jimmie50

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.

Well, it is with mixed emotions that I begin to wrap up this unusual trip report. Unusual in that it did not include details about visits to bars or massage shops or other such escapades. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this three month adventure with Cam, but it has turned out to be an amazing experience. Staying away from Silom was a good decision for us both. I suppose to some our time together will appear as somewhat mundane and boring. We have simply enjoyed the time together as a couple. We have had some interesting, in depth conversations about politics in Cambodia, about our families, about life in general, and about hopes and dreams for the future. It was fun to venture outside of Bangkok to Pattaya and Chiang Mai for a change of scenery. We enjoyed cooking meals together, trying new restaurants, going shopping at the various malls…and even playing snooker with his friends. Having us get sick at different times was a learning experience for us both, but we managed to survive even that. While I am sad that the time has come for us to temporarily go our separate ways, there is also a sense of peace and calmness this time. I am confident that our feelings for each other are strong and genuine. After spending so much time together over the last three months, the next eight weeks apart will be a bit of a challenge, but not nearly as stressful as the separation was between the first of April and my return in May. My journey back to Denver begins the evening of July 8 with layovers in Taipei and San Francisco. I will eventually arrive home sometime around noon on July 9. Cam departs for Cambodia on July 10. Since he has no plans to return to Thailand as of now, he will have one last night out with his bar friends and one last night out with his snooker pals. While I do not know all of the specifics, there is an individual that runs private car service from Bangkok to the border area with Cambodia that is safe to cross. The drive takes around four hours and they travel at night. He will have to walk the last 100 meters or so across the border with his belongings. Once in Cambodia, there are others there waiting who are willing to provide transportation from there to his hometown. Of course, all of this will require payment for the two drivers of approximately 7000 Baht total. The drive from the border to his hometown will be about one hour. Surprisingly, airfares for the trip to Siem Reap were much better than I expected given the current situation in the Middle East. In fact, I just received notice that there was a price drop of $150 USD so the fare was adjusted accordingly (yes, I did the guarantee). Depart Denver on September 3, once again connecting in San Francisco. Will have that long flight again to Singapore, then on to Siem Reap arriving on September 5. Will spend the first week in Siem Reap before moving to Battambang for the remainder of the trip, although we might go back to Siem Reap a few days before my return trip to US is scheduled on December 2. That is yet to be determined. Airbnb is secured in both locations. Will probably start posting in the Cambodian forum, although it doesn’t seem to be very active. Not sure how effective or helpful that will be. Hopefully people will respond. I already have a few questions to post.

+1

This is not specifically about the bars, but low season in general. Had a message from Paradise guy just last night. He has no idea I am currently in Bangkok. He was telling me how bad business is at the shop and there are very few customers. He was asking if I might be able to send him a little money to help pay his rent. This is the first time he has ever asked, so I am inclined to believe he is in somewhat dire straits and business really is bad.

Nice rainbow fireworks display last night presented by IconSiam in celebration of Pride in Bangkok! We didn't know about it in advance, but could actually see some of the display from our condo window. Imagine it was quite spectacular in person with the reflection of the sparklers in the river in addition to the sky.

I don't see any image?!? Am I missing something?

I cannot speak from first hand experience as we have been staying away from Silom on this trip. Our plan was to visit Banana Bar last night as an end to my birthday celebration, but because of the election and alcohol ban, Soi 4 was dark other than G's. Cam does keep in touch via text with a couple of his buddies at Hotmale and what you report seems to be what they are telling him. Several nights in a row there has only been one or two customers at the most. They haven't even been doing the shows because no customers, and some of the guys are simply not showing up for work because they are not making any money. I don't know about the other bars/clubs, but I think Cam's information is pretty accurate for Hotmale. Perhaps Hotmale isn't the best example, as it has other issues (see @macaroni21 posts on his blog regarding this bar / https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2026/05/06/this-bar-makes-me-hot-under-the-collar/)

Quick update on the birthday celebration...had a nice dinner with his two friends. Cam had arranged with one of his friends to pick up a heart shaped birthday cake which they somehow managed to sneak into the restaurant. At the conclusion of dinner the restaurant staff brought out the cake along with plates and a knife for cutting. It was complete with candle and other customers chimed in as they all sang 'happy birthday'. After dinner we headed to the pool hall where we managed to get in three games of snooker before heading to Silom. Unfortunately, neither Cam nor I realized it was election day in Bangkok and Soi 4 was completely dark with the exception of G's. All of the clubs were closed and no alcohol sales permitted. The guys only ordered Coca Cola for dinner, so the alcohol issue didn't come up. Not sure how the pool hall managed, but they were selling beer to customers. Since they were drinking beer, the issue didn't come up. Only after we arrived at Soi 4 did we find out about the election and ban on alcohol sales. By this time it was midnight, so we just grabbed a taxi and headed back to the condo where we had some whiskey and coke...well, Cam had a whiskey and coke night cap followed by play time. It was time to receive my present. LOL.

