Cambodia forum

wrong site for those kinda questions dude....

Bocomo

I never cease to be amazed at the content of some posts (questions) here on Travelfish.

JoshQ & Somtam assumed you were referring to illegal drugs.

Let's take another slant on your question.

Were you referring to drugs of addiction or medicinal (prescription) drugs?

Cheers

hey bocomo,

no harm in asking, since i imagine many of us are at least curious about the drug scene in places like cambodia. it isn't like jamaica, where you can't walk 10 feet without being offered a visit to the farmer, but illicit drugs will still be cheaper and more available in cambodia than back home.

personally, i'd never mess with stuff like that in a place like cambodia. in addition to the solid concerns somtam mentioned above, countries like cambodia are under significant pressure from the west to show that they are serious about the war on drugs. there is no better or easier way to demonstrate that than with a high-profile arrest of a western tourist.

during my first visit to cambodia in 1999, i had a long-term western expat explain it to me this way. he said "cambodia is great because there is nobody to hassle you about whatever you want to do. but at the same time, there is nobody to help if you are being hassled."

either way, don't fret. there is always beer! we found some pretty decent and modestly priced french wines on our last trip too.

as for your other question, as i recall there are pharmacies/chemists on nearly every corner in every city in southeast asia. most OTC drugs are available in one form or another for less than you'd pay back home, and you can get many without a prescription too, although even that isn't as easy as in the past. it's much like mexico, if you have been there.

in any case, have fun, be safe, go home in one piece. cheers.

Bocomo.. Do us all a favour and go down to the lakeside area and buy some "coke". Do a big line and we'll read about the retard who snorted heroin and died of an od in some $4 dollar room less than 24 hours after his arrival in the papers and think of you ;)

Or bring a lot of prescription drugs from the US (preferably something with codeine in it) and fly through Dubai. That would be fun and exciting..

Is the website responsible for my posts? No.. Am I responsible for your lack of IQ or your inability to make intelligent decisions? No.. If you choose to risk your life just to get to know the quality of drugs in Cambodia I think you would be the only one at fault. Ask them to sue you instead for wasting their time and the money spent on bringing up a kid like you.

seems like mrparanoid]/i] isn't just a catchy screen name. :-) seriously though, every one else managed to suggest that it wasn't a good idea to seek drugs in Cambodia without being abusive or rude about it. so take it easy and go with the friendly flow here. cheers.

The ganja is poor quality, the coke is smack, the yabba makes u crazy and is basically crystal meth. Unless your going on some sort of narco tourism trip its not a good idea. If you are going on a narco tourism trip then you are taking a massive risk and I along with everyone else on here would advise against it.
We got about half an oz of weed in Phnom Penh for 15 USD. Very poor quality, but what do you expect?? Your not in the dam ;)
Looking back I would not even do this now. 2 years ago two people I know were down by the riverfront and got stopped by police after buying some weed. They were taken to an ATM and had their bank accounts emptied. Not worth the risk my freind...

I would not have ask the question if I was not interested in getting drugs. Whats wrong with traveling to the place with the best and cheapest dope?
I must not be a "real" traveler. But last time I checked I could care less about what others think of me.

exacto

I'm with you on this one.

Bocomo asked, got replies, and made his/her observations.

As you point out, many have looked at the thread (some 1200++ at today's count). And, each reader would probably have formed a view.

The two central points to have emerged on the thread is that:

1/.

* the illegality of drug taking in SE Asia can have dire personal consequences (more dire than western nations), and

2/.

the quality of drug provided to westerners in the region is rarely good, and may even compromise one's health / life.

Cheers

I read that there are pizza places in PP that sell pizza with weed in/on it. Is that still true (or was it ever)?

abusive? i was just shaking my head and laughing all the time because this question did never come on my mind and i´ve had my fair share of testing some weed and ganja @ home ... but i´d never do that in cambodia, or anywhere else in SEA.. it´s just too dangerous and mostly just crap sold there. and that´s a thing you can read even in the big lonely planet *grin*

HH pizza still is sold, but it´s more like a tourist trap ;)

i´m sorry, but it wasn´t meant rude, i was just proving a point with the rich farang thing.

Leaving in May

The times are changing here in Cambodia.We've got a new Police General and he seems to want a more active approach against drugs. Posters are appearing in guesthouses and hotels now warning people against taking drugs.Ganja is still not a big problem at the lakeside.Most of the guesthouses sell it over the counter but taking other drugs apart from being bad for your health can lead you into big problems.'Cocaine' is actually heroin so if you snort it you will be going home in an urn.Methamphetamine is a big problem here and most of the Vietnamese prostitutes that hang around the hotels are addicts and fund their habit by stealing off anyone stupid enough to let them into their room.On the other hand there are still pharmacies which will sell you morphine and of course diazepam and sleeping pills.I sense Cambodia is changing its image and very soon it will be as dangerous as Thailand to be in possession of illegal drugs.
The beer is good though

I have no further additions to what has been said already.

