Watch out for the “LA” by the adult Khmer male prostitute in Phnom Penh Cambodia!
What is LA? It is a street word, popularly used among male prostitute in Cambodia. LA means trick and extort money by the Khmer male prostitute, usually from the male homosexual customers, local and foreigners, who are in the closet.
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I can hardly wait to go back. 
Posted in Diary, Cambodia | No Comments »
1. An umbrella comes handy. You are lucky if it rains because you can put the umbrella between you and the visa touts. This makes them give up quickly.
2. If still persistent, you can shake the wet umbrella at the tout – accidentally of course. (I admit having done this once.)
3. Tease the corrupt border official. When he says “no photo?” you say “no photo”. When he whispers “100 baht” show him that your photo is tucked inside the passport.
4. Lie to avoid paying bribes. When the border official asks if you are on a visa run and going back to Bangkok, say no. You are going to Cambodia to see the temples.
5. Lie more avoid paying bribes. Don’t stop at the table where they sit waiting for visa runners. When they say, “where are you going?” you say “Siem Reap” and keep walking.
6. Get ahead of the backpackers in line.
7. To fit in with the backpackers, say loudly “There are too many tourists in Thailand. I am not a tourist. I am a traveller”.
8. When middle-aged white ladies give you disapproving looks because they think all middle-aged white men are sex tourists, give disapproving looks back because you know they steal the best moneyboys.
9. Reject all offers of rip-off busses.
10. Say no to any offers of Cambodia lady boom boom.
11. Keep five year old pickpockets away.
12. Regardless of what you make per year, tick “Over 80 000 US dollar” on the Thailand entry form. You want to keep Thaksin happy.
No TagsPosted in Diary, Cambodia | 3 Comments »
I am in Aranya on the Thai side of the border to Cambodia. Waiting in Cambodia is Poipet, the armpit of Asia.
I am here on a visa run. Don’t even ask. My visas are messed up. I am down to 30 days on arrival stamps.
Here in small town Thailand I have witnessed traditional Buddhist peacful behaviour, such as a fistfight involving three men outside the 7-Eleven yesterday evening. Actually it was more of a beating-up, with two of them against a third. The Thai sense of fair play?
The gay life consists of a waiter at a restaurant, who smiled hopefully when I walked by. A ladyboy hairdresser also lives here, but she had closed by the time I arrived. I had planned to ask her for local gossip.
I am pleased to report that the stinky Internet cafe has competition now from a place with no urine pools on the floor. Progress has come to Aranya.
No TagsPosted in Diary, Cambodia | 4 Comments »
…goes to a place on the Thai-Cambodian border. When I entered it I noticed a strong smell of urine. I wondered if someone had the habit of peeing right inside the door. But it wasn’t quite urine either… what was it?
The Internet place had the usual collection of kids playing games, some foreigners using email and Thai guys surfing p*rn. The owner sitting watching TV behind a desk, a couple of dogs in a corner.
The smell persisted. I tried moving to other parts of the room but it was everywhere. I was glad I only was in town for a couple of days or I feared all of me would begin to stink too.
When I came back the next morning the stench was there again. The source revealed itself: One of the dogs got up, stepped out into the middle of the floor and with obvious pleasure left a yellow circle of pee.
I pointed at the offending part of the floor just before the owner of the Internet, who had not seen what his doggie was up to, stepped in it. The owner gave me annoyed looks. Did I mean to criticise his dog?
He cleaned up with a mop. That didn’t help much. The mop was soaked with dog pee.
Perhaps to mollify me, the customer, he got his brother to clean the floor. This put an odour of washing perfume on top of the dog pee stench, but it didn’t remove it. Both dogs were longhaired imported breeds and both had their fur infected with the smell, which they carried everywhere in the Internet café, making the whole interior stink.
How can an Internet shop stay in business with a smell like this? The answer is monopoly. This Internet shop is the only one in town and either you go there, check your email and enjoy the air, or you don’t.
Tags: Cambodia, gay Thailand, PoipetPosted in Travel reports, Cambodia | 2 Comments »
Day 1
11pm Chalerm and I were speaking in bed.
- I have to go to Cambodia tomorrow.
- Because passport?
- Yes.
- How long you stay?
- Two days.
- Oh. Too short. Better two week.
- Or two months?
- Two year!
- Really.
- If you stay two year, you think I wait you?
- Yes.
- Not wait!
- You will not miss me?
- Not miss! I run away.
Day 2
9am. In the morning Chalerm was up before I was. He was ironing his university uniform.
- Ahem. I am leaving now.
- Yes?
- Kiss me goodbye, I said, pointing to my cheek.
- Pai si pai si! said Chalerm and waved me away.
At the door he caught up with me from behind. Smooch!
8pm On the phone in the evening from a hotel on the Thai-Cambodian border:
- Where are you? I asked.
- Beach.
- The beach?
- Yes.
- So you ran away?
- Yes. Now stay bus.
- Bus? Is there a bus on the beach?
- Not beach. Breach.
- Oh you are on the bridge. Thaksin brigde?
- Yes. I go home. When you come home?
- Tomorrow.
- Oh too soon. You can stay. Two week better.
Day 3
4pm Chalerm was calling me on the mobile phone.
- Where are you? he asked.
- On the bus going to Bangkok.
- I miss you.
- I miss you too.
6pm was calling me again.
- When bus come Bangkok?
- 7pm.
- I waiting you. I wan go eat with you.
- It is raining. Traffic is bad. Go eat. Don’t wait for me.
9pm I was home. When I locked myself in Chalerm had put the chain on the inside of the door. He sat right inside doing his homework and pretended not to see me.
- Tee rak! Open the door please.
He again pretended not to hear me.
Then he closed the door and removed the chain. When I came in he had dissapeared. I expected him to hide behind the door but not so. He was behind the drawer our new aquarium stands on and managed to surprise me.
It was good to be back.
Posted in Diary, Travel reports, Cambodia | 4 Comments »