That was his first trip up north. Other than a previous trip to Pattaya with friends and the back and forth to Cambodia on visa runs, he hasn't ventured outside of Bangkok. He did enjoy the trip and in the future could probably be persuaded to visit again...although minus the long car ride.

Finally made it to Chiang Mai, although I am not sure I would attempt such an adventure via private car again. The car service itself was great. I just didn’t realize how long it was going to take on the drive from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, and again on the return trip. With stops, travel time was around 10 hours. Two full days for travel, so that left us three days for exploring Chiang Mai. I used the same car service that I use to/from Suvarnabhumi and also used for the trip to Pattaya. Probably a little pricey, but I have been very happy with the service. Given Cam’s status, it was more about my peace of mind and need to be sure he was safe. If we ever visit in the future, hopefully his status will not be an issue and we can go by air or train. Cannot report on the gay scene in Chiang Mai as we did not visit any of the bars or club. Pretty much did typical tourist stuff with a local guide. Enjoyed exploring the Old City, Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang. Also traveled to the mountain temple of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Visited nearby hill tribes and learned a bit about the Karen and Hmong communities. Took a trip up to Doi Inthanon and saw the Two Pagodas. Stopped at an elephant sanctuary along the way. Went to several night markets in the evenings, but my favorite was the Night Bazaar. All in all, it was a great trip. Back in Bangkok now and realize that our time here is growing short. Does not seem possible that two months have already passed. Today is my birthday, so we have invited a few of his snooker buddies to join us for dinner, then we will play some snooker together, and the two of us will probably end up going to the late show at Banana Bar before heading back to the condo. This will be one of the few times we have gone to Silom on this trip. We have managed to avoid the area for the most part. Focus of this trip was to be on each other and away from the gay scene. While I try to avoid watching Youtube videos now that have anything to do with Cambodian history when Cam is around, he feels very comfortable expressing his opinions around me and there have been several evenings that he has gotten riled up. Most of the time he has listened to something on TikTok or Facebook that has prompted this reaction. I have learned the best thing for me to do is simply listen to him vent without making too many comments.

During my visit this past Feb/Mar/Apr with my very active social life and an extensive list of regulars, I can say that none of them talked about other clients. Not one mention. Of course, to be fair, I also didn't ask any questions. I was less concerned about what they did with others and more concerned about what they were going to do with me. lol. Must get our priorities in the right place.

Same for me. It has been super fast loading yesterday and today (Sat/Sun).

I guess I will need to consider the Southern Hemisphere version once in Cambodia...if it is even available there.

Yes. I have gotten one every year ever since they have been available. Working with moderate to severe special education students in a school setting put staff at high risk for all sorts of germs. I have had every kind of vaccine and shot available, and those that are annual are always on my to do list, like the flu shot. Even though I am now retired, I make it a point to keep up with all of that. I imagine the flu shot I received last fall has waned in potency, but probably helped this not become a severe case.

Today is the last day of medication from the hospital and I am pretty much back to 100%. Feeling fine now, so we will try again next week for our journey north to Chiang Mai. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how much the medication was going to help as I was concerned about the dosage. I had this problem when I was living in Taiwan with my ex and needed to see a doctor. They are not quite sure how to prescribe the appropriate dosage for someone my size, so it usually ends up falling short. I was not overly optimistic that it would be any different here, but it seems to have worked so I am pleasantly surprised. Cam had to provide daily updates to his mother and youngest sister. It seems everyone was keeping tabs on how I was progressing. I found this somewhat amusing, because I never even bothered to tell my own sister back in Denver that I was sick or had gone to see a doctor at the hospital. We just continued our daily, brief texts as usual and I never mentioned it at all. We had a discussion last night about my time in Cambodia while the new house is under construction. Cam is worried about me being in Battambang so much of the time by myself, as he will need to be at the construction project every day. He does have a valid point and I ultimately agreed with him. His brother is a builder and has other projects. He won’t be able to devote 100% of his time to the new house. His father will be there, but is older and may not be able to do some of the heavier work. His mother and youngest sister will be there as well, but I am not sure how much help either of them will be. Brother and brother-in-law’s not only have jobs but families that will require some attention. While they plan to hire local labor to help with the actual work, Cam is going to need to be on site every day during construction to supervise and be the point person to deal with any questions or problems that arise. Battambang is also an hour drive by motorbike one way to his home town. That is two hours out of his day just for travel when he needs to be focused on construction. He is worried that I will be angry and miserable most of the time because he will not be able to focus his attention on me or us. After the serious discussion, we arrived with a compromise solution that we are both happy with and solves the problem. I will return to Denver in early December just before the new construction begins and spend the holidays with my family. He and his brother estimate the project will take two months…but I think it will be more like three so am allowing for that in my schedule. Construction will begin on December 8. You may be curious as to why this specific date…I know I was. It is all based upon the fortune teller his mother consulted. That was determined to be the luckiest day to begin the build. According to Cam’s schedule, construction should be completed in early February, but I will schedule my return to Cambodia for early March. If the house does finish in early February, I can always change my return to an earlier date. We will still look for an apartment in September with a one-year lease or rental agreement and keep the apartment during the construction period even though I will be in Denver. Cam may need a break from family and can escape to Battambang to hang out with friends as needed.

