General observations Nov2025 Cambodia

General observations Nov2025 Cambodia
More precisely 28oct-27nov2026 Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Kampot, Siem Reap. Exchange rate 1 USD = 4010 KHR. Information about bus, van, train, ATM, SIM-card, hotels.

Tue28oct2025 Bangkok to Phnom Penh
Due to border tensions, Thailand has blocked roaming for Cambodian SIM-cards and I can't top up my SIM-card for the trip. I have to ask a friend in Cambodia to do so for me. And the app to manage SIM-card doesn't work either. And the other way round as well. My Thai banking app does not work in Cambodia, "temporarily out of service", and the app detects and does not allow when I use a VPN. 

Furthermore, land borders are closed and I have to take a flight. Tourist visa on arrival 30 USD as before, valid 30 days. My first trip to the recently opened Techo International Airport KTI, with the old Pochentong Airport PNH closed.

The above scenes are typical. The airport runs far below capacity, which makes for quick immigration and luggage claim. 

There is a public bus service from airport to town. When I get out of the airport building, waiting taxis and tuk-tuk point me in the right direction and tell me “long walk”. Indeed, it is exactly 500 m by satellite image through the parking lot to reach the bus stop. At least it's smooth ground and in shade. 

Their timetable is wrong, but you can follow the bus by GPS in app. A bus arrives, but a local tells me this one goes only to Aeon Mall 3 (in the south of Phnom Penh) and I should wait for next. We take next bus. Fare is only 1k5. There are only 4 stops between the terminal stations, which means the stop can be kilometers away from your destination. We were only 2 passengers (it's 10 pm, but general for buses in Cambodia in daytime as well: only few passengers). (Update 1may2026 afternoon: long queue: first bus full, I have wait for second bus.)

Wed29oct2025 Phnom Penh
BRED ATM increased their fee to 6 USD from 4 USD. But with 2000 USD maximum withdrawal amount, still a good deal, and the cheapest way for me to get USD.

Thus I get 2000 USD at the start of my trip, and in the course of a month I spend most of it the following way (estimates): hotels 500, food 400, travel (bus, van, taxi, train, once a year a daytrip by rented car with driver) 300, boys 200, leaving me with 600 that I keep in parallel to EUR when I travel elsewhere, or for my next trip to Cambodia. I still do most of my payments in cash. I do payments in USD wherever feasible, and at the end of the trip get KHR down to less than 20 USD equivalent. 

I used to borrow a friend's SIM card (he is not in Cambodia, but his bank account is bound to that card so he has to keep it active), but this trip both of us forgot. Now I need a new SIM-card. I buy a new SIM-card from smart, or rather get it for free when buying a data plan as well. 4 USD for a SIM-card and 25 GB of data within 30 days. That is the cheapest and easiest in my memory! Other countries (Thailand, Myanmar, China, Vietnam) much more expensive and data and calling plans designed to confuse customers.

Sat1nov2025 Phnom Penh
Bicycle daytrip failed for rain. Weather forecast was okay, sky looked okay, but once a few km away from hotel, it started to rain and I had to abort.

I asked at reception yesterday, the only bus to Sihanoukville is Giant Ibis 07:45, no other companies or departure times. Plenty of vans throughout the day. 13 USD van to SHV booked via reception (tomorrow pick-up 12:30, departure 13). The train is too early for me.

Sun2nov2025 Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville
Choose a hotel from hotel booking websites to see locations, availability and prices, but I prefer walk-in. Ask at reception, very limited English, use google translate. Walk-in would be 25 USD per night for standard room, but none available. When I look on trip.com, rooms for only 20 EUR, I show her, she says no rooms available. So I book on trip.com and check in without problems.

(I had a similar case elsewhere. The hotel sells a certain number of rooms at a large discount to an online booking website. Then they rent out all the rooms they have left and reception has no rooms available. But the online booking website still has!)

This hotel has Chinese name and everything Chinese style as well: no fridge, no bum gun, no wardrobe (only hooks and clothes hangers). Else all fine. In particular I like rooftop 14th floor with view. Sihanoukville feels like a bit of China in Cambodia. Most signage is in Chinese, and there are restaurants that have their menu only in Chinese (which suits me well, I can read a Chinese menu, but not a Cambodian menu). Supermarkets entirely stocked with Chinese products and labelled in Chinese.

