Finally found the time to write something about the changes here in Golden Lion Plaza.

As some of you will know, I’ve taken over the Kiss Bar (3rd Bar on the right) and have been here since the start of June. To be honest, we really haven’t changed anything but (much to Elvin’s disgust!) we’ve managed to turn it into, probably, the 3rd busiest bar here. Not bad at all and it’s been a great laugh.

Elvin’s bar, Pacino’s, is fighting back though and along with being part of the forthcoming Pool League that I’m organising for town, he’s planning on offering his own personal ‘Chilli Nights’, which i’m sure will go down well.

A great guy from the UK has taken over the Sandgroper Bar, which was abandoned when crazy John left town. He’s turning the place around completely and I have to say he’s got some great plans for the place. Watch out for “Stevie C’s Fun Bar” when it opens in the next couple of weeks.

Paddy is busy expanding Plastic Paddy’s Bar, and is installing new tables and seats, he’s also having a bit of a ‘rethink’ when it comes to the marketing and image of the place, and his ideas will, i’m sure, make a difference to an already successful business.

Sessions2 has opened and they seem to be having a party every other night or so, not sure what their plans are for Sessions1 on Ochheuteal Beach, but with the current clampdown on music after midnight it certainly makes sense to concentrate down here in the plaza.

There’s been a bit of interest in Elvins other Bar “the Shack”, which has to be one of the best looking bars on the Plaza, a couple of potential buyers are considering their options at the moment.

All in all, the place is certainly getting a bit of a ‘buzz’ around it now, about time too!

Coolabah Resort Sihanoukville (Ochheuteal Beach)

Coolabah Resort Sihanoukville

The Coolabah Resort is a newly opened International standard hotel with quality large bedrooms tastefully furnished and decorated.

All our rooms are en-suite with luxury bathrooms as well as having king sized double beds (or large twins) with air-conditioning, overhead fans, mini-bar/fridge, cable TV, internet.

Enjoy soft lighting, crisp white linen and plump comfortable pillows when you stay with us – Check Availability

Crystal Hotel Sihanoukville

The Crystal Hotel, Sihanoukville, has 48 beautiful rooms that offer an attractive view of the ocean.

The hotel is located on the best location in town, the very popular Ochheuteal beach where visitors like to relax and enjoy swimming and sunbathing.

We have a snack bar right on the beach that offers a superb view of the sceneries of sea line and ocean.

In addition, we have a find dining restaurant that serves a variety of foods that includes Khmer, Thai, Chinese, and some Western food items.

You also have a great selection of friendly restaurants and bars within walking distance of the hotel.

Local transport and tours may also be arranged through us – Check Availability

Golden Sand Hotel Sihanoukville

The Golden Sand Hotel is a three-star hotel located close to the Golden Lions Runabout and a few minutes’ walk from Ochheuteal Beach.

It’s a three and a half hour drive from Phnom Penh International Airport and a 15-minute drive from downtown.

This Sihanoukville hotel hosts 108 rooms equipped with standard facilities.

A lobby bar and a Western restaurant serving Kampuchean and other Asian cuisines in addition to Western cuisine are available.

The hotel also has an outdoor swimming pool for recreation – Check Availability

Holiday Palace Hotel Sihanoukville

The Holiday Palace Hotel is situated just a three-minute walk from both Victory beach and Victory Monument.

The city center and railway station are five minutes away. It is one of the largest hotels in Sihanoukville, and houses a 24-hour casino for those feeling lucky.

This Sihanoukville hotel has 137 rooms ranging from executive suites to standard rooms equipped with satellite TVs, air conditioners, mini bars, and telephones.

The restaurant mainly offers Cambodian foods as well as other Asian dishes. Recreational facilities include a bar, a cafe and a beauty salon – Check Availability

On the anniversary of Pol Pot’s birth, you can now buy his toilet.

Phnom Penh – A former Khmer Rouge official photographer has put on sale for 1.5 million dollars what he claims to be Pol Pot’s clothes, sandals and toilet, along with thousands of photographs and other artifacts he collected during the genocidal regime’s 1975-79 rule. “I will sell Pol Pot’s sandals, toilet, his uniform and cap, thousands of photographs and the two cameras I used during the Khmer Rouge period,” said Nhem En, who was recruited to take photographs of detainees when they arrived at Tuol Sleng torture prison in Phnom Penh.

