If I am past 40 years old and want an early retirement, Cambodia is the first place that I would stay. Its not only the booze or girls but the simple backlaid life that everyone yearns. How to stay in Singapore or KL and get stressed by the pollution, never ending traffic jams, where people are more materialistic than ever and the rich keep on getting richer while us poor souls work 12 hours a day 6 days a week..just to stay in a HDB flat in Singapore or condo in KL. If I do come one day, I shall probably own a small guest house in Ratanakiri or Sihanoukville Faidenk, you are welcome to a free stay anytime..
The world is shrinking and changing fast and Cambodia is not immune to the changes. I don't know how old you are but chances are Cambodia will be different by the time you get here. The smiles will not be genuine and there will be traces of malice behind the eyes.
I believe the 50's to the 80's to be the best time there is, my childhood through my teens and adulthood. Full of innocence and discovery. Today, I lament for my son. What a mess of the world I've brought him into.
__________________
Be nice to every woman you know
Eventually they will all owe you sex
If I am past 40 years old and want an early retirement, Cambodia is the first place that I would stay. Its not only the booze or girls but the simple backlaid life that everyone yearns. How to stay in Singapore or KL and get stressed by the pollution, never ending traffic jams, where people are more materialistic than ever and the rich keep on getting richer while us poor souls work 12 hours a day 6 days a week..just to stay in a HDB flat in Singapore or condo in KL. If I do come one day, I shall probably own a small guest house in Ratanakiri or Sihanoukville Faidenk, you are welcome to a free stay anytime..
When I was much younger and, well, naive, I always wanted to have a laidback lifestyle. Until I realized how hard I have to work to attain that laidback lifestyle. Ironical, isn't it?
Thank you for the offer, I will take you up on it. Rattanakiri is now on my radar.
__________________
Be nice to every woman you know
Eventually they will all owe you sex
loyal , prepared to work till your are dead while eating from the scraps off the table from the people singapore is really run for
congratulations !
it is a good policy
one thing about singaporeans , they always think they know enough to tell people what to do , when they are usually the ones at the bottom of a well
I will not mind if TS is no married. But to think that he leave his son and relatives (Parents??) in Singapore while he go for cheap booze is unthinkable. This has nothing to do with where am I brought up.
Imagine his son going for parent teacher meeting without him. While other parents are actively listening to their son progress, he is busy pumping sperm into someone pussy. Please enlighten me what does it have to do with PAP?
Last edited by unholymonk; 28-02-2013 at 02:09 PM.
When I was much younger and, well, naive, I always wanted to have a laidback lifestyle. Until I realized how hard I have to work to attain that laidback lifestyle. Ironical, isn't it?
Thank you for the offer, I will take you up on it. Rattanakiri is now on my radar.
Just found out this thread and have fun reading the diary.....
Here’s some more musing from the Kingdom of Wonders.
This is brought about by the event some days ago. 2 employees of a local disco on their way to buy dinner were mowed down at the junction Monivong Boulevard and Kampuchea Krom, by a pair of drunken young morons on another motorbike. The 2 employees were badly injured, one sustaining a broken thighbone in 2 places; the 2 morons later died.
If I were feeling uncharitable, I would probably say they effing deserve it, and I would not be the only one. Not only had they lost their lives, they caused untold pain and miseries to both their kins and to the innocent party’s. The 2 injured now face a lengthy stay at the hospital, the prospect of diminished income while they recuperate, and the family has to cough up the money to pay for the hospitalization.
I wish the story ends there. The 2 guys are now slapped with having to pay a compensation of USD1,500 to each of the 2 dead morons. That’s the last word from the police, who I must say, stands to make a healthy ‘commission’ out of the ‘brokerage’.
Who is at wrong here? The easy thing to say would be the 2 morons. However the 2 are a product of the system. Corruption is the culprit. Most motorists, including drivers of cars, in Cambodia buy their licenses. Some might have gone for the driving schools, to learn things like starting and moving their cars from point A to B. The way the Cambodian drive is enough to cause one to lose their hair. On a typical day on the roads, you see cars coming at you head-on on your side of the road; cars turning left from your right; trucks blaring their 1000 decibels airhorns at all hours of the day, and night; motorcyclists with a death wish; cars moving along at 20 kph with no visible traffic in front because they are talking on their mobiles. And you wonder why the locals are such bad drivers.
