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Cambodia Changes


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Just back from a two day lightening fast business trip to PP.

 

I have to say the place has changed in a few years, lots of very nice cafe's, restaurants, hotels around the city.

 

Still rougher than Vientiane, but not a bad place to visit.

 

Don't do the nightlife, so no idea about that, but as a overall comment, the city is getting better, nicer, cleaner and more liveable.

 

 

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Like many people here I member when it was really gnarly- Late 80'sI was on a moto around 11PM going back to thehotel and was chased by a moto dude who was firing an uzzi into the air...his way of telling me to stop so he could rob me...

 

I threw my fake wallet on the ground and kept going and then there was the time they were bombing the airport...and on and on.THe KR used to come in during the day and return at nite... That km 11 brothel place was also gnarly-never did the nite life there but it was anadventure to be sure-

 

So PP is being gentrified?-Headed back in 2 months so should be intellesting

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So PP is being gentrified?-Headed back in 2 months so should be interesting

 

Definitely! I have been there 3 times by now, 2004, 2005 and two months ago. The changes at the river front and the surrounding area are remarkably. When I visited PP in 2005 the tourist area ended at my hotel (River Star) one or two streets before the open air market. Now there are new restaurants and shops beyond the hotel and there is 136 street behind the market with several hostess bars with BG's.

 

Previously it was difficult to find good restaurants, except the usual places with back packer food (pizza, e.g.), now you can have real good Thai food for example. Also there now many places for traditional massage, but they are quite expensive compared to BKK.

The years before it was very difficult to spend much money in PP. This time went with a BG to a nice looking restaurant at the river front and two steaks, salad, desserts and some wine did cost me around 40-50US$ (and the food wasn't even that good). :p

 

IMHO the quality of life has increased considerably in PP, which makes a visit in PP more pleasant. But of course it has lost its feel of being a 'frontier town' with its Wild West atmosphere.

 

Unfortunately the change to the better does not apply that much to the night life scene. Even there can be found a abundance of bars now - in the (in)famous 51 street, the new 104 and 136 streets and other places - with many, many girls, the attitude of the girls went down IMHO.

Most bars look the same anyway. They are just hole in the wall places with a long bar counter, some tables and more or less blaring music and with girls waiting to receive LD's from Barangs.

 

First, there are girls who don't go with customers, but are happy to receive as many LD's a possible. This did happened to me at the bar Zanzibar at 136 st. But I wasn't the only one, another guy at the table next to me had spend around 100 US$ on drinks for himself his wingman and several girls only to be turned down by a girl in the end.

 

Second, there was less of a GF experience compared to previous visits. One girl had a funny answer after I asked her why she wanted to leave after finishing the first round: "Oh, I don't know you well enough for Long Time". :):doah:

 

Third, the girls were much more mercenary in general. Two of them tried to earn money without even delivering. For example I met a girl who was really funny and the first evening and night was very nice. Therefore I took her a second night and at the beginning we had a great evening at a Khmer disco (Club Orange, without almost any other barang), but after returning to the hotel she decided to leave immediately...

:onfire:

 

In BKK I never negotiated neither prices nor LT or ST before leaving a bar, but it seems that in PP I need to negotiate everything before even buying a LD.

 

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Unfortunately the change to the better does not apply that much to the night life scene.

 

I guess that goes to show that YMMV. I went for the first time last year and received exceptional service. At a price of US $20 LT and good lookers to boot. :thumbup:

 

My only "complaint" is that you have to work a bit harder to find the stunners, since they arent as concentrated as in BKK or Pattaya.

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

... In BKK I never negotiated neither prices nor LT or ST before leaving a bar' date=' but it seems that in PP I need to negotiate everything before even buying a LD.

[/quote']

 

With the increase in the number of "table dance" and "coyote dance" venues in both BKK and PTY, negotiation before LD has now frequently become necessary. When the girls can make as much or more now staying in the bar and collecting tips for doing what used to be part of the pre-play show, I hear more and more stories of guys investing the baht only to be told "I no go wid cutomer"

 

Civilization is definitely in decline.

 

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I suppose "hansum man", "I love you too mutt" and the "you come alone?", "where you stay?" have gone by the wayside also :(

 

HH

 

No, in PP bars you hear these lines every minute, but often the only goal is to get more LD's until the poor sucker realizes (me too last time in PP) that the girls company is limited to more or less boring small talk in the bar.

:cussing:

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