JC's Road Trip -- Checking Out Cambodia as a Retirement Destination- Part 1 -- Phnom Penh 

Cheers JC i really appreciate what your doing , not only very informative but you give a insight as to the everyday people and humor. Also you have not lost reality with what the US and Eu has to offer a retired person. I'm Brit and was really spanked in the financial fiasco , I was in Vietnam 69 so very different then , but the love of the people and the Jungle even then was mesmerising . So i watch with great interest and the knowledge you are bestowing will help me choose where i end my days . Thank you.

Great info and advice. Good channel for the people.

I enjoy this ! TY for the uploads!

Awesome video JC. The higher quality video is very good. I am finding all your videos very educational. Please keep making these great videos.

awsome hd quality JC love the vid

Thanks for your input and comments.

Thanks JC another great .video

Thank you JC! Looking forward to that video. :-)

Thanks again for sharing your life with us here on RU-vid

Seems very clean. I will defiantly check it out next year. Thanks for all your hard work. As they say. Work hard, Play even harder. ;-)

Great video!!! J.C. good lucky in Phnom Penh.

JC! The Pioner of SEA vloging :) Hope you do a revisit to Cambodia again soon. Theese videos are now 5+ years so would be fun to see you go again :) And maybe add Siem Reap and Battambang as 2 extra destinations. Anyways JC, have a great time and thanks for all the great videos you put out for me to watch over the last couple of years.

I think J.C's calm outlook is projected on what he films, he always manages to capture the calm - even in the chaos.

Another good one JC, and Phnom Penh looks much cleaner than Bangkok or Pattaya. The air looks less polluted as well.

I didnt have this problem in Thailand so it was rough once I hit Vietnam and the begging started, but its unbearable in Cambodia. The weather has been normal I guess. I am so used to the heat. But I admit, it is rainy season now all over, so i think its cooler in general. I love it :D

That is for sure. It is Farang friendly when it comes to the long term visa which is a business visa for one year and you can operate or work for a business. Definitely an option!

cambodia is the kingdom of womder in the world pls shared this video to all the people around in the world

My hotel, Windsor Suites, was almost directly opposite the aerobics dancers. They were there early in the morning as well. You can see the balcony to my room on the 2nd floor just to the right of the curved corner balcony. That was a GREAT room. 80+ square metres and a balcony overlooking the river and the plaza area. I spent 3 weeks in PP and Siem Reap in June/July this year. If I did not already have commitments in Bangkok I would certainly consider living in Phnom Penh. The only downside was that I got a bad case of diahrrea which I could not shake for 2 weeks. When I went back home, I went to our main public hospital to get a burn on my leg looked at. As soon as they found out I was in Cambodia and had diahrrea they put me into an isolation room that smelt of chlorine. Luckily I did not have anything serious. I think the street food can make you sick so be aware. The locals are VERY friendly and helpful. We had a tuk-tuk driver for most of the time I was there. He seemed to be based just outside my hotel entrance and almost always available. He spoke good English and made travelling around a breeze. We used him for everything from going to the next street in the rain, to a day trip about 40km away to visit a famous temple. We had his phone number so when we needed to go somewhere, we just gave him a call and he was waiting for us downstairs within a few minutes.

Like a kid in a candy store. Glad to see you made it to Cambodia. It's cleaner than I thought it would be. The HD looks phenomenal and lets us see the details of your adventure. I had to laugh at the other Tuk-Tuk drivers who seemed intent on getting some face time in your video (9:45). Surprised that the horn honking is less aggressive than in Vietnam or the Philippines. The guest house price seems a bit steep when an equivalent guest house in Chiang Mai would be less money.

Nice one mate'. Do you have any tips for a musician hustling his wares around the place? Cheers!

Not a fan of Thailand but Cambodia could be the way to go , for me.

Great start JC. Just to let you know I watched this video at 360 res, it was great. Your camera has great color and great res. I've read about having to turn over you passport when renting a motorcycle. I was hoping you'd tell how to get around this. It sounds like there's no way, you have to give up the passport. H

Actually the Capital would be the major distribution point and should be the cheapest for any imported type foods. Strangely enough some imported food products cost more than Thailand while others are cheaper. I have a video covering some of these costs coming up so stay tuned.

Yes, I am not retired, but i love your videos. I meant to check your cambodia videos when i first came here 3 weeks ago but i forgot T_T I can think of 2 things I should have done in phnom penh which i will have to do next time. I want to do a motorcycle ride through the country later. It has alot of problems to me, but like you, i dont mind a little edge (though i keep that to vacation times lol) and the country has some interesting uniqueness too.

Nice to see you getting around, JC! You mentioned that the prices in the store is higher then in Ciang Mai. Might it be that things cost a bit more in the capitol, or at least in the tourist area? Wish you a safe stay!

I left the place I am staying blank. I think it is more for tourism stats. But unless you want to get hit hard by the touts I suggest having a place to start off with. You can always look around and change.

good one. i want to travel to cambodia

Not sure if there are any "cheap" flights but on my free site I have a link to what I have found to be the cheapest fares.

