Anyone going to Cambodia soon?

[free4now]

I am just cleaning house and found about US$25 worth of Cambodian currency... 106,800 Cambodian Riel to be exact. If anyone is going to Cambodia in the near future and can use it, I'd be happy to give it away.

 

[Cut-Throat]

A generous offer, but if you've got a major airport nearby, they will probably have a currency exchange booth. They will take a cut, but you'll get a few bucks!

 

[justin]

There's a slight chance I'll go in a year or two. A very good chance my father in law will go back in a year or two (he's cambodian).

 

[free4now]

I tried in a few international airports to get rid of these on my way back, but most currency exchanges don't take Cambodian Riel.

I'll give these to anyone going to Cambodia in the next 3 months. No strings attached... you send me an SASE and I'll drop them in the mail.

 

[Nords]

I tried in a few international airports to get rid of these on my way back, but most currency exchanges don't take Cambodian Riel.

I'll give these to anyone going to Cambodia in the next 3 months.  No strings attached... you send me an SASE and I'll drop them in the mail.

I think your best bet would be sending a PM or an e-mail to the Kaderlis.

 

[free4now]

Good idea, but the Kaderlis seem to be overseas right now, and I don't want to hassle with trying to send cash out of the country.

The last time I tried sending money out of the USA was a year or so ago when I wired a $300 donation to a Buddhist Monastery in Burma. The money got confiscated by the US State department and I had to go through layers of bureaucracy in order to show I wasn't trying to support some terrorist group or something. They wouldn't let the donation go through since there is an embargo on Burma, but I did eventually get the money back.

No sirree not this time, this is a strictly USA offer.

 

[Nords]

Good idea, but the Kaderlis seem to be overseas right now, and I don't want to hassle with trying to send cash out of the country.

Um, dude, I was suggesting that if you e-mailed the Kaderlis that they might be able to provide a U.S. mailing address. 

And the next time I post a question to this discussion board soliciting advice, I'm gonna try real hard not to respond "Yes, but."

 

[free4now]

Um, dude, I was suggesting that if you e-mailed the Kaderlis that they might be able to provide a U.S. mailing address.

Yes, but that makes too much sense

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Good idea, but the Kaderlis seem to be overseas right now, and I don't want to hassle with trying to send cash out of the country.

The last time I tried sending money out of the USA was a year or so ago when I wired a $300 donation to a Buddhist Monastery in Burma. The money got confiscated by the US State department and I had to go through layers of bureaucracy in order to show I wasn't trying to support some terrorist group or something. They wouldn't let the donation go through since there is an embargo on Burma, but I did eventually get the money back.

No sirree not this time, this is a strictly USA offer.

But we're all safer now.

 

[jphripjah]

I'm going in the next three months. Really. But I don't want to say exactly when, just in case this is an ingenious scam to get addresses of people traveling to Cambodia so you can rob their houses while they're gone.

I can send you a SASE if you're willing to give away the riel for free. Or, if you want to risk the 39 cents, just send me the riel on faith, and I'll send you back $20. No joke.

 

[free4now]

Great jphripjah... I sent my snail mail address by email.

 

[jphripjah]

The SASE is in the mail. Thanks!

 

[mikew]

My friend is in Cambodia now. The two things he wants to do are go to Ankgor Wat and go a firing range to blow up a car with a RPG. You could say he is of two minds.

 

[victw]

Riel is used - but when I was there in February - US Dollars was the currency of choice. In fact the very few ATM's available dispersed US dollars. Take dollars.

Really neat country - very friendly people - and Angkor Wat is fabulous.

Vicki

 

[jphripjah]

Riel is good to have for small purchases, but you're right, it's not necessary to have. I understand that if you cross the border from Thailand, touts try to get you to change $100 into riel, which is totally unnecessary, and, even worse, they give you a terrible exchange rate.

The first time I went to Cambodia I walked into a regular sized bank and asked to buy $40 of riel. The girl told me "We don't have that much riel here."

 

[free4now]

Yep... I found that most foreigner-oriented businesses took dollars. But the Riel are still needed for smaller purchases on the street and local businesses.

 

[Lancelot]

I was in Cambodia this past February. The Cambodians will happily accept US currency for anything. I did keep some Riel notes (R100, 500, 1,000) for motorcycle taxis, beer, water, etc.

They have a $28 airport departure tax and they do not want Riel- US $ only.

I saw a few money changers on the street offering slightly better exchange rates of about Riel 4,060 to R4,100 to the US$.

They have ATM machines now and they dispense US$, not Riel...

Lance