I tread very softly when it comes to this as I know it can be a very sensitive issue. We do talk about families, and I know both grandmothers are still alive, but both grandfathers have passed away. I do not know the circumstances, nor do I ask. It doesn't matter the how, when or why...just to know they have passed. I did ask one time if his parents ever talked about their experiences as children growing up during that period of time and he basically said 'no' and offered no additional information. Thus, I dropped the subject. What they have shared with their children may well be that deep, dark family secret that nobody talks about. I have a great uncle (maternal grandmother's brother) who, whenever he came to town the drapes and blinds closed tight, we were instructed not to open them until told otherwise, not to answer the door, and not to go outside to play without permission and adult supervision. To this day, nobody in the family my age or younger has a clue what that was all about. My grandmother's generation took that secret to their graves. Whatever he chooses to share is entirely up to him and there will be no 'search for the truth' on my part. It is history...hopefully we learn from it and move forward.

I mentioned the urban areas specifically for that reason. His family was already living in the rural areas and not part of that mass exodus from the cities. From that standpoint, I assume it was somewhat of a better situation for them...if there was such a thing as 'better situation' to be had. I have watched a couple of French videos on Youtube within the last couple of weeks that include interviews with Francois Bizot and found them very interesting. I usually try to watch things like that during the time Cam goes to the gym since I do not want to get him riled up. After two or three evenings of that...I am very careful what I say and when I watch something that is historical about Cambodia.

Too late. I already made that mistake a few weeks ago and had to sit through a host of Youtube videos pointing out the difference between the two...and which came first. I don't bring that up anymore!!!

Thanks, this is an excellent solution. It wasn't about needing the money, but more about finding something to do with my time. I have downloaded an app on my phone and am trying to learn some simple, basic Khmer phrases. Cam is also helping me learn some words and phrases. However, it takes a long time to teach this old dog new tricks...it is a work in progress. lol.

Well, we didn’t make it to Chiang Mai just yet. Had to make a change in plans due to illness. It seems I came down with a touch of the flu, although I have no idea where I would have picked up that bug. I suppose it could have been anywhere. Started with chills and a high fever on Sunday and I spent most of that day and Monday in bed. Cam has been absolutely incredible. As I have mentioned in other posts, he is very attentive and was even more so with me being sick. He was very worried and concerned. Went to the pharmacy to get some medicine and explained to them my symptoms, age, and other medications I take on a daily basis. He got some type of thing that you put on your forehead and it is supposed to help with fever. He boiled water with lemon and ginger, then dipped towels in the water to give me a sponge bath and wrapped the towels around different parts of my body. He prepared some rice porridge trying to get me to eat something. Basically, he didn’t want to leave my side. He kept track of when I should take the next dose of medicine…even if it was the middle of the night. He even called his mother to ask her what he should do to help me. She was actually concerned that I had somehow contracted dengue fever. She suggested to him that I should see a doctor and be tested for that. As a result, when I started to feel a little better Tuesday, he contacted a friend of his in Bangkok who has led tour groups before and has had to take foreigners to see a doctor for medical emergencies in the city. His friend told him to take me to Bangkok Christian Hospital, so off we went around 11am. I was very impressed with both the facilities, the level of care I received, and the overall efficiency. Cam had never been there before, so upon our arrival we were not sure if we should go to emergency or in the main entrance. The security guard immediately recognized we were not sure where to go, so he helped direct us inside the main entrance and to the registration desk. Within a matter of minutes I was registered as a patient and send to the second floor medical department. Again, within just a few minutes the nursing staff had me weigh in, took my temperature, blood pressure and oxygen levels and asked what symptoms I was experiencing…in English, I might add. I would estimate from the time we arrived until the time I actually saw a doctor was no more than 15 minutes! The doctor was very thorough with reasonably good English. Cam was with me the entire time. He mentioned to the doctor their concern about dengue fever. Doctor ordered blood work to check for a number of things, including dengue and Covid. He explained the lab would send him the test results within an hour…that we should wait after leaving the lab and he would review the results with us and determine if any medications were needed to be prescribed. He also reviewed a list of my current medications and made notes for reference. Because of heart medication I take, there are some medications I am not supposed to have that will have a bad reaction. It was a relief to me that he wrote this information down. Long story short…turns out I have a mild case of influenza. Doctor said it was currently going around and I could have picked it up anywhere. Prescribed several different medicines to control fever, body aches, and congestion. Said take the medicine for five days, and if not better by then I should return. Total cost for this hospital visit, including all of the lab work and medications was 5000 Baht, or approximately $150 USD. Just to see the doctor in US would have cost me more than $150!!! Not only was the level of care and service provided far and above what I would receive in the US, but how little it cost was amazing. Since I am over 65 and on Medicare in the US, they do not cover any expenses incurred outside of the US. However, I have supplemental medical insurance for just such a reason and can submit the hospital bill for reimbursement when I return to Denver.

