jimmie50

To be perfectly honest, if I am going to be part of the family I don't mind helping out a little bit. I have never said that to Cam, but in the back of my mind I have thought about it. That is definitely a 'wait and see' kind of thing. I don't want to become a walking ATM, so I am very careful when it comes to the financial arrangements. The brother, who is in construction, estimates the cost of the new house with family providing all of the labor will be approximately $15,000. With all five siblings contributing over a period of almost five years they have managed to save $12,000. However, price of materials have increased thanks to the carrot top bobble head. That estimate is probably on the low side now. They are actually planning to purchase some needed materials for the temporary housing tomorrow (Saturday), so I am anxious to hear from Cam about the pricing. His brother will know if there has been a significant increase for materials. I was surprised nobody asked in the Gay Thailand forum in my Love Interest 2026 post about financial arrangements between me and Cam on the most recent trip. We had no arrangements in advance other than simply wanting to spend the time together to see if this was going to lead to anything serious. The only firm commitment going in was I would pay all of our expenses during that time...Airbnb, food, transportation, anything we did for entertainment, and even a couple of shopping trips to the mall. I will say that Cam never asked for anything other than wanting to go play snooker with his friends a couple of times. Even then, I was included in those activities. When grocery shopping, he might pick out a snack or type of fruit he wanted. He would never choose the restaurant if we were eating out. It was always wherever I wanted to eat. His usual response was 'I eat everything. You are more picky. You decide'. LOL. I wanted to buy him some new clothes. Trying to get him to pick out anything was like pulling teeth. He finally would select one or two items, but only after I threatened to pick them out myself. We definitely have different taste and style, so threatening to buy him an all pink outfit did the trick. The only formal agreement other than me paying all of the expenses for both of us was that he would not work at the bar during that time. An 'off fee' was never discussed nor asked for. However, knowing that he was not working during those ten or eleven weeks with no income and he would have expenses for the trip home just a couple of days after I left for Denver, my plan was always to give him some money. Since he never really asked for anything during our time together and resisted purchasing things, I wasn't sure if he would even accept my 'donation'. I was not extravagant, but certainly wanted to be generous. Initially he refused, but eventually we came to an agreement about him accepting and also the amount. I am sure he only spent a small portion of that on himself and the trip home. The remainder went into the new house fund. So, I guess in a roundabout way I have contributed...technically. My perspective is perhaps a little different from others given our situation. In my previous relationship with the Taiwanese, we had a joint bank account and shared expenses. Our attitude was 'what is mine is yours and vice versa'. Cam and I are beginning a long term relationship. Therefore, my attitude is very similar to what it was with the Taiwanese boyfriend. I wanted to make sure Cam had enough money to pay for the journey back to Cambodia. We knew in advance that was going to be around 7000 Baht. He also wanted to take back a few things to his family. We actually went shopping together for those things, but that didn't amount to much. He needed to be careful about how much he was going to be carrying on foot through the forest. Probably the most expensive and largest item was a bottle of Jack Daniels Whiskey for him to share with his father and siblings. The arrangement for the upcoming trip to Cambodia is the same as it was in Bangkok...I will pay all of the expenses for us during that time. Since we are entering into a relationship...family is family. If a little help is needed for the new house, I really don't mind.

I realize this isn't the politics forum, but since you mentioned it here and it does specifically pertain to the increase in cost of living and expenses around the world, he gave an unhinged, rambling televised speech last night for 25 minutes. Basically a rehash with no proof regarding the 2020 election. Gavin Newsome, Governor of California, said it best: I just watched the ramblings of a mad king and what else can I say — the only thing missing was tin foil. Donald Trump is trying to rig our elections and we have to stop him.

I am very careful to ask questions but not make suggestions per se. When I asked about construction equipment, I was merely inquiring if it was possible to rent something nearby. I have never been involved in construction projects and have no skills in that regards, so keeping quiet about how they are doing things should be an easy task for me. I would have no clue if there was a better way of doing it or not. lol.

No, as of now it has not been mentioned. I am anticipating the request may come when the cost of the new house increases as construction moves along. Prices have gone up everywhere for everything.

