USING MONEY IN CAMBODIA

Cash

The Cambodian riel is the official currency, but US dollars are universally accepted in Cambodia. While there are sufficient ATMs in the major tourist areas of Sihanoukville, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh which dispense US$ it may be wise to bring your own supply of US$1, $5, $10 and $20 bills to avoid problems changing larger denominations of $50 or $100 notes. US dollar coins buy nothing but confused looks.

The exchange rate is fairly stable at around 4000 riel to the US$, and it's not uncommon to receive change in a mix of the two. Near the Thai border (especially Battambang, Koh Kong, and Poipet) Thai baht is also accepted; further east (including Siem Reap) baht can easily be exchanged, but cannot be spent - except at uncompetitive rates. Likewise Euro can easily be exchanged, but cannot be spent - except at uncompetitive rates. Banks give the best rates, avoid money changers at markets or on the street.

Warning

Although you may find Cambodian riel torn, screwed up, taped up or in some case completely desecrated, it is a very different story with US dollars. If you are changed with any US note that has even a little tear in it or a little bit of tape on it, you will find it very hard to spend. Even the banks in Cambodia will not take it. This can be a disaster to your budget if the notes are big denominations. Check each dollar note carefully when you are given change.

If you're planning on heading out off the beaten track, you need to take enough US dollars to get you back to a point where you can get more.
In many of the larger towns one or more of the local banks operate as Western Union Money Transfer agents.

Plastic

ATMs can be found in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, and Kampot; both debit card withdrawals (Maestro, Cirrus, Plus, VISA) and cash advances on credit cards are possible. For the rest of the country it's best to stick to cash or traveller's checks (in US$).
VISA and JCB are the most widely accepted credit cards; MasterCard and American Express cards are slowly becoming more widely accepted.

Note that ATMs will dispense US$ in varying denominations. If you receive bills in poor condition (especially $50 or $100) from an ATM attached directly to a bank try to change it there immediately as it may be difficult to change later.

Please note that ATMs throughout most of Asia only accept a 4-digit PIN. If your PIN is more than 4 digits, best to take care of that at home before you need cash and find yourself out of luck.

Traveler's checks

Traveler's checks, like credit cards, are accepted in major business establishments, such as large hotels, some restaurants, travel agencies and some souvenir shops; American Express (in US$) are the most widely accepted flavour. However, competitive rates are only usually found in banks in Cambodia's larger cities (guesthouses in heavily touristed areas may offer similar services but at horrendous rates). The usual fee for cashing traveler's checks is 2% and US$2 minimum.