Cambodia is for Criminals...and sexual deviants

Cambodia hosts an alarmingly high percentage of the world’s creepy white male population over the age of 45. I have no statistical data to substantiate this claim but, I firmly believe it to be true! Whether it’s the allure of rampant Prostitution, the accessibility of illicit drugs or the white sand beaches is anyone’s guess. But, I’d probably go with the first two rather than the latter. Creepy old men aside Cambodia is a fantastic, culturally rich country.
If you keep a low profile in Cambodia you can do pretty much whatever you please, if you keep a relatively low profile and have bucket loads of money you quite literally can do anything and everything you want. Lawlessness has its ups and its downs and you really have to be a certain kind of person to appreciate the ups more than the downs.
Lawlessness can be problematic as far as corruption and ethics are concerned but, from a libertarian perspective it really has its perks. There exists nothing in this country that money can not buy, freedom, sex, drugs and sadly for a staggeringly low 960 US dollars you can have a human life. The going rate for murder pay offs varies on whether you kill a Khemer or foreigner but generally it sits around the single “K” range.
I am of the belief that Churchill was really on to something when he said the government that governs best, governs least but after a couple weeks in the far south of Cambodia I am fostering a new appreciation for law enforcement and regulation. Human rights violations are frequent, flagrant and given little regard.
I don’t believe all of Cambodia exists in the same way. The rural countryside which remains largely untouched by the aforementioned white male population will likely restore a little faith in humanity. Mostly an agricultural area where scantly clad children can be seen running behind mud caked cattle.
With an economy fueled by foreign aid and tourism Cambodia seems to be on a similar trajectory as neighboring countries Vietnam and Thailand. It is my hope that Cambodia can learn from the mistakes of its predecessors. But, with Cambodia complete lack of infrastructure I won’t hold my breath.