Had a few interesting evenings of conversation with Cam about Cambodian history. Not something I brought up or asked any questions about. We had been watching a video on Youtube about Angkor Wat. You know how, after watching a video the website will prompt you about what to watch next based upon your present selection. Several historical videos popped up so we watched one about Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. I was always told there are three things you should avoid talking about with friends and family: religion, money, and politics. Cam definitely has some very strong opinions about the current state of affairs in Cambodia. I basically just listened to him since I know very little of the history. His father would have been around 10 years old at the time the Khmer Rouge came into power, and his mother even younger than that. Since they grew up in a rural agricultural area, it didn’t have quite the impact on his family that it did those who lived in the urban areas. He would get so wound up that I basically just let him rant and didn’t ask too many questions. He would be talking so fast and in a mix of English and Khmer, and frequently forgot to use any translation app. What I have definitely learned is this: he has no use for the monarchy, does not care for the current regime in power and blames them for most of the problems that exist and will continue to exist as long as they are in control, and has very little good to say about the Vietnamese government in general for basically installing and then continuing to support the current regime in power. I am hoping I can steer him away from Youtube on television tonight, or at least any type of history documentary relating to Cambodia. It is the most animated he has ever been in conversations. Definitely need to order those books about Cambodia recommended by @Tomtravel. Checked and they are available on Amazon.com. Just past the six week mark of this experience, so I did sort of pin him down last night for a serious conversation about our relationship. When I say ‘pin him down’, it wasn’t anything like an ultimatum. It was more about checking in now that we have lived together for six weeks and are getting a feel for what that life will be like together. We are figuring out each other's idiosyncrasies and how to navigate those. Just taking the temperature, so to speak, to see if anything has changed for him. Basically I just told him that I had made my decision on airline reservations and Airbnb condo for the first month, and am prepared to make a permanent move to Cambodia so that we can be together. I just wanted to know if he still wanted to do this or had any concerns before I uproot myself and spend the money for travel arrangements. He said that he had no regrets or concerns other than the fact we won’t be spending as much time together as we have been. He is more worried about me. He will be working during the day, either on the new house once construction gets underway in December, or some type of job. Those are things we have discussed before and are both aware it will be an adjustment. Even though I will be applying for a retirement visa so will be unable to work technically, I have discussed the possibility of giving private English lessons 1:1…not advertising and not a class setting. Also not at a language school. Just perhaps four or five private students during the day mostly by word of mouth. Just have to wait and see about that once I am physically in Cambodia and have a better idea about the lay of the land. Heading to Chiang Mai for a few days this week, so won’t be online for any updates until we return to Bangkok.

Thanks for the recommendations. Will order on Amazon and have them waiting for me on my return to US in July.

Question for those of you who have been to Cambodia before...how widely accepted are credit cards? When shopping at Tops, Big C or Foodland...or when dining out at a nicer restaurant...I usually use my Visa card. Cam has said most places will accept US currency or Riel...but no need to exchange much currency in advance or upon first arriving there. He has no idea about the use of credit cards, though. I am suspicious that 'cash is king', so to speak, and I will find very few places that accept credit cards. I will need to set up international transfer from my US bank to the Cambodian bank once I have opened an account there. That way I can transfer money back and forth without difficulty (hopefully, he says...lol).

I should clarify that my bad experience on the ATR72 turbo prop was not on Bangkok Airways. I have never been on Bangkok Airways before. Nothing against the airline at all. It was a small Taiwanese airline and I was flying from Taipei to Tainan. My ex had booked the flight as we were going to visit his parents. Flying from Don Muang isn't an option since the international flights from San Francisco all come into Suvarnabhumi. That needs to be my transfer point...although on the Singapore Airlines flight I will miss Swampy altogether and go directly to Siem Reap. I like that option better, even though it is a little more expensive. Not enough to dissuade me from booking.