Job Discussion Forums

[JoeyKocur]

Greetings,

I will be leaving Taiwan soon after almost nine years of teaching ESL on the island. My next stop is Cambodia, most likely PP. Just as I did after university, I am just going without a job. I can do this b/c the visa belongs to me, not a school, correct? Here in Taiwan the school "owns" your visa.

Regarding housing, I was able to Google "Cambodia Real Estate" and have a pretty good idea of what type of pad I'll be able to afford. Is it safe to say I could get a safe "modern" place for $400 US? I am only asking, so plz straighten me out if I'm wrong. Please keep in mind I want a place outside the city, not in the middle of downtown.

Here in Taiwan, I drive a scooter and it is complete madness. I understand what I'm getting into, but I need a scooter or motorcyle as soon as posssible. I do know I must drive with my head on a swivel. How much does a good 125 or 150 cost? Or does Cambodia have motorcycles instead of scooters? Again, plz help, I am just asking.

Another question is about health care. Does Cambodia have a NHS like Canada and Taiwan? Are doctors expensive (and available), or can you just buy your medication OTC like here?

About getting a job, I have read on this forum hours are becoming harder to get. My plan is to I just show up and hit the pavement handing out my resume. This is the main reason for this thread: how much does an advanced degree help in obtaining work? It's legit and from the States (like that matters...or does it?)

Finally, can you actually buy purebred dogs in Cambodia? Sorry for so many questions that may seem silly, but I'll never know unless I ask.

Thank you in advance to all replies.

[brownpirate]

quick answers where i can offer a hand:

yes, the visa is a normal visa. it's yours. purchase the business visa. i think i paid $25. you can get it renewed wonderfully easy after that for six-months or a year. there's info all over the net about that.

that rent sounds about right from what i hear. i've seen a few ads for modern apartments for about that much, and yes, outside of the downtown area.

don't know about an NHS offhand, but i don't think so as i haven't heard of this. what i have heard and read consistently is that care is very compromised here. try not to get sick and if you do get seriously so, you want to get flown out. it's always the same scoop. i heard that the competent doctors are expensive. what that means exactly, i don't know.

how much will your advanced degree help? likely a lot when it comes to the well paying university jobs. and you have experience. it sounds like you have no need to worry.

other info for the apartment, scooter, and dog can probably be found at one of the following sites:

http://www.expat-advisory.com/forums/
http://bongthom.com/Classifieds/default.asp
khmer440.com

within the expat-advisory site, you'll see that things get broken down into a lot of detail. do a search, notice that there are forums outside of PP, and note that the rental info is under the real estate heading. (i know i saw scooter ads on one of these sites recently, but didn't retain any info on them)

oh - and i've only seen a couple of motorcycles in the three weeks i've been here. they've been the off-road type (enduro?) and they sure seem to be the smart thing to have when the roads flood...which the roads tend to do on occasion during a heavy rain (three times since i've been here).

i think you'll be fine.

good luck!

[PattyFlipper]

$400 should get you fairly decent accommodation. Also have a look at this site for property rental:

http://www.pp21realestatestock.com/pp21/flat.html

Remember that you will usually need to pay deposits equaling two or three months rent, depending on your bargaining skills. Rents should be coming down, so bargain, bargain, bargain! (In fact. the Khmers are not generally inveterate hagglers, compared to say the Chinese, but property negotiation seems to be somewhat the exception to the rule.) The more rent you are prepared to pay in advance, the stronger your negotiating position, but this of course does not give the landlord much incentive to fix anything which may subsequently go wrong.

As for health care, there is no social or government scheme whatever, even for the most impoverished locals. Very far from it; and few if any Cambodian employers provide medical cover of any description. Medical services have slowly improved of late, but they can still be pretty dire, and tolerably competent care is VERY expensive for the region. There are a handful of Western expat doctors who have clinics around Phnom Penh, and who should be able to sort out most minor ailments. Try Dr. Gavin Scott at the Traveller's Medical Clinic. Another option, which most expats who can afford it now use, is the Royal Rattanak Hospital

http://www.royalrattanakhospital.com/index_main_menu.php

This is Thai managed, with Thai and other expat medical staff. It is about the only hospital in the country which will not either kill you, or at least make your condition substantially worse (avoid Calmette - the main government hospital - at all costs!). Rattanak claim they can handle pretty well anything, and I have heard very good reports about them. Not cheap though - they are substantially more expensive than equivalent facilities in neighbouring Thailand or Vietnam. Outside Phnom Penh, you can more or less forget about medical care, and there will be no state-provided emergency teams ready to whisk you to safety. I strongly recommend that you have adequate health insurance, including provision for medivac to Thailand or Singapore if necessary. A reasonably-priced local option can be found here:

http://www.forteinsurance.com/

though I have no idea what they are like in settling claims.

Pharmacies, on the other hand, can be pretty good. I posted information about them in a previous thread:

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?p=746624&highlight=pharmacy#746624

Cambodians like to pay lip-service to the idea of having an advanced degree, but it may not get you any more money. The 80 or so local 'universities' churn out Micky Mouse credential-holders by the truckload (10 hour doctorial programme anyone?), so they don't give much added value. There are also a number of teachers (both local and expat) claiming MAs and doctorates which they do not actually hold. Employers rarely check as (a) they can't usually be bothered and (b) they don't have much idea how to go about verifying foreign credentials anyway.

[JoeyKocur]

About the fake degrees, that is true here too, even for the B.A.

That is exactly why I have always taken my original transcript to job interviews. Luckily, mine is printed on "Script-Safe" paper that makes every copy made read "copy" all over it. That has gotten me several jobs actually, as I ask the owner to ask other applicants to produce such documents. When they can't...like I said.

And my M.S. was more than ten hours, believe me.

[MrMrLuckyKhan]

[khmerhit]

four hundred for accomodation??!!?

There's one born every minute.



Cambodia--try it and see

[JoeyKocur]

khmerhit,

i guess $400 is too pricey, yeah? thanks for the input.

final question, what do you think my resume will get me per hour (ballpark)?

thanks in advance and best wishes.

JK

Cambodia--I'll try it and see

[brownpirate]

not that i'm any expert but...when you said "modern", i responded in kind to what i've heard of some paying - both for a place that's not shared and ***modern***.

otherwise, yeah, i have friends with shared rents averaging around $150, everything included. another just scored his own place for $110. it's clean but it's by no means modern in terms of its shower or kitchen (it doesn't have a ceiling fan come to think of it). he had the help of a local on that one. I've also seen ads for a room shared in the home of a local family for around $30 per month.

if you check that expat forum link i mentioned, you'll get the idea of what's being actively advertised for expats...expats being the keyword on that.

[nonbeuroboy]

Ill be looking for a job here again today- my Uni gig just ended for a few months- how is taiwan these day- lets exchange info-
i have been here 7 mos and like it