The regular checkups wouldn't be a problem but some of the procedures would. Just remember though that Thailand is only an hour and a half away by air and $100. So going over for medical would be a nice weekend trip unless an emergency arose. Remember, there's always an option!

There are lots of travel agencies in Thailand which include visas in their Cambodia travel packages. I wouldn't recommend the overland route from Bangkok, however - just my personal opinion based on my trip to Angkor Wat. Air travel in S.E. Asia is very reasonably priced and the best option, if you don't mind paying a little more. Visa on arrival sounds like a good deal. Didn't know about that. Great travel tips J.C. !

I was listening to an NPR interview with Mike from Mikes Burger House in Phnom Penh. He's Cambodian / US Citizen but worked for the US Postal Service for 20 years. He's having great success in Cambodia. Seems like it's an easier place to start a business and less Visa Hassle.

Cambodia 30% cheaper across the board on everything compared to Thailand.Also locals are much friendlier

Yes, a passport sized photo.

JC, a couple questions....Do you recomend getting reservations for your stay in Phom Penn and also did you need an address to put down on your Visa app for where you would be staying?

Why? You can live any way you choose to. You can bring anything into or out of any equation. As the Thais say, "Up to you"!

I am just trying to supply info to help you make that determination. Everybody has different tastes.

I am a British born older guy who has been living in Canada for nearly 50 years, dual citizenship, Probably go Cdn. Well educated, easily teach British, American, Australian and Canadian English. I have not traveled much I am a light weight and raised my 4 kids on my own for 16 years, 20 years is passing and they keep coming and going and I want a holiday and retirement place and your video won't go to part two. Obviously new to this site.

18 dollars seems a bit expensive for that room. I would have expected half that price. Surprising.

amount of education for most of them. Businesses also have a higher average level of english language skills. Its very nice :) As for room prices. I find that they are the same as Thailand on average. I am in a place right now that has october sale, but i see this price elsewhere on occasion. $5 single room with no AC or hot water. $12-13 for single room with hot water and AC. --- On the touts, dang there are way too many everywhere. In Siem Reap also, so many T_T Tired of the begging.

Still very true.

As for a place to retire, its true that thailand makes everything difficult, and there is no law in cambodia that cant be paid out of following to my understanding lol. The prices are fine if you live here and cook but i notice they gouge the middle class so maybe the cities are not the place to retire to, unless you can be happy even outside of the edge to my knowledge. Still, it really depends on what kind of retiree you are. Some could do it and Phnom Penh has a large expat pop I think.

Top Bars are 'Sharkys' where you can drink out of actual Mortar shells, and Sophie Club, the latter is something I will not discuss here.

been 3 times, LOVE cambodia, my driver on each occasion was Mr Sophann he used to charge $25 a DAY! and took me everywhere, bars, K11, Killing Fields, Shooting Range, you name it he does it, even had his mate pick me up in Siem reap and do the same! the nicest gentle man and so honest. Anyways is Sophie Bar and Le Cyrcee club still there? (ask)

i look at your videos as travel videos your my eyes on were i might want want to retire very informative thanks

Lived in Phnom Penh for a month in May this year, after 5 great months in SE Asia. And YES more people in PP speak English, than in Thailand or Vietnam. Also I feel "Khmer cuisine" takes the best from both Vietnam n Thailand. Amok was awesome. Loved it. Not to mention it's cheaper (make that cheapest) place to live in SE Asia. Lovely place n people. Can't wait to get back..And this time live for a year at least, in the all the main towns and islands. Cheers

this is something that surprised me along with the surprise that cambodia isnt as cheap as i thought it would be. The people are friendly, like i experienced in Thailand. But Thailand is still the friendliest place out of Laos, Vietnam, it, and Cambodia. Cambodian men just want your money, though like Thailand, they aim to please. The women are very nice when it comes to customers, but I am used to making dozens of friends all over. I still talk to vietnamese 3 weeks after leaving, but ...

What was the name of your guest house I like the fact that they had a decent bath room

Haven't seen the happy pizzas yet!

Which people in Southeast Asia don't speak better English than the Thais. I went to Phnom Penh for the first time in February 2017. I loved it. I know what you mean about reminding you of Thailand in days gone by. It has the edginess Thailand used to have. Great video.

I heard that Cambodia is very nice! The cost of living is about the same as Thailand. Beautiful people!

Please, Do you know any way to get Cambodia by a cheap fight from Venezuela?

Western food seems to be the same price in many places. Good spaghetti/Penne around $5, Pizza around $6-7, and so on, but i would say quality isnt where Chiang Mai is. Meh, its expected, but its something to understand. Its still good food here in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh I want to make clear, I think its a decent country, but its not cheaper across the board by 30% from my experience, maybe just in some areas I havent had to think about. Also, locals are not friendlier. In fact...

