Considering move to siem reap from bkk after 12 years?

You need a change, that's for sure.

Follow your guts, come to Cambodia and stay for a year, then you know what life is in Cambodia. If not very interesting you could always try VN, just 7 hours away by bus from PP.

As for work, teaching jobs you will find where there are many schools, i.e. PP. Although PP is a large city it is by far not like BKK and it has areas that are great. I live in Tuol Tompoung [Russian market] and it is a great area with many small shops, small restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries and of course the market with fresh vegetables and many other things. I'm into health food and luckily there is a organic shop here so I buy most of the things I need to cook there. It is a village in a city, mainly Khmers and a handful of expats, sometimes two handfuls of tourists in the market for handicrafts things.

If work is not the main issue, try SR, smaller than PP but not quiet, with two million tourists visiting per year. Just try it, go there, rent a room in a hostel for a month and look around, talk to people. Only then you get the real feel of living there. Same goes for PP.

I wish you a successful search for those things that are important for you.

Cheers.

Joe
Cambodia expert
Expat.com team

Many thanks, Joe for the positivity. Appreciated.

P

I felt last time I was in PP, Joe, that it was still great and I stayed in bkk1, but crazy in traffic and getting around plus there isn't much easy to access natural areas since it's quite a sprawling city / metro area?

Just my feeling. Hence siem reap whilst smaller I think easier to get a place 2 km outside as in PP I don't know if that is the same way the cities and suburbs work...

Rgds,

P

Funny that you have been living in BKK so long and now plan to go abroad when you just needed to live OUTSIDE Bkk to change your life...
Who really wants to live in BKK so long except if he really has no choice ?!

You won't have 10% of your Thailand comfort when living in Cambodia, not even 10% of comfort that you get in any small city in Thailand.

Thailand comfort, 90% more than Cambodia?

Can you explain that, as most expats here have fled from Thailand because of getting strangled. Visa nightmares come to mind.

Joe

Of course I am not talking about the visa which is anyway not difficult to get if you have enough money, but what else is better/cheaper in Cambodia than Thailand if you are not an heavy drinker / smoker ?!

You will never find the comfort that you get in Thailand for half of the price than what you would pay in Cambodia. Even rent is so overpriced in Cambodia, and in Thailand now you are very unlucky if your electricity shuts more than once a year...

In PP I have not noticed one single electricity cut at all.....

Things that are more expensive in Thailand:

Beer
Strong alcoholic drinks
Street food
Schools international primary
Tuktuks
Cigarettes
Rents
Clothes

Things that are very uncomfortable in Thailand:

Visas and extensions
90 day reports
Work permits

Just a short list. Thailand is more expensive than Cambodia in nearly all ways. Here a quote:
"You would need around 80,671.23฿ (2,492.12$) in Phnom Penh to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 100,000.00฿ in Bangkok (assuming you rent in both cities)."

And the overview comparison:

"Indices Difference
Consumer Prices in Phnom Penh are 14.60% lower than in Bangkok
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Phnom Penh are 19.33% lower than in Bangkok
Rent Prices in Phnom Penh are 30.35% lower than in Bangkok
Restaurant Prices in Phnom Penh are 15.44% lower than in Bangkok
Groceries Prices in Phnom Penh are 17.48% lower than in Bangkok
Local Purchasing Power in Phnom Penh is 59.42% lower than in Bangkok".

So you see that your statement is totally incorrect. Cambodia is less expensive and you don't lose anything in comfort compared to Thailand.
Bangkok and Phnom Penh chosen as the OP mentions Bangkok.

Cheers.

Joe
Cambodia expert
Expat.com team

Source: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/c … Phnom+Penh

Hello,

Just thought I would add my two cents. I lived in BKK (Asoke area as well) for several years and understand your need to get out of the city. The noise, air quality and crowds can be overwhelming. I have been in SR for six months and it is a major change from Thailand but in IMHO a good change.

The pros of SR:

The rents, food, dinning out, alcohol and help are much cheaper than BKK. There is a lot of growth in SR and new businesses are popping up everywhere. The new Angkor supermarket is fantastic and very popular with the expat community. 

The retirement visa procedure in Cambodia is very easy - no 90 day reporting, no seasoning funds for several months.

Using the pass app is a great way of getting a tuk tuk.

When there is a lot of traffic your drive might take an extra 5 or 10 mins

I find that Cambodians are very friendly and appreciate any attempt to communicate in Khmer.

Yes there are power outages in SR and would recommend a place that has a generator. Pub Street can be fun or chaotic - depends on your view.

I hope this helps and good luck with your decision.

Hi redsoxgrl
"Yes there are power outages in SR and would recommend a place that has a generator. Pub Street can be fun or chaotic - depends on your view."

I am looking to move soon but the estate agent told me today that all power and internet in SR is off now for 5 days. Can you please verify/deny this as this could force my hand to go elsewhere, which would be a shame as SR is our first choice by some margin. I know I can get a place with a generator but if the internet companies all switch off I'm doomed. Need internet to maintain income from UK.....maybe if we find a place right next to the Royal Residence or a big bank we're less likely to be affected?

Jim

Hello.

I don't think internet can be switched off and it won't happen anyway.

Imagine no ATMs working, no street lights, no wifi,

I think it's a blown up rumour. It might be they switch off electricity during a few hours in the period of 5 days.

As long as you have electricity (through generator is not the grid) your wifi is working so you have connection to the internet.

Cheers.

Joe

I have no idea why your real estate agent said we are having a five day outage. There have been power cuts in SR which can be from 10 mins to 2 hours (usually twice a week). If there is a major outage (usually half a day) advance notice is given by the EDC and it is posted on the SR expat FB site. Even when we have had a major power cut, the internet has not been affected. I hope this helps alleviates your fears.

Thanks both feel much better.  I guess we just turn up and look around. If things are worse we consider our options but it sounds like a genny, a UPS and a couple of data heavy SIM cards should see us through.
No doubt the Chinese will prop up the power companies soon anyway to aid their belt and road development plans.
See you soon 😁
Jim

redsoxgrl wrote:

I have no idea why your real estate agent said we are having a five day outage. There have been power cuts in SR which can be from 10 mins to 2 hours (usually twice a week). If there is a major outage (usually half a day) advance notice is given by the EDC and it is posted on the SR expat FB site. Even when we have had a major power cut, the internet has not been affected. I hope this helps alleviates your fears.

Hi Redsoxgrl,

10 days on how were you affected if at all by the cuts my agent spoke about? It is possible he was just fobbing me off but I can't imagine why he would if he wants to rent me a property. For all the options PP offers we love SR and there are nicer properties available for long term rental.

Many thanks,

Jim

About 5 a 6 years ago there was indeed a blackout in a part of SR for 5 days. A truck hit a concrete pole of a power line  from Thailand. In his fall the pole took about 10 other ones down.

@GuestPoster49501 There are plenty areas, even close to town centre and old market and Pubstreet, where you don't see many or no tourist.
An advice: If you find a area you like, ask the tuk-tuk drivers in that area if they know a house for rent, most of the time they know.

The power cuts have been getting better. In the past two weeks there were two cuts per week and the longest one lasted about 45mins. I have been told from a few people that officials in SR want to have the power lines in the main area buried by 2020.
My neighbors who have lived in SR for a decade have said that the stability of electricity is much much better than before. IMHO having a generator is still a must but the power outages are getting better.