“I am asking for 1.5 million dollars, but the price is negotiable,” he added. Nhem En said he would use the money to establish a Khmer Rouge museum in Anlong Veng, a small town near the Thai border where the Maoist group hid in a jungle fortress until it disbanded in 1998. “I am selling these items, but I have others that will be housed in the museum,” he said. “I have already asked for donations for this museum from the US, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Vietnam, South Korea and Thailand, but none have provided funding.”His appeal came as the trial of the former head of Tuol Sleng prison resumed before Cambodia’s UN-backed war crimes tribunal.

Kaing Guek Euv, known by his revolutionary alias Duch, faces charges of crimes against humanity, torture, premeditated murder and breaches of the Geneva Conventions, allegedly committed at the school-turned-prison, where at least 15,000 men, women and children were imprisoned and tortured before being murdered in the “killing fields” on the outskirts of the capital. Nhem En said the millions of dollars in international donor funding spent on bringing Duch and four other Khmer Rouge leaders to trial would be better invested in his museum.

“Nobody in the Cambodian government supports my museum plan, so it will need a great deal of international funding to be established,” he said. In April, Nhem En offered to sell Pol Pot’s shoes and toilet for 500,000 dollars and said he would keep the other items to be housed in the museum. Up to 2 million people died during through execution, starvation or overwork during the Khmer Rouge’s rule

First published in Earth Times

Having spent over a year and a half in Cambodia, much of which has been behind the handlebars of one motorbike or another, I feel it’s time to pass on a few thoughts and observations on Cambodian traffic.

Traffic Laws

1. Helmets. All motorcyclists MUST wear helmets. Passengers, in front or in back, are exempt for some reason. Compulsory helmets isn’t a bad thing either, having had a couple of ‘nasty’ accidents in Thailand I welcome, but admittedly don’t always obey, this relatively new law. Unlike Thailand too, this law applies to locals as well. many is the time I’ve seen Khmers handing over money at the checkpoints. The fine varies between 5k and 7k  Riel, though one Policeman did say “up to you” when I was last stopped!
2. Mirrors. Motorcycles MUST have both mirrors. Not strictly enforced at the moment, but don’t be surprised if you have an extra fine for it. If you are renting a motorcycle, make sure it comes with mirrors.
3. Driving Licenses. A new law that is being enforced in Phnom Penh is you must have a Cambodian Driving License. These are available from any Driving School and cost between 40 and 55 dollars according to reports. You may be requested to take the Driving Test or your valid License from your home Country may suffice. Rumours are that International Driving Licenses are accepted, but since mine clearly stated that Cambodia was not covered, I have my doubts. Failure to have a licence (in Phnom Penh) can result in a fine of 50 dollars or even a couple of months in prison. To my knowledge, this law is not enforced in Sihanoukville ….. yet.
4. Which side? Confusing at best this one. Same as America and mainland Europe, they drive / ride on the Right Hand side of the road here ….. most of the time. Don’t be too shocked to see people coming at you ‘head on’ when traveling down a dual carriageway though!
5. Lights. Apparently it’s against the law to have your lights on full beam during the daylight hours, using low beam, whilst not unlawful is generally advised against. Judging by the number of scooter riders traveling without lights at night, you’d think the same laws  applied then too.
6. Traffic Lights. These have been seen in Phnom Penh for some time, but we’ve recently had major investment (at least 5 sets) here in Sihanoukville. Going through a Red Light is against the law (like you didn’t know) and can result in a fine of up to 2 dollars. At many of the junctions where lights have been installed, they have two white lines traversing the carriageway. This is classed as a Pedestrian Walkway and you should not stop your vehicle here.
7. Speeding. Unlike Thailand, speeding isn’t really a problem here in Cambodia. If you see anyone driving fast, it’s probably a westerner at the wheel. That said, they are bringing out new laws to combat Speeding. Offenders will be fined on a sliding scale depending on how much they were over the speedlimit. That said, if you can spot any Maximum Speed Signs, you have better eyes than me. Maybe these will appear soon, maybe they wont. In general though, the Maximum speed for motorbikes in towns is 30km/h, for cars it’s 40km/h. Outside of town it’s 90km/h for Bikes and Cars, Trucks are limited to 60km/h and 50km/h if pulling a trailer.
8. Drink Driving. Again, no rule is currently in effect to deal with this, although it is a problem, and I don’t mean spilling your beer under heavy braking! Plans are a-foot though to deal with this offence. Apparently, you will be taken to the Police Station and requested to ’sleep it off’. Once sober, you will be allowed to go. I’m sure you’ll be leaving with a ‘lighter’ wallet though.