Considering the visa nonsense is Thailand, is it easier to get longer stay visas in Cambodia? I am interested in 3, 6 and 12 month visas.

I am very interested in what you think about Kongkhla

did you say Mexican meal? really in Cambodia? wow i wasnt expecting that haha but that's great. were the owners mexican or cambodian o american? im curious cause im mexican. great videos i enjoy them.

If you want to retire. Why not get a apartment among the real people instead of isolating youself at riverside. Then you get a good apartment for just 100$ a month. Ive been in several and they can be good. New renovated, 30m2 with 15m2 upstairs for the bed, kitchen in the room to put a stove on and basic bathroom. But for that price you might have to take bridge over to Sangkat chbar ampov pir for example.

when getting a normal visa i.e. not tourist Ive heard its best to get from land not air. is still correct?

Out of the frying pan and into the fire, TAKE ME TO THE BEACH !

I would like to see how much is for dental(filling.root canal and crowns) apartments?

i hope jc isnt stuck in cambodia as he has no passport is miss bam with you on this trip?

would his money be 30 times?

CJ, i can get a business visa in cambodia pretty easy? I wanna get out of America and open a business in Asia. need details on cambidia. Thailand and philippines very difficult

JC, can you do a video on how to become a thai national ?

You should pay 5 Dollars any where around PP

Welcime to cambodia

Sophie Club has been closed for a while now. :(

For Anthony Bourdain's review search on YT :) No Reservations-Happy Pizza Just be careful about choosing your toppings.

when you hire a motorcycle can you get any type of insurance?

oops, have a great time JC

I spent a month in Phnom Pehn/Sihanoukville,1 thing you didn't get right was the Med care.Bankok is the place to cure some of the nasty stuff you get in Cambodia.I can't believe you landed on 136 street(hookerville)for a room.I stayed at the Beach Club in Sianoukville(on 23 Tola St).Happy Herb is next door.I had the pizza and had a good buzz for hours.Ostres Beach is a dangerous place after drk.Victory hill is not the only party district.I loved it there.

Walk ?

Make sure to shave prior to landing at the airport. Cambodian authorities frown upon unshaven foreigners

I've gone to Cambodia many times via bus and it cost me $25 for a Visa that the bus driver gets for you in 30min.

lol...dancing to nineties Indian pop songs :D

hi

Cambodia is considerably more expensive than Thailand. Thailand offers much better value for money than either Laos or Cambodia. Phnom Penh has been destroyed. Almost all the old beautiful buildings have been torn down.

$1-2 for a meal, and these are poor people making $50 a month. I heard from 2 diff jobs that it is the rate and the cost of the food. Food is under $1 in thailand for a local who wants a good rice/meat. Then you have electricity which they import from vietnam and it is very unstable. Every few days the electricity goes out for 15 minutes. Its just a slight inconvenience but dang is it annoying. I cant say about buying most things from the grocery store, but thailand is still pretty cheap...

OMG has any noticed? Which side of the road they drive on in Cambodia? I Notice bikers and automobiles driving in both directions in all lanes... I am so there..... I love to play the game of chicken....

so I dont know how cambodia can be cheaper. Soda and lime juice is same price. $1 avg for a lime juice, soda cheapest i see at local store is 50c US for a 500 ml water I believe was 25c but might be cheaper somewhere. I cant think what else to compare. massage can be cheaper here lol $5 even in tourist areas with some $1 deals if I understand correctly I havent seen prices in local areas. Cambodia isnt a safe place in many areas late at night and some areas I wouldnt trust at any time.

JC how well long could I live there on $150.000...

You haven't been back in 7 years?

Sophie Bar (no) and Le Cyrcee (yes)

I wouoldnt say across the board. I am in Cambodia right now, been 3 weeks, 8 days in Phnom Penh and 2 weeks in Siem Reap. I cant say about housing but my numbers I got from one french guy is not much diff than thailand. Cambodia is really gouging this growing middle class too. Worse than Thailand from what I can tell. Fruits especially are very high, even outside the tourist areas. I did find a reasonably priced watermelon one day at super market, but it was bad :( I talk to locals who pay...

All foreign men who retire in Cambodia have Cambodian wives. Without a Cambodian partner, the language barrier must be a big problem!

hi sir

They speak better English than one would expect as we have a much longer history with them than most people know about.

I don't see any soi dogs over there like in Thailand ;-)

Not a lot about retirement

$7 are you crazy? should have been $3

in Cambodia it just isnt happening. No guys talk unless you can give money, and no women want to hang out and make friends with a foreigner. I admit i dont go to the bars and i am sure women there are more in love with the westerners. But I hang out with the locals and one thing they dont do is make friends with tourists at least. Says something about them making friends with foreigners. Of course if you live anywhere, you can make friends, but friendlier than thailand? I would say more wary.

Is english spoken commonly with the Cambodian people?

we can barely hear you, tuc tuc is fun but too noisy! :-)

PS I have his email address!

Nn