Only that I respect Bocomo for starting this threat and participating in it in spite of the sneers. It is a nice change from the political correctness and topics such as these have as much right to be here as the 100 questions about cheap buses & hostels.
I don't use any drugs myself nor do I visit any drug-related areas but it is a significant part of SE asian culture and many travelers use soft drugs. Personally I would welcome a discussion on bargirls as well.

Most travelers try (or pretend) to know the culture and these issues are a significant part of it and this forum is a great place to get a first idea.

For what it's worth Bocomo: I know it is easy to find drugs in Sihanoukville . Both soft and hard drugs can easily obtained there if you ask around a little. I will not bring this forum in danger by naming names but it really should be easy.

The main points from the above do apply there however. When you see the long-term foreign-residents there it is not very good advertisement for the quality of the drugs there. But as I said I do not have personal experience.

You probably want to end your holiday or travel in Sihanoukville where you can find a few good parties and whatever you might look for.
Happy travels

Bocomo (re: #24)--you started your queries early then I see, if you're not leaving until May... I will actually be there in early-mid May. While "satellite" Angkor temples & a touch of scuba are my focus, I will also do some of my own "research" into the original subject.

Langley (#31)--I've come to believe psychotropics/hallucinogens are not a big thing in Asia as they are in the Americas and other parts of the world.

Shamanism in Asia? I haven't heard much of this, beyond Russia & Siberia, and maybe Taoist-influenced "shaman-like" practices in Taiwan and Japan, and followers of animism in tribal & rural areas throughout Asia...but these are likely not heavily involved with psychotropic plant drugs like some Native American groups & shamanic tribes in the Americas (which is what I *think* you're thinking of here).

As for the specific drugs you mention:

1) DMT: I actually read some Thai drug laws (in 2001) that said DMT is legal in Thailand--HOWEVER, this should likely have read more as "not illegal"...because you can't buy it legally (or illegally). I place it with oddity laws like the legality of peyote in Canada--you can't grow it there, so you're hard-pressed to ever find it, despite its legality.
Off-topic since we're on about Cambodia here, but I've never heard of people using DMT in Asia (except for psilocybin, which is an analog or form of it...4-OH-DMT?)

2) Psilocybin: This is around, though not a common sight like, say, ganja. These would be your hallucinogenic mushrooms, though I've only heard of it put into 'Special/Happy Shakes' in Cambodia (& other parts of S.E. Asia); I've never heard of someone actually eating the mushroom itself (in Cambodia)--though they obviously grow in the region if it's around in the shakes (and in N. America it's semi-common to get "Cambodians", i.e. Cambodian P. Cubensis mushrooms.)

3) Ayahuasca: Given that this is a blend of plants (B. caapi vine + various others), all from South America, I doubt you'd ever find this in Cambodia.

4) LSD: Very doubtful. Probably not impossible though. But "kids these days" seem much more into their "eckies" and "happy pizzas" than to be concerned with acid. (Suckers.)

toxic8...Re: DMT: Sorry, it was an old ref & I think it was still labeled as a controlled substance, but there were some exceptions whereupon it could be legally possessed...but regardless, I've never seen or heard of anyone getting DMT in SE Asia.
It would only be available as 'O-phosphoryl-4-hydroxy-N,N-DMT', in psilocybin-containing mushrooms.

I have a question about heroin around the lakeside--seems like lots of people get H when they're looking for C...if one is actually wanting the H, would it be easier and/or more economical to just ask around (with wise caution) for H? Is it still easily found/available?

imo, happy herb pizza was yum, with or without the happy.

May be, like I said, didn't happen that way with the person I know.

IMHO, if you can't tell the difference between pure heroin and cocaine you have NO business trying such dangerous drugs (i.e. you've never done either or you're too wasted to tell the difference)

Typically overdoses are reported in western media as "heart attacks" like this one here.. But in Cambodian newspapers they don't censor it. They even show uncensored pictures of the deceased and close-ups of their passports.

GERMAN MAN FOUND DEAD IN S'VILLE

A German national was found dead on Friday in his room at the Ekareach Hotel in Sihanoukville. Sangkat 3 district police identified the dead man as 26-year-old A----- O----. Hotel staff said the dead man checked into one room with a friend last Tuesday. Police quoted the friend, P----- W--- M----, 27, also from Germany, as saying both were tourists and had entered Cambodia on February 14. Police said the deceased died of a heart attack but refused to allow journalists to see the body.