Just wait until I actually have boots on the ground in September! Naturally, I am missing Cam and cannot wait to be reunited with him, but I am also excited about exploring a new country and cannot wait to share that with forum members.

Yes, even though I found it somewhat annoying, I never expressed that openly. Just was my personal feelings about it. I never even said anything to Cam about it. I was always polite and did always say hello or goodbye. When leaving the condo on the last day, I did give them a very nice tip.

Well, the construction project is now underway. Cam, his brother and his father started construction on the temporary housing they are building on the back of the property. They also have a local farmer helping them, and one of his brother in laws. Once the temporary housing is complete, his parents will stay there while the new main structure is being built. He has been sending me photos and videos of the work so far. He has been digging holes for support beams and a very long trench. I am not sure what the trench is for just yet. I try not to ask too many questions. I am not sure what the plan is for bathroom and kitchen, although I know one of the major digging projects the last two days has been to dig a well. They were successful with that and have water. It remains to be seen how that actually gets into the temporary housing. I am utterly amazed they are doing all of this by hand. I asked if there wasn't some type of business in the area that rented construction equipment. A small backhoe or excavator would make things much easier for them, not to mention faster, but he said such a business didn't exist. Because of the heat, they work primarily in the mornings starting around 7am until noon, take a break in the afternoon, and start back around 4pm when it begins to get cooler until around 7pm. Assembling the structure itself will be easier. It is all of this preliminary stuff that is hard, physical work.

During my recent visit, the security staff at the condo where we were staying would wai every single time they would see me exit the elevator to leave the building or when we would be returning to the building from the outside and going to the elevator. Initially I didn't mind, but I did not return the wai as I did not think it was appropriate. To be honest, it really got a little annoying to have them do it so much...every single time they saw me. When I met the elderly father of my Thai friends who let me use their condo for accommodations when I visit, I felt it would be disrespectful if I did not provide a wai for him. But with my friends, we never do it.

Mac had some personal issues going on at one time and could be kind of flaky. He canceled on me last minute. I used Woody who is based in Chiang Mai but will sometimes come to Bangkok if the price is right. He is an excellent guide. He can be booked through Siamroads.

I have confirmed with Cam that he uses Metfone for cell and internet service and his bank is ACLEDA. I will most likely choose those as well to make things simpler.

Thanks for pointing that feature out. I completely missed that option. I always go to the different forum sections I am interested in and click on the new posts that way. This would be much easier to just click on unread content.

I am unfamiliar with Wise. The first I heard of it was via this forum. I did see the post about US issued Wise cards not working in Cambodia. I actually went to my bank in person yesterday afternoon and they assured me that my Visa debit card would work in ATM's located in Cambodia. They have had other customers use their cards without any issues. I do not use my credit cards to obtain cash advances. Fees are too outrageous for that. The bank also said my credit cards would work, but as has been mentioned by others on the forum who have been to Cambodia before, 'cash is king' so to speak. Major international businesses will accept credit cards, but the smaller shops and independents most likely will not. The bank also made another suggestion. They said if I ran into any problems, Western Union has locations in Cambodia. If in a bind, I could always send money to myself from my bank account via Western Union to be picked up at the local office. Of course, that would require paying a small fee. I have also thought about asking Cam for his bank account information. We have had a discussion about this before. I could use an online service such as Remitly and send money from my bank account to his bank account and then he could get it for me that way. Again, I am sure a small fee would be involved. Once I am actually in Cambodia, have applied and received the retirement visa, I can open up a bank account. Then it won't be a concern. I can transfer money from my US bank account to my Cambodian bank account and vice versa. I would have a debit card for both banks.

I suspect we will mostly use Riel. Cam will have used up all of his Baht by the time I arrive. He has a few 'souvenir' US dollars he has collected over the years that he has saved and I am sure will not spend. They were from customers at the bar and sort of a collector's item for him. He has a one dollar bill and a five dollar bill. I gave him a five and ten dollar bill to add to his collection. For the most part, he will be using Riel so that will most likely be what I use as well once there. I do need to make sure my bank cards will work in Cambodia, though, so that I can withdraw Riel from ATM's without any problems.

Until you made the comment, I did not even make the connection. Completely missed that, but guess since 'Cam' is a pseudonym and not his real name I did not make the connection. I can be pretty slow to catch on sometimes. lol.

