Cambodia Red Light Districts are awesome!
They are better than Thailand’s!
Cambodia is the new single man’s paradise!
After having spent an entire week in Phnom Penh, I could not disagree with those statements more strongly.
To be honest, the reason I’ve decided to write this report was to go beyond all the hype and detail what Phnom Penh is really like (from my perspective).
Red Light District in Phnom Penh
The good news is that Phnom Penh isn’t as Third World-ish as you might have imagined.
Yes, some of the streets are dirty but if you’re staying in the city center, you’ll encounter clean streets, nice malls and generally don’t need to worry about your safety.
The only people that will approach you are tuk tuk drivers and drugs dealers.
The bad news is that the Red Light District in Phnom Penh isn’t as big or exciting as some make it out to be.
In fact, it’s rather tame – compare it to Soi Cowboy in Bangkok on a Sunday night (minus the scantily dressed girls standing outside of the bars).
Here’s an overview in regards to the mongering scene in Phnom Penh, these are the main areas:
- Golden Sorya Mall
- Street 104
- Street 118
- Street 130
- Street 136
- Street 172
In addition, you can also go to the casino in Phnom Penh (Naga World Casino) and find lots of prostitutes there.
Although, please note that they charge upwards of $100 USD!
Most Phnom Penh hotels I’ve stayed at are guest-friendly despite having signs stating that prostitution is not allowed.
In my experience, reception was either unattended at night or the receptionist was sleeping.
Guys walking in and out with freelancer girls all day long …
The hotel you see in the video below was quite good value. Close to the casino and as such perfect for bringing girls from there to my hotel.
Golden Sorya Mall
This is a complex that had been transformed into a pub street. Although when I walked past it, it was still under development. The majority of the bar stalls were empty.
Around the corner of Golden Sorya Mall is Pontoon nightclub (a freelancer club). Not a bad club by Phnom Penh standards, but definitely not as good as Insomnia in Pattaya or High Society in Angeles City.
Most girls will want between $30-60 USD to go home with you. Needless to say, there are mostly foreigners at this club.
Phnom Penh Red Light District Prices
The one advantage PP has over some of it’s neighboring countries is the slightly lower prices for drinks and girls.
However, that alone would not be a reason for me to visit given that infrastructure is lacking, hotels & food are considerably more expensive than in Thailand (and options are limited).
- Beer: $1-2 USD
- Barfine: $12-16 USD
- Ladydrink: $3-5 USD
- Short-time: $25-45 USD
- Long-time: $35-60 USD
In the Phnom Penh Red Light Districts, you find plenty of hostess bars (similar to Thailand’s beer bars), some freelancer nightclubs and a few massage salons.
There is also a small street freelancer scene but nothing to write home about.
Meeting Khmer Girls in Phnom Penh
Generally-speaking, Khmer girls are rather conservative (compared to Thai girls and Pinays). This means Cambodia is definitely not the place to meet regular girls for fun.
You can meet local Khmer girls during daytime (malls are a good option); online dating exists as well.
Most girls I’ve talked to didn’t speak good English and were rather conservative. That’s fine if you plan on staying for long periods and are able to invest time in the girl.
However, if you’re there for a few days only, hooking up with a regular girl can be a hassle … and I wouldn’t recommend it as it takes too much effort.
Plus, there’s probably gonna be some drama when you leave and/or the girl will feel hurt in some way.
An actual normal/good Khmer girl won’t hook up with a foreigner quickly and in the rare case that she does, the guy probably lied to her about ‘their future together’ – only to ditch her shortly after.
Thailand or Cambodia?
Cambodia is fine for a few days – and if there’s a purpose behind the visit, such as renewing your Thailand tourist visa.
Fine, go there.
Otherwise I would not recommend a visit. You’ll be better of going to the Philippines or Vietnam if you’re looking for a Thailand alternative.
Cambodia/Phnom Penh has potential but needs more time. Maybe 5 or 10 years from now I can recommend it as viable alternative to Thailand.