Why Foreigners Come to Work in Phnom Penh

By William A Lake

Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital city, is an over-crowded, dirty, smelly, sprawling mass of a city. Yet at the same time it attracts many thousands of visitors every year and some of those visitors decide to stay on and find work. Although the opening sentence of this article doesn't promise much, there is an allure to the capital and it's the kind of place that you either love or hate. A large number of foreigners working in Phnom Penh are English teachers and this article will explain why some people decide to come and live in Cambodia.

History 

Cambodia has a had a problem with civil war in recent years. However, the country has remained relatively peaceful for nearly 20 years at the time of writing and the country is slowly opening up to the world. Moreover, Cambodia is a very old country, rich in tradition and culture. Many people come to live in Cambodia to learn more about the culture and traditions.

Lifestyle 

If you have money, life in Cambodia and Phnom Penh can be very easy. Teachers are paid an above average salary and they can afford a great lifestyle that they might not be able to afford in their home country. Most people that work in Phnom Penh as a teacher tend to have a lot of free time. Rarely do teachers work 8-10 hours in one day. Therefore, you can have a lot of free time to do other things besides work.

Big Expat Community 

There is a large Expat community living in the capital city and this thriving community only gets larger with every year. More and more people come to live in Phnom Penh and less seem to be leaving. When living in a foreign country, it's good to have an expat community that can share advice, socialise and provide help and support when need be.

The Locals 

From personal experience, Cambodians are very polite people. Of course, you have good and bad people anywhere you live, but it seems that most people you come across in Cambodia are polite and pleasant. Colleagues are very friendly, neighbours tend to look out for one another and on the whole Cambodians are very nice people.

Opportunities 

Cambodia is a developing country and is developing quite quickly. Phnom Penh is changing almost daily and there are many opportunities for foreigners in the capital city and beyond. The government make it incredibly easy for foreigners to live, work and even start their own businesses here. A lot of people coming to Cambodia are looking to teach English and generally find work relatively easily.