditions and create more jobs for the younger generations.

hope this helps.

Many of my expat friends have been mugged, robbed, pickpocketed, had bikes or motos stolen, had stuff picked from their houses through the windows.

In Phnom Penh for sure, petty theft is a growing problem - not only at night; most cases happen in broad daylight. And the police is not helpful, since they take money for every report they write, and don't want to cut off their sources of income.

We have a security service for the entire street, which I'm very grateful for. Phnom Penh is not a safe city. But the problem is mainly petty crime, and not violent crime. So protect your homes, don't carry your passport with you all the time, don't carry large amounts of cash, keep an eye out for people who follow your moto... All the usual precautions should be sufficient.

I've heard living in the villages and provinces is entirely different - not the usual place for foreigners to live though.

Much safer than Baltimore or many inner cities in the USA

I was in sihnoukville for 6 months and was never comfortable leaving my motorbike parked as there is a lot of theft. Heard of the rental companies stealing their bikes back and making the renters pay for lost bike. Some people I knew there were robbed after leaving the bar at night. I moved back to Vietnam where I find it much more pleasant. I did spend 3 days in kampot on way back and enjoyed it and felt much safer and at ease.I have traveled all my life and lived in Mexico for 8 years before Asia and found Cambodia more lawless than most places

I live in Phnom Penh and it is one of the safest capital cities I have stayed in the world. I often visit Kampot and that is very safe. I would advise to take a bit more care when visiting Sihanoukville.

The only problem I have run into, other than the usual overcharging, is NEVER been paid back for any loans of any size to Khmer. They seem to think that because we are Farangs, we all have money to throw away. I have not been repaid for several loans from my WIFE's family. First $500 to a brother, then an "investment" of $3000 to lease a cashew orchard, for which I got back only $900. I now NEVER loan money to  Khmer.
On the positive side, I have never been robbed, or had my house broken into. I am not  a bar-hopper kind of guy, and rarely stay out late, and very rarely, when I do so, am I alone. I am always armed as well.

I've lived here for 10 years, mainly in Phnom Penh.

Do I feel safe in Phnom Penh? In broad daylight in busy areas. Yes.
At night in company with others, Yes.
On my own at night in unlit areas, definitely no.
Along riverside at any time.... be very careful

There is simmering undertone of social unrest which will only increase as the 2018 election draws nearer. In the meantime the good squads will come out in force and beat the hell out of anyone who opposes them, innocent or otherwise. If this sort of behaviour continues expect social disorder or worse to increase as the younger generation have had enough!

Level of safety. 5/10 country wide

Yes, I feel safe in PP, Yes, I can walk day and  at night without any fear. Criminality is everywhere, I cannot say only in Cambodia. Any how we should take care ourself. that is much better. thats all..

Do you feel safe in Cambodia? Generally Yes
How would you define the level of safety in the country? I haven't experienced much of the real country areas but Sihanoukville is much the same as PNH.
Can you walk safely during the day and at night without any fear? Yes but exercise caution once outside the well lit zones later at night - it is no different to anywhere else in the world
Do you think there is a high rate of criminality, social problems or tensions?
Yes of course; driven by poverty and lack of education and opportunity but at present virtually no tension, this changes as elections and wages are negotiated annually.
Share with us your insight on safety in Cambodia and in the city you live in.
Phnom Penh for the most part is safe and as a white female I have experienced minimal problems (but dont be careless with bags, phones etc or you are asking for trouble, remember people are often desperate  and will steal just to survive).
Thank you in advance,

Christine,
                On a personal level, I feel safe as I'm in the security business & have been working / living in Cambodia on / off since '74. From a general perspective with regards to the public arena whether they come on holidays & or are based here for a specific period, it really comes down to a degree of common sense & simply being aware ! If you apply both of these 24/7 then you have to be pretty unlucky to get into a situation / incident. Same applies back in our home countries. as we all know. Theft is an issue & sometimes physical assault in relation to theft, so again, don't wander around in the middle of the night dead drunk & expect to get home, because there is a good chance at some stage if you do it often enough, that you will face some challenges ????

Hi Folks. The safety in Cambodia is good in comparison to any country in the Western World.
The Police however do not want to help unless you pay them to chase a criminal. The Khmer Government of his Excellency Hun Sen definitely needs to do something quickly about the lack of voluntary Law Enforcement with bribery and corruption.Which also includes the Gate Keepers at all the Courts.They are the Clerks and deputy prosecutors aswell. The Judges and Lawyers practice a law of their own and therefore don't follow the Rules and Regulations of their own Written Laws that the Government already has in place,but sad and disappointing to add,they simply ignore the laws and carry on their own corrupt way of proceeding with the complaint lodged with them.
Kampot is very safe except for Moto Thefts just like other cities in Cambodia. And the use of Yamma causes some other crimes like Shoulder bag or necklace snatching these goods from some thieves on Motor bikes.
Keep your house locked or else they might burgle you,while your out or asleep. Cheers other than those main points Cambodia is a lovely country,with good friendly locals generally speaking. Do not trust anybody especially Tuk Tuk and Moto Dup (taxi's) ask the price before you commence your ride. Shops will always try to scam a higher price for westerners shopping.Bargaining is the Key word in Cambodia.

