About a food stall and a food truck business in Cambodia

Simple answer: No.

A new law forbids foreigners to have certain small businesses,  like street food,  tuktuk or taxi,  hairdresser,  tailor and more.

Joe
Cambodia expert 
Expat. com team

Than you very much for your reply. 

Can you give me a link to a webpage that says the information about the law in English if you know?

The Khmer times last week had a big article about the new laws I too read it like jo did no foreigners can operate certain business, including street food vendors , I imagine you can find the article in the archives of this newspaper, good luck , but as I read it no food vendors on the street except khmers

There are foreigners who running food truck and other small businesses in here long ago, they are looked like us as asian, most of them can speak Khmer well. The recently action is from numbers of chinese doing that jobs and other jobs as taxi driver, food delivers, vegetable sellers....

They, whom you are talking about, actually have Cambodian citizenship in contrast with their East Asian look, don't they? I presume they were born between Chinese parents and raised in Cambodia. Or maybe the government gives a certain special treatment to Chinese citizens?

They is referred to some foreigners vendors who looked a like Khmer, like refugees from Myanmar, Pacific islands other asia...and some of other nation who born or raise as local, not consider as foreigners at all.
There are new chinese coming in last few years (more than 100k), there are so many problems caused by their behavior, like doing business while they are holding working visa or tourist visa and many more. Government doesn't give any special treatment to chinese citizen.
Regarding to your question about foreigners open food store is possible, but required business registered.

As I said before the new law prohibits foreigners from running certain small businesses. This new law came in effect last month, so it is very well possible to see other Asians (not Caucasians) doing those businesses, but soon that will end, as they need a work permit and have to renew it early next year and will be refused.

Other Asians include mainly Vietnamese, of which is a large contingent living in Cambodia, they speak Khmer very well and are deeply integrated in the Cambodian society.

Problems arose with many Chinese visitors starting businesses without a work permit and without the appropriate visa extension. That has forced the government to imply this new law re small businesses run by foreigners.

Note that some people (Asians) work in such jobs for an employer. There is no problem if a foreigner works for a Khmer or foreign registered company, even in those prohibited businesses.

Joe

Here the link to a newspaper article about it:

https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ … s-august-0

Thank you very much

Man imagine if we did that in America. Yet we're sooooooo racist. Smh

The article in the Phnom Penh Post is dated 2019. There are a number of mobile businesses here in Siem Reap run by Europeans, including a well known kebab stand outside the 7/11 facing Pub Street, and another mobile food stand on Sok San Road. I also know several barang who run bars and cafes, although the ownership may be registered to khmer partners. Maybe this law is like the one about motorbike helmets - its there but not really enforced. Or maybe not enforced in SR as much as in PP.

Id like to go there and open a mexican food stand and also shaved ice cream right next to each other have both. I don't think khmer people know how to cook mexican food like me. But... I'd love to go there and share my food with the locals. Cambodian people are amazing and I loved it there. That's why I want to go there to live. But if I can't own a simple business what can I do?

@Sinbige There are plenty of shaved ice cream stands in Siem Reap, maybe too many. But no mexican food stands. You can probably do it, but you need to come here first, maybe talk to other European vendors and small business operators, find out how the local system works. I would be surprised if it does not involve "tea money" payments to locals in uniform.

@hdgh29i just wrote a long ass reply and then I hit send and it made me log back in and it didn't save my message smh in short just got back I won't pay someone to strong arm me and pay for corruption by any uniformed person. Govt should Crack down on that since these people are respreseta

@Sinbige If you want to avoid corruption,  stay away from this part of the world.  It's illegal but part of life here, and in a way it gets things done a lot quicker than in places like Australia.

@hdgh29 I'm from Vegas. We're very corrupt here. I think it's all over the world. I won't pay a uniform to merry have what's mine if I paid for it, but I would pay for him to stick close and ensure things run smooth. It's all in how we look at it.

What if you’re cambodian but born and raised in America? Are you still not able to start a business there?

@Dougpatti only if you are a Cambodian passport holder. My understanding is that dual nationally is not allowed here.

This started out a question on having a street food stall by a foreigner, but quickly developed into rasist & corruption, the west knows all about that, but here it's just not important to the avg person, they just want a home education for their kids, food, & health care, leave the rasist & corruption rehtoric in your own country, this forum for information about things placed services, not propaganda.

@toni345th Seriously? The original question was about the procedures involved in a foreigner setting up a food stall, which as anyone who lives here would know, can be done with a small unofficial payment to the right people. Where is the racism? Do you actually live in Siem Reap?

@hdgh29

You should read the what was said in messages the word rasist was used & corruption, which is a widely used comment in the west, and here its unnecessary,

@toni345th relax playa why you so upset? All of that is still part of information.  Smh he said you gotta pay the right people. That's a part of it. Racist is the part that foreign people can't own a small stand but locals can that's racist is it not? All of it "IS" informative. So calm down, have your coffee and read a book or do yoga what ever you do to relax and have at it. Have a great day.

@toni345th 1 it's racist.... not rasist, and 2nd those things are always unnecessary.  And shouldn't be anywhere.  But they exist so they need to be exploited, unless you think it's not important to mention?

I suggest that replies focus on the initial question from the OP before admin consider close this thread.

Thanks.

Hi back in about 2018 or so I remember a few Mexican food stalls. One sold tacos on pub street. They did a pretty good business. Tacos were not like what I could get in Mérida Mexico but I thought they were good. They are gone now. Another was on sok san road. That road has always had a mix of food. I seem to remember a sign for it when I came back in 2022. There are also Mexican restaurants around downtown. Not counting viva! which is fun to visit right off pub street. Down an alley by beatnik bar downtown is a sign for a smaller place that does tacos. Have not been there.

I'd really rethink the ice cream stand. Siem reap has so many already.

Maybe come back and do some recon for awhile. That would probably help you see what's around first hand.

Take care.

@hdgh29 Do foreigners need to register mobile fast food (bike equipped to cook food) businesses? thanks