General Road Safety

Getting around amidst the traffic in Cambodia is, at first, a scary thing it has to be said. At a glance, it looks as if there is complete confusion and it’s hard to imagine why there aren’t more accidents. After a while though, you realise that due to the lack of speed the cars, bikes and trucks are able to merge and flow together then, amazingly emerge unscathed on the other side. Much like a box of snakes, they don’t go banging heads too often either.

Horns Horns Horns! The first think you’ll notice about the road users here, is their love of ‘horns’. The blaring is constant from very early morning till dusk. They are used as a “I’m coming through and there’s no stopping me” warning, and never used in conjunction with a ’slowing down’ manouvre.

Amazingly however, and most welcome, is the attitude general attitude of vehicle users here. You never see deliberate ‘badness’ such as cutting up, tail-gating etc and even after an collision, things very seldom get ‘heated’.

People here drive the way they do, and though it may seem confusing, wrong and even dangerous to visitors, accidents are relatively few and motoring related deaths are rare , well, outside of the major holidays anyway, when the serious drinking takes place.

In the event of an Accident

If the accident involves damage to property only, there is no need to call or inform the Police, if however anyone is injured then the Police must be called immediately.

Here’s where things get a little bit grey. Generally, if two Khmers have an accident together then the one with the least Government or ‘Official’ connections will be the one to pay, no matter if they caused the accident or not.

If you are involved in an accident with a Khmer, your fault or not, then chances are you’ll have to pay your own costs and probably something for the Khmer as well. After all, if you weren’t in Cambodia, the accident wouldn’t have happened!

Summary

Everything above is based on experience and knowledge of a few of the traffic laws applicable to Cambodia. Your experience may well be different! Let me know if it has been.

If you would like the full “un-official’ translation of the Khmer Driving / Traffic Laws, you can find and download a copy here.

Cambodian-Traffic-Law-English-Version?autodown=pdf

PHNOM PENH (UCAN) — A lightning strike during a thunderstorm on May 9 completely destroyed the radio and TV studios of the Don Bosco Technical School in Sihanoukville, southern Cambodia.

More than 100 boarders were on the school’s premises when the incident occurred at about 6 a.m. but no one was hurt, the school said in a press release.

The fire did not spread beyond the two soundproof rooms but two firefighters failed to save the facilities that were built in February.

School rector Salesian Father John Visser said losses amounted to tens of thousands of U.S. dollars. The studios and equipment, used for students’ media education, had been bought with donations from benefactors in the Netherlands.

In an interview, Ros Buntha, head of the school’s social communication department, said two computers, a projector and other audiovisual materials such as CDs, VCDs, video cassettes, cables and microphones were completely destroyed.

Vice rector Father Albeiro Rodas, coordinator of the school’s social communication projects, said the fire was a setback for the school, but hopes to receive support and assistance from the public.

“We wanted the studios to be a center of production for the education and development of this country,” he said, adding that he plans to rebuild the facilities.

“We are going to do it better … We believe in the young people and we believe in Cambodia,” he added.

Don Bosco Technical School is a leading vocational training institute in Cambodia run by Salesian priests. Apart from Sihanoukville, it has four other campuses in the country, in Battambang, Kep, Phnom Penh and Poipet.

The institute provides technical skills training to thousands of young Cambodians and the campus in Sihanoukville has a yearly enrollment of more than 350.

Saint John Bosco, commonly known as Don Bosco, founded the Salesian society in the mid-1800s in Italy.

Phnom Penh – Cambodia’s royal oxen alarmed farmers on Tuesday by snubbing an offering of rice during a traditional plowing ceremony, as part of the king’s birthday celebration that astrologers use to predict the year’s rice harvest.

Royal astrologer Kang Ken said after the annual ritual, which was held in a park near the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, that the oxen ate offerings of beans and corn but snubbed offerings of rice, sesame seeds, grass, water and wine.