Do we get to select the 3? lol. I know who would be number 1 on my list!!!

Cam seems happy to be home. I think it helped that he spent the last three months with me so that his daily schedule was more 'normal' and not centered so much around bar scene and night life. It has made it easy for him to adjust to a more regular schedule and routine being home. However, with a 13 hour time difference, we are still trying to figure out best times to video chat. Today he went to his brother's house where the entire family gathered to celebrate his homecoming. Parents, Brother, 3 sisters, spouses, 14 nieces and nephews, plus a few aunts, uncles and cousins. He was excited because they were cooking a goose, as well as pork and seafood. The last we chatted they were all sitting around drinking beer and doing karaoke. His father and one brother in law in particular really enjoy singing. They have an old, antiquated device that looks as though it came from a museum, but it works. lol. Next week he, his brother and his father will begin to build a temporary structure on the back of their property where his parents will stay while the new house is under construction. They want to build the new house in the same location as the current house, so it needs to be torn down first. But, his parents will need someplace to stay on a temporary basis. From the way Cam describes it to me, it sounds more like a camping trip. Not sure I would want to live like that for several months. Anyway, they need to get the temporary housing up so they can begin moving things out of the current house and start tearing it down. Cam wants to get as much of this done before I arrive in September. He doesn't want to be driving back and forth every day from Battambang to his hometown. That would be about one hour each way on motorbike.

Appreciate the responses and have some updated information regarding my questions. 1. The Airbnb will actually provide transportation to/from the airport. Cam will be checking in one day before I arrive, so he will be able to ride to the airport with the driver, help with luggage and the e-sim, and ride together back to the condo. Already provided my flight information to the Airbnb so we are good to go. 2. Thanks to online Cambodia group at Facebook, two travel agents have been recommended to help with the retirement visa. I also received some good information about visa on arrival. Immigration will assume that all Westerners want a tourist visa without even asking. That is their standard issue, which is good for 30 days. It can be renewed one time for an additional 30 days. After that, you must leave the country for a certain number of days. When you return, you start the process all over again. You have to specifically request the 'Ordinary Visa' if you plan to convert to a Retirement or Business visa for long term stay. While you can do the retirement visa process yourself, I was encouraged to use the travel agents because it makes things go faster and smoother. They have all of the contacts, know all of the loop holes, and quite often can bypass some of the required documentation as well. Cost of the Retirement Visa for one year is $300 USD and the agents charge $30 fee. Everyone said it is well worth the $30 to avoid any problems or issues, because even though you can apply in Siem Reap at the Immigration Office, everything gets sent to Phnom Penh. If you do it yourself, you have to travel to Phnom Penh. If you are missing anything, then you would need to return to Siem Reap, get whatever you were missing, then go back to Phnom Penh again and hope nothing else was wrong or missing. Using one of the agents eliminates most of the risk. Only concern is giving them your passport to send off to Phnom Penh. Definitely a little nervous about that. Siem Reap Travel/Visa Agents: LV Trust Travel and Tours WhatsApp: +855 88 505 7263 Cam Smile WhatsApp: +855 97 805 6805 3. I know from my experiences in Thailand that any bills you plan to exchange must be new and pristine. However, in Thailand I always carried large bills of 50 and 100 USD to exchange. As has been mentioned here, in Cambodia you can use USD but it is best to carry small denominations. Cam said ones, fives and tens would be best. Twenties might be doable some places, but he said not to bring fifties or hundreds unless I intended to go to some currency exchange place. He also said the same as forum members...new and pristine bills. Cam said people will also accept Thai Baht in addition to USD and Riel. Pretty common. He paid the driver on the Cambodian side that took him from the border to his house in Thai Baht. No problem. I actually have some Thai Baht left from this last trip, so will take it and try to use it up. Not sure when I might be back in Thailand. 4. Recommended cell phone stalls for e-sim at the airport are Metfone, Smart, or Cellcard. These three carriers handle most of the traffic in Cambodia. Some people purchase in advance at Holafly or Simify. Metfone is best for remote areas while Smart is the fastest. Cost is around $6 for 60GB/month. The condo has free WIFI, so 60GB should be more than enough for those times when we are not at the condo. Cam used True in Bangkok and I had AIS. True is not available in Cambodia so he uses Metfone. He said AIS is also available in Cambodia, so I may just continue with them. Won't know for sure until I actually get there.