I was posted to phnom penh, cambodia for work for 2 years.  However, 5 months after i arrived in phnom penh, I was robbed while travelling in a tuktuk and it was less than 100metres away from my apartment. I board the tuktuk at the riverside on or about 9pm. I screamed very loudly and there was many people standing outside their shops and restaurants just staring at this "drama" act. No one came to help and the tuktuk driver turned off his motor engine. My whole sling bag which was all along on my shoulder was snatched.

After almost year, one evening I was walking back to my apartment in BKK1 area, a motorcyclist came from the pavement and snatched by small purse which I was carrying very close to my chest. As usual, you can scream and yell and no one dares to come and help.

During my 2 years stay in Phnom Penh, i was robbed twice and lost 5 handphones. I wont advise anyone to walk alone or carry any bags while walking in the street at night. I was lucky to escape without any cuts . One of the friend was also robbed while travelling in a tuktuk and he tried to wrestle with the thief and end up with cuts on his arms.

I have travelled to many countries and Cambodia is really not a safe country. Always put minimum cash in your pocket including handphones.

I was living in Bkk. now I feel perfectly safe here.

Good Question.  Let me say I'm an American who loves the Kingdom of Cambodia.  I've lived in Siem Reap for 3 years though not in a "touristy" area.  I must admit I'm not a night owl so generally don't find myself out late at night except when I travel around this wonderful country. I have travelled quite a bit, predominantly in the Third World, and my experience is that taking the few precautions I would take in The States will keep me safe and secure here in Cambodia.  I've never been robbed/mugged in The States (I'm 71)  OR Cambodia although I would venture to say that if I were robbed/mugged in The States it would more likely be at the point of a gun than here in Cambodia.  My sense is that in the rural areas......Kratie, Ban Lung, Kampot, Anlong Veng, Banteay Mancheay, Kampong Cham and Kompong Thom I am safe at any time.  I am most cautious in Sihanouk, Phnom Penh, Battambang and Siem Reap, IN THAT ORDER. One last thing, the person who commented that you can't expect help from the police if you are a victim was absolutely correct, unfortunately.

Someone attempted to rob me from my tuk tuk once but I managed to wrestle the bag out of their hands and save my bag. If I didn't have my head screwed on however I probably would have lost my bag, but my tuk tuk driver tried his very best to swerve away from the motorbike rider that tried to steal from me.

Another time I had some money stolen but it was only about 1500 riel so I didn't really mind, and it was left in plain sight so anyone could have stolen it so I think that was more my fault.

And one time I was on the back of my friend's moto and some guys attempted yet again to steal some stuff from me but I said to them "no chance" and they drove off.

My boyfriend is Khmer and he always makes sure I'm home before it gets dark (he worries a lot). It's safe to say I've been lucky, but I always check my person whenever I go to a market or a busy place etc. and bring a strap bag or backpack with me to places, that and only take essential money with me and put my moto keys someplace safe.

Cambodia can be a safe place, but in general I would advise anyone that comes here (but really this goes for any place you go to) to be wary of anything strange and be on your guard especially in a tuk tuk.

Safe travels

Sadly, the police force in Cambodia is not keeping pace with the needs of the increase in tourist numbers.  Until the government addresses this problem, the crime rates will increase.  The country will go the way of Thailand and numerous other countries where underpaid and uneducated police collude with local criminals to fleece unsuspecting visitors.   Many young Khmers have been extradited from the street corners of America back to Phnom Penh, bringing with them innovative ideas on how best to rob the unsuspecting.  Drive by robberies where they knock you off the back of the moto are but one example. Do not carry wads of cash with you.  ATMs are on every corner, so no need for extravagance.  Be sensible.  Don't get drunk and wander around late at night.  Keep your wits about you.  I managed 6 years in wonderful Sihanoukville without being mugged.  Enjoy your stay.

hi Christine.....