In all these, you ask, where are the traffic policemen? They are working all right. Stationed at prominent road junctions, stopping traffic to exact ‘fines’ for mundane offences like driving with headlights on in the day (no fines for driving without lights at night because the police are off duty and drinking hard by then). Overloaded vehicles automatically slow down at these manned junctions, to hand the guys in uniforms their dues. Ignoring traffic lights by motorcyclist are OK apparently, by the numbers of offenses one witnesses every day. The hard truth is the police stationed will not waste precious fuel to chase these errant motorcyclists; they have to pay for their fuel used on official business. In fact, they even have to pay a fee to draw the bikes out from the motor line; then they have to pay a certain percentage upstream. In an accident where the police are involved, the investigating officers get a cut from everything, even in a non-injurious one.
A local friend of mine got knocked down by a car not long ago, nothing serious, but the accident was witnessed by a few policemen a few meters away. They came by, looked everything over, and exacted $1200 compensation from the driver. For this amount, both vehicles were brought back to the police garage until the fine is paid. After 5 days, in which the friend daily went to check if his bike is freed, he got $700 from the deal, the rest contributed to the police fund, of course. He came back bitching. Not because he got only $700 out of the $1200, but because he had to pay $50 to get his bike released.
The feedback box (Report Corruption Box) installed at the same corner where the above-mentioned accident took place now has its wordings (in Khmer and English) painted over. Is the box redundant due to lack of response, corruption is eradicated, or simply an embarrassment? If it is the latter, maybe it’s time to paint over the Anti-Corruption Unit along Norodom Boulevard.
I am not critiquing the local way of life, just reporting it the way I see it. I am but a guest here and you know what they say, if you don’t like it, there’s always another option, you can go home.
When I was much younger and, well, naive, I always wanted to have a laidback lifestyle. Until I realized how hard I have to work to attain that laidback lifestyle. Ironical, isn't it?
Thank you for the offer, I will take you up on it. Rattanakiri is now on my radar.
hehe..khyoum cheh nit yea pee a saa khmer mroy peeroy..oth mean panyahaa snuk nou kampuchea..or em biet noi tieng kampuchea mot tram phan tram vi co song tai kampuchea chua..i believed i have stayed in cambodia and vietnam longer than you bro. Just that my savings is not enough to last and it is not easy doing business in cambodia..so, will work another few years and see how goes..at least with acleda's high fd rates of 7.75% pa, i might survive when i saved up to usd200k for a living.
hehe..khyoum cheh nit yea pee a saa khmer mroy peeroy..oth mean panyahaa snuk nou kampuchea..or em biet noi tieng kampuchea mot tram phan tram vi co song tai kampuchea chua..i believed i have stayed in cambodia and vietnam longer than you bro. Just that my savings is not enough to last and it is not easy doing business in cambodia..so, will work another few years and see how goes..at least with acleda's high fd rates of 7.75% pa, i might survive when i saved up to usd200k for a living.
I don't doubt that, bro. You see, among the friends I know here, I am the 'baby', having stayed only 2 years +. It's nothing to be proud nor ashamed of, it's just a passage of time.
2 years ago, not long after I arrived, the Asian Bank of Asia (ABA) Bank of offering something like 12% for a year's FD. I should have plonked my money in there, but its having roots in some ex-Soviet country (is it Kazakstan?), I decided otherwise. Bad choice.
Having said that, the fact is that the banking industry here is very loosely regulated. Rumors, and these are just rumors, has it that most banks here are too thinly capitalized, well below international levels. Many banks are said to be owned by triads from Japan, Korea, Taiwan and obscure countries.
How many of you heard of Singapore Banking Corporation here in Phnom Penh? Or HuangDBS, supposed backed by HuangDBS, Malaysia, and DBS, Singapore? Why is it only proxy banks and not a single bonafide Singapore banks is present in Cambodia, given that most of Malaysia's (Maybank, Public Bank, CIMB) are?
