Phnom Penh's not so secret dark side

Thailand may be more famous for it, but make no mistake the sex trade is big business here in Cambodia, especially Phnom Penh. You have to look no further than whichever resto or bar you stop at for a drink to see an example of this. What may come as a surprise to many, is that although one night stand deals surely exist, the bulk of what you see here is what could be called "medium term" deals.

Look around the streets and you can see men walking down the sidewalks or having a snack and drink with Cambodian women anywhere from kinda 18-35. Apparently many Westerners arrange their vacation so that they can be in the company of a certain local for the duration of their time here. The result being that a single lady accompanies a guy around the country for a week or two while he is here visiting. Sometimes they almost look like couples.

The occurences of this are far from rare, with expat mags even advertising bars with hostesses. Thankfully, you can see government action being taken to protect young women from falling into this. While it may not seem like much, requiring local girls to present IDs at guest houses before accompanying men, it does help. Especially given the number of hotels owned by expats who are not keen on garnering a sour reputation. Unfortunately, there are probably still many ways around this.

To be honest, the sex trade is pretty much in your face all through South Asia, and while prostitutes are not a rare sight in Europe, the situation here is much more dire for those involved. A simple way to help women who have fallen victim to the trade is to seek out businesses who are helping them earn honest livings and get back on their feet. It may mean paying a buck or two more for a painting, lunch or massage, but in the big scheme of things, a buck or two is not that much to us, whereas it can help ensure a young person does not fall back into a darker life again.