I can only speak from my own experiences and ive only been coming to Cambodia since march 2012. Ive spent roughly 28 months in cambodia since 2012 and will be returning next month to live  10-11 months out of the year. Im from California and ive lived a bit in Brasil, traveled extensively throughout North, central,and south America as well as SE Asia. For me, Cambodia is the safest country ive ever lived in as far as crime goes. Is it perfect no but when you speak of big cities Phnom Penh has nowhere close to the amount of crime that most major cities around the world deal with. ive walked at all hours of the night alone at least 100 times in Phnom Penh and never been approached. ive seen two purse snatchings both in kampong som where there seems to be a higher rate of drug addicts than anywhere else ive been in the kingdom. If youre in a big city just keep your big city wits about you and stay on guard. ive ridden my moto everywhere leaving from siem reap to phnom penh to mondalkiri to ratanakri back to PP to kampong som to koh kong than to kampot  to kep and ive never had one problem other than the shakedown from the local cops
(sihanoukville cops are the worst). So id say you have a much bigger chance getting ripped off by the cops. The most likely place you will meet up with a criminal will be in poipet on the border at Aran thailand where scams and opportunist lay in wait for careless gullible tourist. So take it from  a guy who gets up every morning and puts his 9mm under the driver's seat every morning in oakland california usa, Cambodia is one of the the safest, most  beautiful, frustrating and heart wrenching places ive ever seen.

Very well said Oakland, California. I to originate from California for most of my working life. I have been coming from this part of the world for almost thirty years and have become very versed on the Asian countries and half of the Polynesian islands.  Have been to PP planing my return in weeks time to check out the south beaches to see which is suitable for me to live.  When I first came to Thailand it was like Cambodia.  It has gotten worse due to all western-ism they have obtained or should I say democracy over the years.  I have nothing against my country America, it has to do with the people in it.  Oakland, uh very rough city.  Myself Los Angeles.  Right now I fancy PP, but that can change.  I don't want to give Thailand a bad rap so it is still a lot safer then America.  A lot of people don't like the coup in the globe, but it is not a coup like I have ever seen before.  I like what they have done in Thailand, cleaned house on a lot of garbage that have come to this country over the years. When I first entered Thailand years ago there were no beggars on the street and no drugs running ram-pit in the country. Thai people went out of their way to help you before. Now that has all changed in the main tourist areas.  All the crap and garbage have been coming here teaching the people their bad habits.  Thailand was always on the top of my list now it is time to back up a few years and live in an area like Thailand use to be.  I will always keep my retirement visa up to date in Thailand and I will always have a Cambodian visa up to date.  The best of both worlds.  I am happy to hear Cambodia clamped down on the NGO's because if not it brings out all the cockroaches from all over the world to feed on the ones that can not help themselves. This includes some other country governments to. Also they sent a top cop (police man) down to Sihanoukville form PP to clean house which is a good thing.  He can only do so much but a little cleaning up helps a lot. Just hope he stays safe.  Money can buy anything or anyone.  It is time in my life again to explore and be adventurous and I have picked Cambodia for that .  I will live longer being adventurous in this part of the world than in America. 

Wow .... I'm shocked.
Thanks for the inside info...I live in Chinag Mai and have never once considered safety as a factor in anything I do ....night or day.

I don't consider safety as a factor in Chang Mai because you have the universities there and education makes a difference anywhere in the world. But the coup did go there and did some house cleaning also, because again the western garbage started to migrate there on a larger scale. I have been there and find it a beautiful place to visit and live if you like.  I favor Chang Rai more so myself. When I am tired of Pattaya I go up in the country to Chang Rai which has changed quite a bit but for the good.  I did not say all Thailand I said the tourist areas.  The coup save the larger areas for cleaning last I have seen this with my own eyes.  I have been coming here and staying off and on since 1988 so I think I know a little of what is happening in Thailand. If you are new and only been here for a few years then you accept what you see at present.

I wasn't responding to your post at all...it was a general observation...and no not new...

hey golden ...

i was just down in long beach mission viejo and san juan Capistrano. ive been negotiating with the boys and girls club national office in atlanta and now have the letter in principle from Cambodian government and boys girls club of America to open up the first club outside the usa  that is not on a military base. the best of what our country is about as i grew up a boys club kid and  so  excited that my dream is about to really happen.
im not afraid to say i hate having to go meet friends in bangkok and pataya and phuket are places ill never go to again. after hearing from 5-6 guys that they were  jumped by groups of locals for no reason i got my chance l last December when six drunk thais decided to try and put me in the hospital. My aau boxing and the fact that i wasnt drunk left me unscathed other than a couple knees to the back. the north chang mai chang rai udon thani are ok for me because issan is a place where you can find peaceful and friendly people.
.

Sounds great will it be in PP? If so keep me up to date. Sounds like one in god knows how many good NGO's to help the people. My trip back to PP this time is to locate a living spot. So if the boys club will be located in PP I would love to join you in this venture.  Growing up in the Boys Club and YMCA myself in
Connecticut where I was born. Oh yes and being a Boys Scout when I was in grade school.