Rumors, again, are the Cambodians took offense when Singapore, under pressure from the US, told the Cambos to park their (ill-gotten?) money elsewhere many years ago. Mahathir,on the other hand, welcomed them with open arms and thus gained the foothold in Cambodia they now have. It may also explain why relations between the SG & KH remains oh so lukewarm.
__________________
Be nice to every woman you know
Eventually they will all owe you sex
I don't doubt that, bro. You see, among the friends I know here, I am the 'baby', having stayed only 2 years +. It's nothing to be proud nor ashamed of, it's just a passage of time.
2 years ago, not long after I arrived, the Asian Bank of Asia (ABA) Bank of offering something like 12% for a year's FD. I should have plonked my money in there, but its having roots in some ex-Soviet country (is it Kazakstan?), I decided otherwise. Bad choice.
Having said that, the fact is that the banking industry here is very loosely regulated. Rumors, and these are just rumors, has it that most banks here are too thinly capitalized, well below international levels. Many banks are said to be owned by triads from Japan, Korea, Taiwan and obscure countries.
How many of you heard of Singapore Banking Corporation here in Phnom Penh? Or HuangDBS, supposed backed by HuangDBS, Malaysia, and DBS, Singapore? Why is it only proxy banks and not a single bonafide Singapore banks is present in Cambodia, given that most of Malaysia's (Maybank, Public Bank, CIMB) are?
Rumors, again, are the Cambodians took offense when Singapore, under pressure from the US, told the Cambos to park their (ill-gotten?) money elsewhere many years ago. Mahathir,on the other hand, welcomed them with open arms and thus gained the foothold in Cambodia they now have. It may also explain why relations between the SG & KH remains oh so lukewarm.
one simple fact is that Sg banks are much more kiasu and kiasi compared to the malaysian ones; of course, they may wish to say they are better regulated. The same reasons why you see Public Bank in VN way before UOB.
I know how banks got started in Cam during my short stay there in early 90s. I can only say this: if you have deep enough pocket, you will have a matching set of balls.
one simple fact is that Sg banks are much more kiasu and kiasi compared to the malaysian ones; of course, they may wish to say they are better regulated. The same reasons why you see Public Bank in VN way before UOB.
I know how banks got started in Cam during my short stay there in early 90s. I can only say this: if you have deep enough pocket, you will have a matching set of balls.
And that, is a aspect I have not looked at before. Lots of respect.
Perhaps you like to recount some of the cowboy town side of things you've seen here. It's fascinating to know.
As for the kiasi and kiasu, after a generation of Lee Dynasty, the genome is already designed in.
__________________
Be nice to every woman you know
Eventually they will all owe you sex
I don't doubt that, bro. You see, among the friends I know here, I am the 'baby', having stayed only 2 years +. It's nothing to be proud nor ashamed of, it's just a passage of time.
2 years ago, not long after I arrived, the Asian Bank of Asia (ABA) Bank of offering something like 12% for a year's FD. I should have plonked my money in there, but its having roots in some ex-Soviet country (is it Kazakstan?), I decided otherwise. Bad choice.
Having said that, the fact is that the banking industry here is very loosely regulated. Rumors, and these are just rumors, has it that most banks here are too thinly capitalized, well below international levels. Many banks are said to be owned by triads from Japan, Korea, Taiwan and obscure countries.
How many of you heard of Singapore Banking Corporation here in Phnom Penh? Or HuangDBS, supposed backed by HuangDBS, Malaysia, and DBS, Singapore? Why is it only proxy banks and not a single bonafide Singapore banks is present in Cambodia, given that most of Malaysia's (Maybank, Public Bank, CIMB) are?
Rumors, again, are the Cambodians took offense when Singapore, under pressure from the US, told the Cambos to park their (ill-gotten?) money elsewhere many years ago. Mahathir,on the other hand, welcomed them with open arms and thus gained the foothold in Cambodia they now have. It may also explain why relations between the SG & KH remains oh so lukewarm.