I left out the names on this one..

In fairness, you had to expect not all the replies you got to this post would be positive- it's a pretty emotive subject.
In my experience, I would avoid it. If you come from a western country your body will be used to certain chemicals and drugs in certain dosages. What you get travelling varies wildly so accidental overdose is likely- ie you may be able to crank through Coke that you got in London at an alarming rate, but expecting to have the same resiliance to Thai Coke could actually be lethal. If you do buy anything your best bet is to go for over the counter (not sure about Cambodia but you can get some pretty good OTC such as Valium in India). Or stick with Pot. That way you know what you're actually getting. AVOID coke at all costs- very common for travellers to OD in places like thailand and cambodia buying 'cocaine' from the locals. Cocaine is very expensive there, but Heroin isn't, so often they will tell you it's coke but sell you strong herion. One line and it could be lights out, not a nice way to go.
As for the legal implications, I'm sure you can weigh that one up for yourself.
You've got loads of information about it now anyway, so you can at least make an informed decision.
Good luck!

so much information, Going to get myself a happy pizza. While I would prefer to get LSD, that might not be an option. Shrooms, how would I get them in PP (riverside?), and what legal implications are there for a few shrooms? I'm well aware that trafficking can be met with death, but crazy people please don't give me a paranoid response about just a few shrooms.
Or if LSD really is available do tell!

Also where has Bocomo been? Did he die of a cocaine overdose? I assume if he has then Mr. paranoid has read his obituary and just forgot to inform us.

It is easy to get drugs in Cambodia. In the popular tourist locations if you are not offered, you can simply ask a tuk-tuk. I don't recommend using drugs their, primarily for the reason that you are a foreigner in a country that lacks emergency response medical care that most of us are used to. If something happens you are **** out of luck. If you are interested on details of my experience you can ask me, but I will answer with discretion. Bottom line, travel to another country,in particular Cambodia, there is much more to do and see than wasting your holiday time stoned or drunk.

On a side note the app for the ipod offered for Siem Reap and Angkor Wat by Travelfish is exceptional and very useful(no need for a travel guide in the format of a book). I whipped out my ipod while all those suckers flipped through there huge LP guide books. Also, I downloaded the PDF guides by travelfish for the other parts of Cambodia and never needed to walk around with a travel guide book, just used the ipod.

common s-e-asian drugs i.e. ganja, smack (h),speed (notorious jabah) and downers ( a variety of sleeping pills) can be easily, more or less, scored in p.p. and snookyville. trust your guts and ask around. adult motodops and western long-timers are a possibility.
be careful with h and yabah: the first is a nr.2 or even 3-means quality, the latter able to roast your brain.
take care and make your trip!

Seeking out information on the internet always has benefits and unfortunately consequences. There will always be haters.

Drugs and information concerning them will often be viewed as negative. I don't condone drugs or drug use but I support people being informed. Better to go into a situation with knowledge than with stupidity.

I don't know exactly how this web site feels about the subject, so I make myself available for people interested on the subject to pm me.

Everytime some asks about access to drugs(especially weed) while on their vac. they are a 'basehead or pothead'. Hope you have or are having an awesome time.

pssst; let me how the weed is!

I wouldn't recommend taking drugs in Cambodia but I do agree with some of the commenters that if you really want to do it, might as well be as informed as possible.

http://www.gosihanoukville.com is an amazing resource about cambodia beaches, not about drugs...but I mention this because the site has a forum and i think a lot of pot-smokers prefer the beaches of cambodia (the focus of this site) instead of angkor wat and the capital city so you might find some answers there...

that is assuming you are looking for pot....if you're looking for heroin, er, DON'T! the jails in cambodia ain't purrrrty....

I know this is an old thread but i figured i would add m2c, 3 Canadian kids i had met in Laos were arrested in Cambodia for buying, using, possessing some sort of drugs (i dont really know the specifics of what charges or what drugs). What i do know is that the cops had been watching them for 2 days and seen them buy drugs about 4 times and they had to call their parents in Canada to send them some pretty hefty bribe money (it was thousands of dollars). I spoke to one of them briefly after the event (funnily enough he was stoned at the time) and he said that only two of them could get the cash together, the other one's parents didn't have the money to send so he was forced to stay there. I dont know what happened in the end but i spoke to the bloke a couple of weeks after it happened and as far as he knew, his friend was still in gaol.

Anyway, i would suggest steering clear of any drugs except booze in countries where you will get more than just a slap on the wrist for partaking. It's not worth wasting your life just to get high on holidays.

