Sihanoukville . . . I prefer to call it ‘Shitnoukville’. Well, it wasn’t always like this. Once a quiet beachside town backpackers would visit for the white sand beaches, laid-back vibe, and cheap weed. Now, the place is run by the Chinese who have invested millions in what seems to be an effort to turn Sihanoukville into a city which rivals Macau.
Chinese Invasion
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Sihanoukville has been taken over by the Chinese. I observed there to be just as many, if not more, Chinese than Cambodian people in the city.
The majority of the buildings signs were in Chinese. In fact, about 90% of the businesses are Chinese owned.
Eager to get away from all the dust, rubbish, and noise of construction and traffic; I walked into a random shopping centre. Every shop in there was catered to the Chinese. They had their own grocery store, jewellery stores, department stores, and electronic stores. There weren’t even any Cambodians working in any of the stores. This was just another example of the impact China’s growing population is having on Sihanoukville.
Sihanoukville’s rapid development, and the influx of wealthy Chinese, has resulted in rent prices soaring. This has left many local Cambodians with nowhere to sleep but in their tuk tuk, or in makeshift tin shacks on the beach.
Casinos, Crime & Corruption
Ever since Chinese investors have been pouring money into Sihanoukville, casinos have been popping up everywhere, like 7-Elevens in Tokyo. But the Chinese have not only brought money, jobs, and business into Sihanoukville, but also crime, drugs, and corruption. Chinese Triad gangs are responsible for crimes such as murder, kidnapping and robbery, which are becoming more and more common.
Apart from the wealthy investors, businessman, and job seekers; many Chinese flock to Sihanoukville for leisure, and the fact that gambling is illegal in mainland China. The funny thing is—gambling is illegal for Cambodians; they can only work in the casinos. Supposedly, the goal with the casinos is to attract foreigners, which from my experience didn’t seem true.
I couldn’t leave Sihanoukville without experiencing at least one of the many lavish casinos which wouldn’t look out of place in either Las Vegas or Macau. As I casually stroll into the Holiday Palace Casino, I observe empty poker and roulette tables. The odd Chinese man sits at the slot machine with a cigarette in hand. Perhaps, I just happened to visit during a quiet time. This was far from the atmosphere I experienced in the casinos of Macau; it just felt odd. A surprising fact is that Sihanoukville now has a higher density of casinos than on the Las Vegas strip.
Since the Cambodian government put an end to online gambling in 2019, many casinos have been forced to close due to the huge cut in revenue that online gambling accounted for. This has had a ripple effect, resulting in about 8000 locals losing jobs. Not only have the employees of the casinos lost their jobs, but also construction workers, and those working in restaurants.
The pressure to fill casinos with staff and to get construction sites completed as soon as possible has resulted in shortcuts being taken and illegal practices regarding employment. Examples of this include the exploitation of girls as young as 15 working in casinos, unpaid construction workers, the death of 28 construction workers due to a building collapse; the list goes on.
One Big Rubbish Dump
With basically the entire city being under construction, the amount dust blowing about is dangerous to your health. So much so that one of my tuk tuk drivers provided me with a face mask while we were driving down a bumpy makeshift road full of potholes and building debris.
Sihanoukville is like one big construction site and rubbish dump at the same time. It is common to see piles and piles of burning rubbish wherever. This may be on the beach, the side of the road, or in a park. Building debris lines the sides of roads as if that is where it belonged. It seems the waste management system in Sihanoukville is to just burn it. Wooden planks are used to walk over sewage to enter shops. I have never seen a place in such an atrocious state as Sihanoukville.
There’s Nothing Worth Seeing or Doing
In addition to all the crime, corruption, and the fact Sihanoukville is one big construction site—there isn’t anything worthwhile doing here anyway. Now that the backpackers are avoiding Sihanoukville and heading straight to either Koh Rong or Koh Rong Sanloem; there are no longer the beach parties and the backpacker community that once made Sihanoukville worth visiting.
During my time here, I visited the Wat Leu Temple—which was far from special—at least there was no one else there. I also visited the Phsar Leu Market, which was dirty, crowded, and not even worth a visit. Otres Beach however, seemed to be quite clean compared to other beaches like Independence Beach.
The thing I was most excited to do while in Sihanoukville was to leave, and get away from the dump of a place that is now Sihanoukville. I feel sorry for the locals who have experienced such a rapid transformation in their town resulting in all these negative ramifications.
My advice is to avoid staying overnight here and instead, hop straight on a ferry and head over to either Koh Rong or Koh Rong Sanloem. Here you will experience true serenity, while supporting the local Cambodian families and having a more authentic Cambodian experience.
