Campuccino #77
Pondering the high cost of Phnom Penh living
Sou Sdei and welcome to Campuccino, your fortnightly dispatch of key headlines in Cambodia with a dash of opinion.
To new subscribers, welcome! I’m Darathtey, a communication consultant, writer, and researcher. Learn more about my work here.
The last time you heard from me, I was considering going on a solo trip. Well, that never happened. However, I did spend some quality time with myself resting and wandering around the streets of ancient Baghdad through Assassin's Creed Mirage on my PS5. I guess I’m experiencing writer’s block and that takes almost all my motivation in other aspects of my work away completely. Hence, my apology for the irregular publishing schedule while I’m trying very hard to get back on track.
Also, I switched up the naming system of the newsletter a bit; honestly, to save me some time. I used to enjoy finding song titles to name each issue but that has simply been taking too much of my time and instead of bringing me joy, it has recently been the last thing I wanted to do after finishing writing each issue. So, from now on, it will just be by issue number as you can see above. What do you think? If you’re one of the readers who has enjoyed the randomness of Campuccino titles, I would love to hear from you on how I can continue to keep the titling system interesting while being efficient with my time.
- Darathtey
First off, who’s excited about the new airport we don’t need? Need or don’t need, the $1.5 billion first phase of the Techo International Airpot (TIA) has reached its final stage of 78% completion. It is reported that TIA will be ready to begin operations in early 2025. I do not look forward to the 20km+ commute to this new one.
If the future added cost of travel further to the new airport doesn’t make you think twice about the cost of living in Phnom Penh, maybe this year’s cost of living index will. Did you know that it is quite expensive to live in Phnom Penh compared to other cities in the region? According to Mercer’s 2024 Cost of Living City Ranking, Phnom Penh ranks second most expensive city in Southeast Asia, with Singapore taking the top spot. I was quite surprised but it kinda makes sense at the same time because I couldn’t help but notice how much cheaper food is when visiting cities such as Bangkok or Hanoi.
Growing up in Takhmao City of Kandal province, a mere one-hour drive away from Sampov Poun, I must say I am very uneducated about what is going on down there. Either that’s a sign that I should visit my family home more often to get all the provincial tea from my dad or that because the border town was just created in late 2022. Anyhow, the point is: Sampov Poun City is buzzing with mysterious construction projects, as reported by CamboJaNews. Some construction sites are linked to Prince Group. Residents are troubled by both scams and online gambling flourishing in their city, particularly those associated with hidden online businesses in casinos and the increase in secretive compound developments. Now, in totally unrelated news, the former governor of Sihanouk province was recently transferred to be the governor of Kandal Province, as part of the government’s latest reshuffle of governors. Is this a coincidence or can we use this as a hint for what is in store for Sampov Poun in the foreseeable future? 🤫
This one is old news but I believe it is important to keep reminding people of the connection between some Western fashion brands and brick kilns in Cambodia. Garment waste from major brands such as Walmart, Adidas, and Reebok, to name a few, are used by Cambodian brick kilns in their burning process because this kind of waste is cheaper than wood. Read the latest news report by CamboJAnews on the issue here. I appreciate that they catalogue many big brands whose waste could be visually spotted on the sites of brick Kilns. You’d be surprised by how many brands you have sitting in your closet right now.
Next up is a grim news item, but I have to mention it because it is sick, brutal, and unsettling. A young Cambodian couple was shot dead in broad daylight by an individual carrying an Oknha title, due to neighbours’ dispute. This incident sparked outrage and disbelief among the public, including myself, who are very cynical whether justice can be found. The latest report by AP stated that the killer was charged with attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court. I guess we shall see what the court’s decision will be. I wouldn’t hold my breath. However, the individual in question was already stripped off his Okhna title.
Visually Pleasing
Arts & Culture
📹 Sabaidee Fest 2024 was the first Southeast Asian music and cultural festival held in California, United States in mid-June. Despite it happening very far away from the motherland, I can argue that the festival made a big splash here because VannDa and his Baramey crew flew over there for the festival. This is a huge milestone for Cambodia’s music scene. My lovely friend and writer Sotheavy Nou called the festival the Coachella of Southeast Asian culture in her article published in Prestige.
🎤 Since we’re on the topic of VannDa and Cambodian music, might as well jump to this interview with the man by Focus Cambodia. As far as I’m concerned, I jump very quickly to read an interview with VannDa by local outlets because I’m still spicy about the fact that I couldn’t speak to the guy (and I tried!) while I was writing my book about Cambodian music. So, imagine my excitement when I read the fourth question because guess what, I asked that too! Thanks Daniel Marchette for getting me the answer!
🥊 Cambodia is hosting the 2nd Asia Mixed Martial Arts (AMMA) Championship in Phnom Penh from 11-13 July. I find this exciting as my hobby has progressed from Kun Khmer boxing to BJJ, and hopefully one day, I might dip my toes in the MMA territory. I’ll definitely get some tickets to see some fights. Save your date!
🪴 Early readers and those who know me quite well might start to wonder what happened to my plant hobby when I kept babbling non-stop about martial arts. Fear not, I still love plants and still nurse many houseplants, but I’m cutting down on my plant purchases. If you love plants, live in Phnom Penh, and are looking for an opportunity to procure some new plant babies, make sure to check out the 3rd Phnom Penh Plant and Garden Fair happening from 5-7 July.
📖 Magazine of Ideas is a collection of scripts provided by speakers at the Cambodia Festival of Ideas CFI. The first volume of the magazine covered presentations from CFI 2023 which was organised under the theme of “Vision for the Kingdom in the Next 20 Years”. What is CFI? You may ask. According to their website, CFI serves as a distinguished platform for showcasing the insights of visionary Cambodian strategic thinkers poised to shape the future vision of Cambodia’s development over the next 20 years.
🙏🏼 Cambodia bids farewell to Master Kong Nay who passed away at the age of 80. Master Kong Nay was a revered Cambodian musician known for his mastery of the Chapei Dang Veng, a traditional long-necked lute. While the man needed no introduction in the context of Cambodian traditional arts, I believe his fame expanded among the younger generation when he was featured in one of VannDa’s most successful hits, Time to Rise. If you want to listen to some of his music, the Mekong Delta Blues album – his collaboration with Ouch Savy – is a great place to start.
Worth Reading
Hydropower dams have been one of those heated topics of discussion in the region, and Cambodia is no exception. The following Mongabay articles investigate hydropower dam activities in the Cardamom Mountains.
Part 1: History repeats as logging linked to Cambodian hydropower dam in Cardamoms
Part 2: Hydropower dams further undermine REDD+ efforts in Cambodia
Campuccino is a fortnightly dispatch of key headlines in Cambodia, written by @DarathteyDin.
I’d love to hear from you. If you have feedback or content ideas, please write to me at hello@darathteydin.com