Well to be frank here, I've read of a lot of people going to cambodia specifically because of their cheap cost of living (2 bucks for a big meal and some places a dollar a night) and the cheap high purity dope (opiates).

These people who went to the lake and thought they had coke and ended up snorting nearly pure heroin is both sad and also worthy of earning him a darwin award.

Anyways if your going for opiates, I've heard that they are easy to come buy and codeine is OTC and the heroin is extremely pure so it is actually healthier to use than US or EU heroin which is cut with who knows what, but if you end up being an idiot and racking up a 100mg line, you may be in the obituary.

People going to cambodia and also expecting to dabble in drug culture need to understand that because drugs are illegal in the US and are smuggled, then passed onto gangs who cut and recut by the time you get it. However in a country within the "Golden Triangle" your getting within 80-90+ purity because these are the areas of production, so snorting a fat line of what you assume to be cocaine but turns out to be pure heroin near the country of production, it's bascially the equivelent of thinking you were drinking mike's hard lemonade but drank a 8 oz glass of 191 proof everclear. Also if you are going to do heroin there, be safe start in 5mg line incriments (get a scale) or smaller to deteremine your tolerance and not be another "stupid american" who overdosed due to an ignorant approach to drug use.

Shrooms are also abundant over there I hear, as well as the usual marijuana
Go to a recreational drug forum and you'll find more specific & experienced-based answers on this question.

Sorry If I have not posted in a long time, but it turned out drugs are easy to get here. very very easy. Hundreds of places sell Happy shakes, in some villages there are whole pot fields. there is a crazy hippy selling LSD in kampot, there are plenty of shrooms near the tourist places...really all is quite good here.

And don't forget cocaine which turns out to be pure heroin and kills quite a few idiots every year.yeh,everything is available

Basically it's crystal meth locally called 'Ice' and constant use of it usually ends in madness because the user never gets REM sleep. Even though they believe they are sleeping in fact they are just in an hallucinogenic state.That's after all your teeth have fallen out and people avoid you because you are talking to yourself.

Indeed you are right, the Khmer word for ice (I mean the normal everyday stuff) is duk koh' and sugar is skoh. I am assuming it's just another slang word for meth ampethamine because the stuff often looks like sugar to such an extent that many rip-offs happen because the buyer can't see the difference.
BTW 'Ice' is not physically addictive but the user experiences a mental dependancy.
IMO it leads to madness as I have seen many users deteriorate mentally very quickly.

Not seen that but just came in from the beach in Sihanoukville and there are many sad cases here.The bargirls are all on it and there are one or two poor souls wandering the beach behaving irrationally and talking to themselves.Sihanoukville along with Phnom Penh has the worst problem for this stuff in Cambodia. It's on sale everywhere in Sihanoukville and if you really want to try this stuff (I advice against it) you won't walk 5 metres without being asked if you want it.
I've seen it used in Thailand but there it's used less as a recreational drug but more as a means to work longer hours and make more money for trades like taxi-driving; that and yaba (yama in Cambodia) which is a less portent version.

There's always one every where you go...

Yeaaah, take a chill pill man.

Drugs are not my thing!

What about Thai Whisky? Heard its great? lol

BTW there's a local stuff here which costs 1000 real abottle (25 cents) and has got to be the ultimate gut rot.

"I actually prefer it over tequilla and moonshine in the states."

Well Neosho, there is no accounting for taste. Lao Cao is what we, in my neck of the woods, refer to as "rot gut". But moonshine is a fair equivelent. Tequila, on the other hand, is what real men drink.

Not me. I'm definitely a tequila guy. And while I'd prefer Cuervo 1800, I'm not that picky. We have a bar here that serves it, and it's my bar for sure.

Tequila, isn't that the stuff they mix up to look like a sunrise and stick a little umbrella in? I always thought it was a ladies drink.Haven't you tried Mescal? Much better.

I guess we put the drug question to rest? They are as illegal as they are anywhere else.. And it will cost you a lot or jail of you are busted trying to buy!! Right? Lol

In recent news, I leave tomorrow for 3 weeks and have packed too much as usual . It 2am and I'm deciding what to bring yet again..

But back to the thread... Having a drink of Rum while I decide ...

As far as I know the only places you can smoke dope with relative impunity now are the Number 10 in the old Lakeside and The GreenWall restaurant further up where they don't seem to mind.

phiota: Sounds like you already have your own notion of what to consider relatively safe and what to avoid. Perhaps best to follow your own instincts.

Madmac....Tequila is what real men drink.
The testosterone is just breaking out all over you. LOL

I have became a fan of Cambodia and Ankor!!! What's better than 50 cent pints?? It taste a lot better than Molson or Bud