Questions regarding upcoming Cambodian trip

[FunFifties]

43 minutes ago, jimmie50 said:

I guess I will find out soon enough.  Cam will have the longer ride from his hometown to Siem Reap.  We will meet in Siem Reap and stay there for a few days at first, then travel by motorbike to Battambang.  He says he has made arrangements with a friend of his who works as a delivery driver to take the luggage to Battambang.  We shall see.  I certainly hope we don't have to travel one hour with me holding the bag all of the way on the back of a motorbike!  LOL.  The reminds me of some of the motorbike escapades I have seen in Thailand before...mother, father, three children, a dog and bags all on one motorbike!  I feel a TikTok video coming...

I made the journey from Siem Reap to Battambang by boat crossing the Tonle Sap Lake and then up the Sangker River until it became too shallow to navigate. We were then transferred to pick-up trucks for a 30 minute drive into town. Motorbike is probably the fastest way, but I enjoyed seeing the floating villages along the water way.

[Keithambrose]

On 8/18/2026 at 11:00 PM, vinapu said:

hope they did not try to do it in 1 hour

They had some days to get there, but had to take train for part.

[Keithambrose]

3 hours ago, jimmie50 said:

I guess I will find out soon enough.  Cam will have the longer ride from his hometown to Siem Reap.  We will meet in Siem Reap and stay there for a few days at first, then travel by motorbike to Battambang.  He says he has made arrangements with a friend of his who works as a delivery driver to take the luggage to Battambang.  We shall see.  I certainly hope we don't have to travel one hour with me holding the bag all of the way on the back of a motorbike!  LOL.  The reminds me of some of the motorbike escapades I have seen in Thailand before...mother, father, three children, a dog and bags all on one motorbike!  I feel a TikTok video coming...

How does the insurance  work in Cambodia for Motorcycle rider, and passenger?

[jimmie50]

2 hours ago, FunFifties said:

Motorbike is probably the fastest way, but I enjoyed seeing the floating villages along the water way.

Since I will be staying for three months, I am hoping that we will be able to do a little exploring and sightseeing.  Since this is home turf for Cam, he won't think it is anything unusual.  I might need to do a little arm twisting.  loll.  

[Keithambrose]

2 hours ago, FunFifties said:

I made the journey from Siem Reap to Battambang by boat crossing the Tonle Sap Lake and then up the Sangker River until it became too shallow to navigate. We were then transferred to pick-up trucks for a 30 minute drive into town. Motorbike is probably the fastest way, but I enjoyed seeing the floating villages along the water way.

The floating villages are well worth a trip, if it is the rainy season.  They are at risk from the dams on the Upper Mekong. Some 2m people may lose their livelih, fishing, but Government shows no signs of caring

[jimmie50]

4 minutes ago, Keithambrose said:

How does the insurance  work in Cambodia for Motorcycle rider, and passenger?

According to Cam, there is no such thing as mandatory insurance for vehicles...other than commercial vehicles.  There are a few private companies, but the cost is prohibitive for most people.  I have asked the question, and Cam does not have insurance.  There are companies in the US that will sell you a policy to cover liability and medical for international travel, and I am looking into that option.  I have already purchased medical coverage that would cover me if I was injured in some type of vehicular accident.  I am not sure if I would need liability coverage, since I will be the passenger, not the driver.  Good question.  

[jimmie50]

2 minutes ago, Keithambrose said:

Government shows no signs of caring

That seems to be a reoccurring theme based upon everything I have read.  

[vinapu]

7 hours ago, jimmie50 said:

I guess I will find out soon enough.  Cam will have the longer ride from his hometown to Siem Reap.  We will meet in Siem Reap and stay there for a few days at first, then travel by motorbike to Battambang.  He says he has made arrangements with a friend of his who works as a delivery driver to take the luggage to Battambang.

nobody is asking me but  travelling by  motorbike  from Siem Reap to Battambang, while doable , in my opinion borders on lunacy, even without luggage

[floridarob]

8 hours ago, vinapu said:

nobody is asking me but  travelling by  motorbike  from Siem Reap to Battambang, while doable , in my opinion borders on lunacy, even without luggage

What many of us here think about going to Thailand/Asia from USA/Canada in economy row 50 😢

[jimmie50]

9 hours ago, vinapu said:

nobody is asking me but  travelling by  motorbike  from Siem Reap to Battambang, while doable , in my opinion borders on lunacy, even without luggage

Well, since I will be on Cam's home turf and motorbike is his (and his families) main means of transportation, I am sure there will be many outings on the motorbike that will be slightly uncomfortable but unavoidable for me.  We will need the motorbike in Battambang on a regular basis.  I suppose I could take a bus, boat, or hire a car to take me and my luggage to Battambang, but Cam would still need to ride the motorbike there.  Not sure I like the idea of traveling separately like that after traveling all the way from Denver to be with him.   (I know...just call me lovesick!  LOL)   

I am only aware of one person in his family who has any type of vehicle other than a motorbike for transportation and that is his brother.  I believe he has a commercial truck of some type because of the construction business.  They do have some motorized equipment they use on the farm for harvesting rice and sesame seeds...but my understanding is that is shared equipment with some of his father's siblings.  