‘This means that annual rice production will fall by 30 per cent, but there will be plenty of rainwater this year for agriculture around the whole country,’ he announced to a crowd of more than 1,000 people at the ceremony presided over by King Norodom Sihamoni.

The event is said to be taken very seriously by Cambodia’s rural poor, who make up roughly 85 per cent of the population and are regarded as highly superstitious by city dwellers.

Sim An, a farmer from Kandal Province in central Cambodia, said he was saddened to see the oxen reject the rice offering.

‘This is not good for me because I plant rice every year and unlike other farmers, I grow only one kind of crop,’ he said.

But Nub Sophal, a farmer from the southern province of Kampot, said he was not worried about the prediction.

‘Even after listening to the astrologer’s prediction I am still happy because we always have a good crop in my province,’ he said. ‘But I still wonder why the oxen did not eat the rice or grass because we all know that it makes our harvest much better.’

Prime Minister Hun Sen did not attend the ceremony, but the king was joined by an audience of ministers, ruling party leaders and foreign diplomats.

Hun Sen is pushing for Cambodia to become a major rice exporter after a lifting a ban on exports in May last year.

In January, the premier predicted that rice exports would increase from about 1 million tons in 2008 to more than 2 million tons in 2009.

PHNOM PENH, May 11 (Xinhua) — A major garment manufacturer will move its product development center from the United Kingdom to Cambodia, a sign, according to some experts, that despite the effects of the economic crisis, the Cambodian garment sector continues to remain internationally competitive, local media reported on Monday.

Britain company New Island Clothing is setting up “a high level standards product development center,” making the company one of the first to conduct the whole garment-production process — from development to the placement of orders — in Cambodia, New Island General Manager Kevin Plenty was quoted by the Cambodia Daily as saying.

The company, which has been in Cambodia for nine years and produces up to 75,000 men’s shirts per week, had decided to set up the center here because it makes “the whole production process quicker for our customers,” as the majority of materials come from the ASEAN region, said Plenty.

Kaing Monika, external affairs manager of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) said New Island’s strategy showed the factory’s “long-term vision and commitment in Cambodia,” adding that most Cambodian factories only do “cut, make and trim” — a production formula in which raw materials and designs are supplied and factories only really stitch the clothes together.

Tuomo Poutiainen, chief technical adviser for the International Labor Organization’s garment sector program Better Factories Cambodia, said New Island’s decision was “very positive for industry” and showed there was “enough confidence in the Cambodian garment sector to invest even in bad times.”

Hundreds of factories have constituted the backbone of the garment sector of Cambodia, which used to generate above 70 percent of its total annual export volumes.

However, due to the global financial crisis and rising labor disputes, at least 60 garment factories have been closed and more than 50,000 garment workers lost their jobs since late 2008 and the sector’s export volumes have also seen an obvious slide in the first quarter of this year.

But Plenty said he believed that the industry will see an economic turnaround within six months, and that he is not the only one within the garment industry to feel that way.

It really is very surprising that a popular town like Sihanoukville doesn’t have its own Newspaper, instead it has to rely on whatever is posted in the Phnom Penh publications such as the Phnom Penh Post where very little local news is ever deemed ‘worthy’ enough to be included.

Some magazines, such as the Bayon Pearnik, regularly include a ‘bits from the beach’ section of between half a page and a page, but really, in many peoples opinions, Sihanoukville is deserving of more.

With this in mind a number of us are working on a Sihanoukville based publication that will see the light of day very early June. Initial interest and comments have been very inspiring, with support coming from many directions.

It’s also sparked off a lot of talk regarding the forming of Small Business Associations, Hobby Groups, even a Rugby Club!

Great stuff!

Watch this space for more information and we’ll have the ‘online edition’ available for download here.

For most people that visit town, it’s common to hire a scooter for the duration of their stay. There are a few things you should keep in mind though.

Prices vary depending on the time of year, how long you need it for, and who / where you rent from. You’ll be charged anything from 7 dollars per day, down to 3 dollars per day, it really pays to shop around.

It’s usual to be asked to hand over your Passport as security, though many people have a problem with this. Occasionally, they will accept you country’s ID card or Driving Licence as an alternative.

The Police in Sihanoukville are extremely vigilant regarding the new Helmet Laws now, and if you are stopped for not wearing a helmet, it pays to smile and accept the fine gracefully. I’ve heard the fine ranging from 3k riel to 7k riel (less than two dollars).