Tue4nov2025 Sihanoukville
20 USD (pay 80k) to stay one more night. Receptionist lady speaks good English and quoted that price, whereas when I checked in poor English, 25 USD, presumably booked out.

Thu6nov2025 Sihanoukville to Kampot
7k Grab to railway station. Would be 7k5 on PassApp. No rides on Bolt and Uber.

15 USD for train from Sihanoukville to Kampot first class (1+2 seats). Second class (2+2 seats, aircon) looks fine as well, and in particular both classes occupancy only about 10 %. More passengers enter in Kampot.

The road from Sihanoukville to Kampot has some parts that are awful. This is a frequent subject on Facebook groups “Is the road fine now?”. I vividly remember my one ride there on a van in 2021, never again. A local friend joked he got three orgasms from his butt bumping up and down on the seat.

Out of total 100 km by road, there is about 30 km like this and worse, taking 1-2 hours by car depending on weather (dry and dusty, or wet and muddy):

Fri7nov2025 Kampot
There are three saunas now: Cam Beach, Wa Yu and LXK. All clean and spacious and hot (sauna, steam) or cold (cold pool) and good value for money, but can Kampot support that many? They have attached massage and some separate areas for women (genders are separate, due to low demand, most stand-alone saunas in Bangkok don't bother to have separate spaces for women).

Thu13nov2025 Kampot to Kandal
8 USD van Ekareach departure 14:32. They have vans hourly (full hour and 30 min) in both directions. Update may2026: now costs 10 USD.

Thu20nov2025 Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
Bus to Siem Reap 17 USD. 1 USD tuk-tuk to hotel (would be 4k4 on passapp), arranged by staff or drivers at bus station. Driver speaks good English and offers services to drive me around following days, is this (same fare as passapp) just a way to get customers for longer tours? Normally, prices at bus stations would be grossly inflated.

Update at time of posting: tuk-tuk driver at KTI offered me a ride to Phnom Penh riverside for 10 USD, which is about what I would pay on the apps.

A local friend LF told me the following phone theft: LF was in a busy and touristy area with a foreign friend FF. A group of locals blocked their way and one squeezed between them. 30 seconds after FF last used his phone he wanted to use it again, and it was gone. So were the thieves. LF helped to file a police report for insurance claim. The data and accounts on the phone were so important, FF had to cancel the remainder of his holiday and return to his home country.

Mon24nov2025 Siem Reap to Phnom Penh
Giant Ibis bus 17 USD to Phnom Penh.

Thu27nov2025 Phnom Penh to Bangkok
Passapp to bus stop near railway station, then Airport Express Bus to KTI.

I would love to see the new airport Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport (SAI). But flights to/from there are considerably more expensive than from KTI.

SAI to BKK or DMK on Thu28may2026, departure time 12-18, non-stop, hand luggage and hold luggage: 2 flights from 150 EUR.
KTI to BKK or DMK on Thu28may2026, departure time 12-18, non-stop, hand luggage and hold luggage: 2 flights from 83 EUR.
Other dates similar prices.

From Siem Reap, it takes about 1 hour and costs 8 USD to get to the airport by public bus. Their schedule has gaps of up to 2 hours during daytime. https://www.siemreapairportbus.com/

Whereas for 17 USD I can get to Phnom Penh by bus in 6 hours, but then would need another hour to get to the airport.

I rather go from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, spend a few days there, and go back to Phnom Penh and spend a few more days there and than take airplane to Bangkok, than paying the the unreasonable prices for flights fro SAI and going through the humiliation of bus to SAI for 8 USD 1 hour.

Sihanoukville international airport KOS similar situation: expensive flights, little choice. I would love to fly in or out there one day, but not at these prices or times.

While land borders are closed, I do the following: fly in KTI, spend some days in Phnom Penh, Kampot, return to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, return to Phnom Penh, fly out from KTI.

General observations by Shamelessmack:
https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2026/03/07/phnom-penh-miscellany-january-2026/
Phnom Penh miscellany, January 2026
https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2026/02/09/techo-riels-and-tips/
Techo, riels and tips Phnom Penh, January 2026

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