[jimmie50]

I had an interesting conversation with Cam today about education in Cambodia.  Since they are taking a few days off from work, Cam has helped his oldest sister out by picking up her three boys at school.  They all adore their Uncle Cam and he really enjoys spending time with them.  I have read about the education system in several of the books I either purchased or borrowed from the library, so I had a general idea that there was no such thing as a free and public education.  Anyone in his parent’s generation who has any education would have received it from the monks in the temples.  This would have primarily been religious education.  While his father is able to read and write a little, he is self-taught and never attended any type of school.  His mother does not read or write.  Cam is fortunate in that his parents thought education was important and he is also the youngest.  Being the youngest, his parents were in a better position financially to afford to send him to school for nine years.  His brother went to school for five years, and his three sisters went to school for two years each.  All of the nieces and nephews that are school age attend school, so that importance of education from his parents did transfer to his siblings.  The schools are considered public and fall under the authority of the Education Ministry, but the government only provides minimal financial support.  So, to attend school the people must pay.  I believe out of the 14 nieces and nephews, 10 of them are school age now so his siblings must pay to send them to school.

[hank75]

42 minutes ago, jimmie50 said:

 I suppose I could take a bus, boat, or hire a car to take me and my luggage to Battambang, but Cam would still need to ride the motorbike there.

Very possibly you could hire a songthaew-style vehicle to transport humans, luggage and the motorbike, or some other mode. My ex guy brought his bike from Phnom Penh to his village so transporting bikes is a common occurrence. 

It took me a while to get comfortable riding pillion but now I am quite used to it. I’ll take a Grab bike for short hops in Bangkok or on a trip with my guy, as he’s a good driver. I think you’ll soon develop that same confidence level with Cam. If I stayed more permanently, I’d learn to ride one myself.  Would prefer a neat Vespa scooter that moves at a sedate pace rather than those zooming machines the boys seem to like. 

[jimmie50]

2 hours ago, hank75 said:

those zooming machines the boys seem to like. 

Yes, something tells me that Cam is a bit of a speed demon.  I will be hanging on for dear life I am sure.  lol.  

[vinapu]

9 hours ago, floridarob said:

What many of us here think about going to Thailand/Asia from USA/Canada in economy row 50 😢

to enhance my sense of belonging I'm pretty sure my next trip report, whenever it will be, will extoll of charms of travelling in Etihad's first class

[ShivRoy]

Haha, I actually made a trip on a rented motorbike once from Siem Reap to Battambang - and back! For many years, foreigners were not allowed to rent a motorbike in Siem Reap (at that time it was possible in Kampot or Sihanoukville but not in SR), but then those rentals appeared in SR too, even though they were more expensive than elsewhere in Cambodia ir Vietnam.

Anyway, you don't really need insurance. That trip - SR to Battambang - became one of two occasions in my life when I crashed a bike (another one was on Bali). That crash on the Battambang highway was kinda not too good for the bike - I was fine with some bruises and cuts, but the bike was smashed: the front totally gone, one the brakes smashed, a part of another bike lodged into my engine - that sort of thing. I carefully drove it to Battambang and asked at the hotel for a bike repair shop - got the bike there, and it took them maybe three hours to do everything: new brakes, new everything, new front panel and side panel - they actually looked for identical of the same color (later in SR I returned the bike not mentioning the crash and they didn't notice) - so all those repairs of a pretty major crash cost me 13 (thirteen) dollars. So, you don't really need insurance. (I drove that bike back to SR from Battambang the following day).

[floridarob]

16 minutes ago, ShivRoy said:

so all those repairs of a pretty major crash cost me 13 (thirteen) dollars

What year was that?

[Keithambrose]

5 hours ago, ShivRoy said:

So you don't really need insurance

The hospitals are free, then?

[mauRICE]

20 hours ago, jimmie50 said:

Well, since I will be on Cam's home turf and motorbike is his (and his families) main means of transportation, I am sure there will be many outings on the motorbike that will be slightly uncomfortable but unavoidable for me.  

Yup, looks like you'll have zero home court advantage in just about everything. How far is the American Embassy from where you'll be living and where is the nearest hospital that is best equipped to manage any existing ailments that you may have? Any social clubs with English being spoken that may appeal to your interests? What are you going to do when Cam is at work for at least eight hours a day? How're you going to get around when he's at work? You've mentioned going to the library a few times. Are there any interesting libraries in Battambang?