I will be in Cambodia...either Siem Reap or Battambang. Let me know if you decide to take a side trip that direction and we can get together.

To be honest, until meeting Cam I gave little notice to the border conflict other than what appeared in the US news...which is never much. I believe many Cambodians did return at the beginning of the war...even guys working in the bars. This was encouraged by the Cambodian government...I think the line of reasoning given was loyalty to your country. With the border closed, if they decided to return to Thailand for work at some later time, they would need to do so illegally. They would not be able to obtain a visa. If they had a visa, getting it renewed might be the challenge. This is all unfamiliar territory for me and until getting together with Cam it was never on my radar. Definitely a real learning experience on my part. I also ordered some books to read about Cambodian history and culture before I return in September so I am better prepared for those political conversations Cam liked to have over Youtube videos. Back to school at 75! lol.

I was able to have a nice, long video chat with Cam this morning Denver time and he talked a little more freely about the trip. I think beforehand he didn't want to share too much information with me as he did not want to worry me. You are correct in that before the border conflict escalated in 2025 and essentially closed, the regular price was 2000. It has increased due to the risk factor. There is little concern for the Cambodians who are returning home once they actually have crossed the border and are in Cambodia. Even if they run into military or local police, there are no problems. In fact, they are usually welcomed home as the Cambodian government has encouraged all of its citizens in Thailand to return to their home country. The problem is on the Thailand side of the border. Police and military want to capture the Cambodians returning home for two reasons according to Cam. First, they want to arrest them so there is an official record that they were in Thailand illegally so if they ever apply for a visa in the future it will automatically be denied. Once arrested and the arrest is officially recorded, they deport them to Cambodia. The second reason is your basic corruption and police wanting to shake down those returning home for as much money as they can...if caught. So, police along their journey are actively looking for Cambodians who have been in Thailand illegally to line their pockets. Cam said that is why they travel by night, take different routes all of the time, and they even changed vehicles several times during the trip. I was curious if he actually knew any of the other people in the group, but they were all strangers to each other. All had been in Thailand legally prior to the conflict and border closing, so could no longer do the visa run and had to resort to this method of travel in order to return home safely.

Quick update: Cam has arrived home safe and sound. A total of 9 persons made the trip plus driver. They were all packed into a van. Couldn't have been very comfortable. Took a little over six hours to drive as the driver was trying to avoid police check points. They traveled by foot through the forest once they reached the border for about 1km. From there he was able to get a car to take him directly to his home. That ride was approximately two hours. There was a period of time where we could not be in communication as they all had to avoid using their phones. That was the most frustrating part...not knowing exactly where he was or what was happening. I was extremely nervous about him and the others walking through the forest because of the danger of land mines. Current rates are 5000-7000 Baht. Not a bad days work transporting 9 persons to the border at 5000 Baht each. He does that several times each week. The price on Cambodian side has also gone up. Cam ended up paying 1000 Baht for the ride to his home. We did video chat briefly when he first arrived, then he was going to crash. He said he wasn't able to sleep during the trip. Big sigh of relief on my part. Thanks to everyone for their concern and support. Much appreciated.

Apparently this individual has been making these border runs for quite some time. All of the Cambodian guys seem to be aware of him and use his services. There will be several others making the journey tonight along with Cam, so perhaps safety in numbers? Anyway, approximately 7:30pm Bangkok time and he is awaiting pick up sometime between now and 10pm. They actually pick the guys up wherever they currently live. Cam reassures me it will be fine, but I am still anxious and worried for his safety. I will keep everyone updated. Oh...and because there are several traveling at the same time the price is only 5000 Baht from Bangkok to the border. Once in Cambodia, the price to his home will only be 200 Baht. Big difference!

