Moving to Cambodia? Very skeptical.?

Question

When I am out of college I want to move and study in Cambodia with anthropology and things similar to that. BUT, I am just torn between Cambodia and Laos. Which one is better? And I am NOT looking at it from an expat, tourist point of view. Which one is better in terms of just living there. I hear Cambodia is dangerous, and has alot of s*x slavery and things like that. Laos has very little crime, or anything of that sort. If I so happen move to Cambodia.. are there ANY western-styled hospitals? Or would I just be screwed and on a flight to Thailand?

Answer 1

Cambodia is all over the place. When I visited, a friend of mine had a diabetic attack and we had our translator take us to a clinic. They refused to treat her for almost an hour because "they were board with her" (i've heard many other stories almost exactly the same as this). Once they finally treated her, they would not keep her there overnight for any amount of money.

Basically, Cambodia is a play-as-you go kind of country. I never had any problems with stealing and was able to get around only knowing a little Khemi. It's an interesting country to say the least.  

Answer 2

I have never been to Laos. But I went to Cambodia. My wife got her camera snatched in front of a police check point. They asked us to pay them to get it back? Like they knew the thieves? Then they tried to force us to make a police report which they asked for Fifteen US dollars. I called my hotel they said to smile and tell the police no and walk away. If you spoke Cambodian it might be different. Health care is scarce. Thailand would be the closest place for that. The s*x slavery you would just have to look the other way. I lived and worked in Iraq for over Two years I felt safer there. In that part of the world peoples salaries are low like 20 or 30 US dollars a month. You would always have to watch your back and not really trust anyone? If you lived off of 300 US a month that's more than locals make in a year. Think about this everyone in Cambodia that survived the killing fields are the people that did the killing? Good luck.

Regards,

  

Answer 3

Cambodia has a high crime rate.  I spent a few months there working for the government.  Poverty, s*x slaves, and petty crime is all over the country.  In general the country is very dirty.  The police and nonexistentare non-existant and care little for it's citizens or guests.  The hospitals are what you can expect in a third-world country.  The best health care you will get in Cambodia is when the US military comes in, once or twice a year.  Laos is much cleaner.  I was there for a short time, but seemed like a nicer country.  But that is coming from sight only.