 

20 hours ago, jimmie50 said:

I had an interesting conversation with Cam today about education in Cambodia.  Since they are taking a few days off from work, Cam has helped his oldest sister out by picking up her three boys at school.  They all adore their Uncle Cam and he really enjoys spending time with them.  

Don't we all? 😉

[jimmie50]

The nearest embassy is in Phnom Penh, although they do send a Consular Service Team occasionally to Siem Reap.  Any time I travel outside of the US I register with the State Department to receive notices if there is some crisis, catastrophe, war, etc.  They would also alert via text and email of any upcoming visit by the service team.  So, if we are living in Battambang I would need to either travel to Siem Reap to meet with this service team or travel to the embassy in the capital.  Those are my only two options.  

There is a public hospital in Battambang, but not recommended for foreigners by the online expat group.  There are two private hospitals that are recommended...Sovann Polyclinic and Handa Medical Center.  Handa is the one most recommended as they seem to provide better care.  Both have English-fluent doctors, though.  This would be for routine care or in an emergency situation.  Anything more serious would require a trip to Royal Angkor International Hospital in Siem Reap, which is part of the Thailand Bangkok Hospital Group.  Major problems would most likely require a transfer to Bangkok...which is why I make sure I have health insurance that includes substantial allowance for evacuations.  

I cannot say for certain about social groups, but there is a very active Facebook expats group for both Siem Reap and Battambang.  I am sure I can make some connections that way when I am on the ground, so to speak.  Battambang actually has a very active art scene and several good museums.  As for getting around, that will depend on where we live.  Initially, these first few months we are staying in an Airbnb which is close to most ever I would need.  Easy walking distance to most things, and if I need a ride I can always take a remork.  Eventually, we may end up getting a second motorbike.  That is very far off in the future.  I am also trying to learn the language, but that is very difficult just using an app on the phone.  I want to find some people there interested in doing language exchange during the day so that I can get lots of practice.  English lessons for Khmer lessons.  Just for fun.  Not exchanging any money as I technically cannot work on a retirement visa and do not want to run afoul of the system.  

[jimmie50]

18 hours ago, ShivRoy said:

but then those rentals appeared in SR too, even though they were more expensive than elsewhere in Cambodia

Tourists are even able to rent a small tuk-tuk to drive around Siem Reap.  However, you are still not allowed to rent a car.  If you rent a car, you must rent the driver as well.  Technically, you are supposed to have an International Driver's Permit to rent a motorbike or tuk-tuk, but Cam says they don't check it.  Cambodian police are very aggressive about stopping people riding without a helmet, though.  Helmets are required on motorbikes.  They have two sizes on bikes...125cc and 160cc.  Naturally, Cam has a 160cc while everyone else in his family has the 125cc.  Told you...speed demon.  lol.  

[Keithambrose]

41 minutes ago, jimmie50 said:

Tourists are even able to rent a small tuk-tuk to drive around Siem Reap.  However, you are still not allowed to rent a car.  If you rent a car, you must rent the driver as well.  Technically, you are supposed to have an International Driver's Permit to rent a motorbike or tuk-tuk, but Cam says they don't check it.  Cambodian police are very aggressive about stopping people riding without a helmet, though.  Helmets are required on motorbikes.  They have two sizes on bikes...125cc and 160cc.  Naturally, Cam has a 160cc while everyone else in his family has the 125cc.  Told you...speed demon.  lol.  

Has he admitted  to having any accidents?

[khaolakguy]

1 hour ago, jimmie50 said:

which is why I make sure I have health insurance that includes substantial allowance for evacuations.  

 

Does your health insurance really cover you for riding pillion on an unlicensed motorbike, eg without insurance, and possibly an unlicensed driver. Don't want to rain on the parade but these are questions I would ask myself, possibly erring on the side of caution.

[jimmie50]

1 hour ago, khaolakguy said:

Don't want to rain on the parade but these are questions I would ask myself

Good questions.  I will double check the fine print on the insurance policy...may need to contact them and ask if I don't see anything in print.  

[jimmie50]

2 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

as he admitted  to having any accidents?

Actually, yes, he has.  He even showed me pictures.  The motorbike was relatively unscathed, but he was pretty bruised and banged up.  He wasn't even traveling a long distance at the time.  His sister and brother-in-law were visiting and the brother-in-law asked him to run to the nearby market and pick up some beer.  I don't know that he was actually speeding that much, but it was raining and wet.  I think he just got distracted and lost control.  He claims that is the only time he has ever had an accident.  I have no reason to doubt him since he willingly shared that information including pictures.  

[ichigo]

3 hours ago, jimmie50 said:

I am also trying to learn the language, but that is very difficult just using an app on the phone.

You may like to have a look at the italki platform (there is a website and app) as there are some Khmer language tutors and the rates aren't too bad.