Well, I have arrived back in Denver safe and sound. Flights were all good, connections went smoothly, and on all three flights we somehow managed to arrive at our destination at least ten minutes early. Suvarnabhumi was very busy. I was able to bypass the majority of folks and went to the seniors/disabled line for immigration and security. That was smooth sailing compared to long lines elsewhere. Taipei was busy, but not nearly as much as swampy. The thing that always gets me in Taipei is even though you just got off a secure plane into a secure area without ever leaving…they still make transfers go back through security. Strange system to me, but I see that a lot in Asian airports. They do it in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan as well. All three flights were full. I was surprised by this. Based upon news reports, travel in general is down due to high cost and the situation in the Middle East. That certainly did not seem to be the case on these three flights. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was sad leaving Cam, but he surprised me by insisting that he ride with me all the way to the airport. He did not want to part ways as we left the condo one last time. Neither one of us was quite ready to say goodbye. I kept in touch along my journey via text, and in Taipei and San Francisco he called for brief video chats. He met his bar buddies that first night after I left to say their goodbyes. There was six or eight of them that shared snacks and a large bottle of Johnnie Walker Red Label. I think he said they played cards as well. That would have been July 8th. July 9th he met his other group of friends and they went to some market for food and drinks, and then ended up at the pool hall to play snooker. That will be his last hurrah. He will take transportation to the border this evening (10th). I did ask Cam if the border is officially open now and he said no. They do not cross at any official check point. More a situation of locals crossing back and forth. He doesn’t know about guys returning to work, but said if they were it was without any type of visa. Some people are getting across because of medical emergencies, but even that was limited and only for 14 days. Over the three months we were together, we accumulated a lot of stuff. When he first arrived at the condo, he had one small piece of luggage and said it contained pretty much everything that he owned in Thailand. We went shopping a number of times. He would never ask for anything, and trying to get him to tell me things he needed or wanted was like pulling teeth. We also bought a few things we needed for cooking in the condo, and had a good supply of cooking supplies that we gave to his roommates. All said and done, we made three trips to his room each time carrying three large grocery bags from Tops filled with stuff. I tried to persuade him to let me purchase a larger bag as I could not see how he could possibly manage everything going back home in that small one. He repeatedly refused, so I eventually gave up. He claimed to have a large soft sided bag he could cram full of everything. He also kept reminding me that he has to be able to carry everything across the border by hand, so he did not want a big piece of luggage. And, as usual, I overpacked. I did not wear half of the clothes I brought with me. I am determined when I go to Cambodia in September to only bring one large bag and one small carry on. My last two trips to Bangkok I have traveled with two large bags and one carry on. Way too much stuff. I arrived in Denver at 8:30am local time and have managed to stay up and stay busy all day. Hopefully, I will be able to sleep tonight and adjust to the time difference quickly. Have to wait and see how that works out for me. lol. I might make one more post on this thread to let everyone know about Cam’s journey home. Then I will be switching to the Cambodia forum.

Cam is not concerned about it at all. Says it will be no problem for him as he is returning home. He has other Cambodian friends who have done the same thing recently without any issues. Not sure what the situation would be in reverse if he tried to enter Thailand without a visa. My understanding is obtaining a visa for Thailand from Cambodia is not an option currently, but not 100% sure of that.

If you are a follower of the Gay Thailand forum, you have probably read some of my posts about an upcoming trip to Cambodia in September. For those of you who have visited before, I have several questions: 1. Can you recommend a car service from the airport in Siem Reap that can be reserved in advance to take you into the city? Cam is planning to meet me in Siem Reap, but he will be on a motorbike and that just isn't practical for picking me up at the airport considering I will have two large suitcases. Our plan is to just meet at the Airbnb (condo) instead, so I need to arrange for translation from the airport to the condo. 2. I need to apply for the retirement visa and it has been suggested to me that rather than doing this on my own I should go through a reputable travel agency in Siem Reap. Can anyone recommend a reputable travel agency that provides this service? 3. Should I exchange any USD for Riel on arrival, or just carry USD? I know it is readily accepted in Cambodia, but also would prefer to have some local currency as well. Can you recommend a currency exchange that has decent rates? 4. Does the airport have stalls where you can purchase e-sim and get a local number? I always us AIS in Thailand, but not sure if they are available in Cambodia. Thanks! Appreciate any and all responses! Cam is not much help when I ask him these questions as he has no idea, either. lol. We are like the blind leading the blind.