Most hire companies will provide a means of securing your bike as theft of Moto’s is a fairly commonplace occurrence here. It is highly recommended that you invest in your own padlock however, so if you don’t carry one with you on your travels (a good idea) then one can be purchased from the many bike shops or even supermarkets in Sihanoukville.

Security of the bike really can’t be stressed enough, a well known ‘personality’ around Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, Adam from the Bayon Pearnik, had his bike stolen whilst visiting the town a couple of nights ago. He was apparently told repeated by other people in the bar to move the bike to a place within eyesight, but he decided against it. Goes to show that it doesn’t matter how long you’ve lived in Cambodia, you are still given opportunities to learn!

Another thing is the Cambodian Driving Licence. You probably won’t have one (but they can be bought for around 45 dollars) and the Licence from your home country, even an International Driving Licence will not be accepted. Once again, accept the small fine rather than ‘fight’ something that you really aren’t going to ‘win’.

Finally, Insurance, you really do take your life in your own hands when riding a bike around asia. In most cases your travel insurance does not include accidents involving the use of Motorcycles in Asia. Check the fine print very carefully!

Quite a bit going on in town, despite the slow down due to the Rainy Season.

Couple of good parties last week, both giving away Free Beer! Firstly, I thought i’d call down and see my mate Elvin from Pacino’s Bar, turns out it was his birthday (61 years young). Turns out he forget to tell me about it, so much for our friendship! Then again, it was my birthday two days before and I didn’t tell him I guess.

Anyway, stayed there for a few hours and had a great time, always a fun guy to be around. Does throw a great party too, free draught beer, inexpensive spirits, good selection of finger food, party hats, great music and a friendly crowd. I may have my next birthday party there!

Turns out there was actually two parties on the same night though, and a few of us made the semi-reluctant move over to Angelo’s Restaurant a short walk away. André has decided to close Angelo’s to concentrate his efforts in other areas. A sad shame, as Angelo’s was a popular eatery offering an excellent Mixed Grill and amazing Cocacola Ribs.

Free Beer and Spirits was the order here, basically everything had to go and the staff made a concerted effort to force as much drink into everyone as they could. In the end it was the ‘mixers’ that went first ….. anyone for Jack Daniel’s ‘red’ with Tonic? eventually moving to Gin and Sprite.

No Free Food, or if there was, we arrived too late. Though André was seen Steve from Star Design with peanuts, from a range of about 20ft!

Ann’s Bar (sorry Ann’s Pub and Restaurant) has closed down, sadly it seems the Thai staff have decided to return to Thailand. Shame as it appeared that the place was starting to ‘take off’.

Jack’s Shack down on Ochheuteal Beach was taken over by the team from Chivas Shack as far as evening business went. The locaton of Chivas Shack being right down at the southern most point of Ochheuteal Beach meant business had dropped off and being right next door to the Dolphin Shack was thought a much better location.

It seemed to work, as I’d never seen the place so busy, they certainly took a lot of trade from the Dolphin. Sadly it wasn’t to last and after a few weeks they’ve handed Jack’s Shack back to the owner Jack. Have to say that i’m secretly pleased as the music wasn’t really my scene. As much as I hate to admit, the music at the Dolphin is a much better mix.

Jack’s Shack itself though attracts a good regular crowd of expats and long term visitors, it’s also a good, inexpensive, eating place for travelers.

The Ocean’s Hotel was raided by the Police where they found illegal drugs in the room of the owner Ronald (Ron) Haswell, as well as at least one of the guests. Strong words were exchanged and within the hour Ron was on his way to Thailand. The other guest, I’ve heard, slipped off to Vietnam.

The Oceans Hotel and the sickeningly named ‘Daddys Bar’ have now reverted back to the Khmer landlord but nobody, as yet, knows what his plans are.

Another ‘landmark’ business has closed, The Pocoloco Nightclub down near the Golden Lions. It really is a great shame that this bar never reached its full potential, and it genuinely wasn’t down to lack of effort on behalf of the owners.

On a positive side, a few new hotels have opened in recent months. The New World Hotel, Czech owned, on Ekareach Street, Aahaa! Guesthouse on the same road as the Golden Lion Plaza and Hooha House in between the two.

Its rumoured that this road is going to be the link to the Airport (when it opens) so if this is the case, it’s a very good move.