Traveller assistant
Landed at 11pm with no SIM. Start here.
Practical arrival information for Phnom Penh, priced in this month's dollars — including the airport change most guides still have wrong.
First 60 minutes at Techo (KTI)
- Submit the e-Arrival card online before you fly — free, at arrival.gov.kh, up to 7 days ahead
- Visa on arrival: $30 tourist, $35 business. USD cash, clean notes, one passport photo
- Passport must have 6+ months validity. Overstaying costs $10 a day
- SIM at the arrivals kiosks: about $5 for a Smart Traveller SIM. Passport required to register
- Cheaper SIMs in town — city shops undercut the airport, so buy a small pack now if you can wait
- The airport is 20km south of the city. Allow 45–60 minutes, more in rain
Getting into the city from KTI
| Airport Express Bus | $0.40 |
| Grab / PassApp car | $10–20 |
| Official taxi counter | ~$35 |
| Tuk-tuk (long, open-air) | ~$15 |
| Journey time by car | 45–60 min |
| Journey time by bus | 90–120 min |
Fair price check, in the city
| Tuk-tuk, short in-city hop | $1.50–3 |
| City bus, any distance | 1,500 riel |
| Iced coffee | $1.50–2 |
| Bowl of kuy teav | $2–2.50 |
| Local beer, riverside | $1–2.50 |
| Laundry, per kg | $1 |
| Tourist SIM, 30GB | ~$5 |
Ten words that help
សួស្តី · sua s'dei — hello
អរគុណ · aw kun — thank you
ថ្លៃណាស់ · tlai nas — too expensive
បញ្ចុះតម្លៃបានទេ · banh-choh tlai ban te — can you lower the price?
គិតលុយ · kit luy — the bill, please
អត់ទេ · ot te — no, thanks
បាទ / ចាស · baat / jaa — yes (man / woman)
ទឹកសុទ្ធ · tuk sot — drinking water
ប៉ុន្មាន · pon maan — how much?
ជួយផង · chuoy phong — help, please
Money, in a two-currency city
- Cambodia runs on USD and riel together. Roughly 4,000 riel to the dollar
- ATMs dispense USD. Change under a dollar comes back in riel
- Torn or heavily marked USD notes are often refused — check what you are handed
- Keep small riel notes for tuk-tuks, markets and the city bus
- KHQR works almost everywhere: one QR code, any Cambodian bank app
- Cards are accepted in malls, hotels and larger restaurants. Assume cash everywhere else
48 hours, planned around the heat
Riverside walk
Sisowath Quay before the heat. Kuy teav at a market stall after.
Royal Palace + Silver Pagoda
Afternoon session reopens at 14:00. Shoulders and knees covered.
Chroy Changvar ferry
500 riel each way. Best skyline view in the city, and locals' sunset spot.
Tuol Sleng, then Choeung Ek
Go early and in that order. Take the audio guide — it is the whole experience.
Russian Market
Toul Tom Poung. Tailors, silverware, and the food stalls at the back.
Bassac Lane
Small bars in converted shophouses, walkable from BKK1.
Open right now
The directory ranks by what is actually open at this hour.
Where locals actually go
Editor collections, not tour-bus stops.