Yep I was there in 2005 to about 2009 when the land price started crashing. Make a bit then on some land speculation but spend it mostly on entertainment. ABA Bank is owned by the same owners of Applifone before they sold it out. Yes, they are from Kazakstan and in my personal opinion, not so safe to put money there. I find Acleda pretty reputable with quarterly financial announcements made. As for Hwang Dbs, it was not DBS that wanted to open the bank there but rather the owner of Hwang Securities in Penang. So, the bank probably has some support from DBS but not much. The owner just passed away and the son is looking to sell Hwang DBS currently. Even Singapore Banking Corporation has been bought by a Taiwanese Bank is I am not mistaken. Used to be owned by Singapore owners, Andy. Of course, the safest place to put your money would be Public Bank or Maybank but the interest offered is so much less. Do explore putting your funds in Hatta or Sathaphana..they offer daily rates at 4% per annum and credited monthly. Easier to take out that way. Used to do that. Take care bro.
Yep I was there in 2005 to about 2009 when the land price started crashing. Make a bit then on some land speculation but spend it mostly on entertainment. ABA Bank is owned by the same owners of Applifone before they sold it out. Yes, they are from Kazakstan and in my personal opinion, not so safe to put money there. I find Acleda pretty reputable with quarterly financial announcements made. As for Hwang Dbs, it was not DBS that wanted to open the bank there but rather the owner of Hwang Securities in Penang. So, the bank probably has some support from DBS but not much. The owner just passed away and the son is looking to sell Hwang DBS currently. Even Singapore Banking Corporation has been bought by a Taiwanese Bank is I am not mistaken. Used to be owned by Singapore owners, Andy. Of course, the safest place to put your money would be Public Bank or Maybank but the interest offered is so much less. Do explore putting your funds in Hatta or Sathaphana..they offer daily rates at 4% per annum and credited monthly. Easier to take out that way. Used to do that. Take care bro.
Thanks bro, for the info. Currently trying to gather some juicy info on a couple of assassinations Singaporeans were involved in, mainly on the losing end.
There's a treasure trove of stories here, of hostile takeovers, literally, of properties, businesses, in which foreigners were relieved of their shareholdings and told the town is too small for them. It's not for nothing PP has been referred to as a cowboy town.
It's slow going, memories become fuzzy, many can't be substantiated, and many perpetrators have since become powerful people and some story-telling dry up when I am asking for too much details.
The stories might not end up here, not good for my health.
__________________
Be nice to every woman you know
Eventually they will all owe you sex
Thanks bro, for the info. Currently trying to gather some juicy info on a couple of assassinations Singaporeans were involved in, mainly on the losing end.
There's a treasure trove of stories here, of hostile takeovers, literally, of properties, businesses, in which foreigners were relieved of their shareholdings and told the town is too small for them. It's not for nothing PP has been referred to as a cowboy town.
It's slow going, memories become fuzzy, many can't be substantiated, and many perpetrators have since become powerful people and some story-telling dry up when I am asking for too much details.
The stories might not end up here, not good for my health.
This I can't agree more. In the 80s, Taiwanese were the first to come in. It was so easy to apply for a Cambodian ID then. Less than USD20. They came and bought a lot of land. Some of them were in joint names with Cambodian. So, when the property prices went up, I can probably tell you 100 different stories of how they got cheated by their local partners, spouses and powerful people. So many interesting stories on the Cambodian tycoons. I probably know what most of the locals know plus direct from them as well. Ahh..look forward to sharing you come one day I am there Will pm you.
This I can't agree more. In the 80s, Taiwanese were the first to come in. It was so easy to apply for a Cambodian ID then. Less than USD20. They came and bought a lot of land. Some of them were in joint names with Cambodian. So, when the property prices went up, I can probably tell you 100 different stories of how they got cheated by their local partners, spouses and powerful people. So many interesting stories on the Cambodian tycoons. I probably know what most of the locals know plus direct from them as well. Ahh..look forward to sharing you come one day I am there Will pm you.
Look forward to it, bro.
__________________
Be nice to every woman you know
Eventually they will all owe you sex
27-02-2013, 11:37 PM
Will pm you.
