Monday, May 26, 2008

Asia Cambodia & Rice Brides and other exports.

I belong to news groups and this came in today. When I heard that they were going to stop the export of rice from Cambodia, just like the export of brides, it seemed to be a knee jerk reaction fueled by the press, which really, I think needs to take a look at what they are doing.

In Cambodia inflation is going through the roof on everything it seems but rice, and the talk about it I thought for sure was going to cause a run on it. I do really hope that some rich people bought some rice to speculate on and got burned instead of the little guy for a change.

The bride’s thing had too affected legitimate people more than the marriage brokers. I know for a fact that days after the announcement that people that wanted to get married were being told Just leave Cambodia. The press was only pointing out a problem with Korea mail order brides that were basically as I understand it long time leases on sexy domestic engineers more than marriages. The marriages to other places I have not heard of a problem I know a few couples that got married and they are all very happy, some living in the west getting educations and living much better than they would be living here, and the couples are more importantly truly in love! I love happy endings!


2008-05-26 14:59:15
Cambodian government ends 2-month ban on rice exports
The Cambodian government said it will resume rice exports after its two-month ban came to an end Monday.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said there was no rice shortage in Cambodia and that the ban, imposed March 26 to ensure a stable supply of the country's staple food, had helped stabilize domestic prices.

Beginning Tuesday, rice exports can be resumed for some 1 million tons of milled rice Cambodia has in excess of its needs for domestic consumption, he said.

Cambodia produced a surplus of nearly 1.6 million tons of milled rice from last year's farming season, he said. But he added that exports must not exceed the total amount of surplus until the new harvesting season begins in December.

Hun Sen said that more than 500,000 tons had already been exported before he imposed the two-month ban.

The export ban primarily stopped rice from flowing to neighboring Thailand and Vietnam. Since the end of the harvest early this year, Cambodian farmers living in provinces bordering the two countries have been selling rice in large quantities across the borders, attracted by high prices.

In Phnom Penh markets over the weekend, a kilo of low-grade rice was selling for between 1,800 riel (US$0.45; EURO.29) and 2,000 riel (US$0.50; EURO.32), little changed from before when the ban was imposed. Earlier this year, rice of this quality cost about 1,300 riel (US$0.30; EURO 0.19) a kilo.

Cambodia is a minor rice exporter, shipping about 450,000 tons of milled rice last year, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture estimate. Neighboring Thailand exported 8.5 million tons, it said.

Hun Sen's government has also advocated creation of a cartel of rice-exporting countries with Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. But the idea appeared stalled after Thailand dropped out.

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Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Air Asia free Seats really cheap flights in Asia

Air Asia just started a promotion just a few minuites ago that is pretty spectacular, fly for free! well it is not actually totaly free as you need to pay the taxs and fuel surcharges. I looked at a couple of the flights and they are very good deals, but you need to book 7 to 10 months out, but if you know that you are going to be in Asia and have the flexibilty these are going to be very hard to beat. On a one way form KL to Bangkok the flight came out to around $32 USD. On a flight from Bangkok to Yangon on a round trip the total cost was right around $90 USD that is a great deal to go to Myanmar and after the storm they are going to need some visitors to help the poor little guys that are running the shops and small hotels in that very beautuful city, the old Rangoon now called Yangon.

below I have some of the other fares that Air Asia is offering right now. below that some picture from Myanmar.

Phnom Penh THB 299 / USD 10


China

Shenzhen THB 599 / RMB 139.00


Macau

Macau THB 599 / MOP 159


Malaysia

Penang THB 399 / RM 40.00


Myanmar

Yangon THB 299 / USD 10.00


Singapore

Singapore THB 399 / SGD 18.00


Vietnam

Hanoi THB 399 / USD 13

Ho Chi Minh (Mon, Wed, Fri & Sun) THB 399 / USD 13



Stupa at night

2 beautiful Burmese Ladies working in a restaurant in Yangon Burma

Friday, April 25, 2008

Asia Cheap Travel Tips: Cambodia Buses

Asia Cheap Travel Tips: Cambodia Buses

The main routes of Phnom Penh - Siem Reap and Phnom Penh - Sihanoukville you can now find buses that could almost be rated first class buses in Thailand; The usual definition of a first class bus in Asia being air con with a small water closet. For the distances traveled they are one of the cheapest travel deals in Asia. Most routes are under $10, for the border runs expect to pay a tad over $15.

The onboard entertainment will have you humming along with Khmer Karaoke classics, Mekong Express being the exception, which thoughtfully shows previews of the Angkor temples heading towards Siem Reap. , On the other routes you will be able to keep up to date with all of Mr. Been’s adventures, which has everyone smiling regardless of where on the blue marble you come from.

One thing that I recommend which comes from traveling these roads a lot is to pass on sitting in the first 4 rows. In Cambodia the rules of the road are mostly made up as they go, figuring out the proper way to proceed is mostly intuitive, things like stopping when a light turns yellow instead of red, or assuming that the guy that is passing illegally in your lane is going to give way, will many times result in a crash, unfortunately head on collisions are frequent and horrific, with the added disadvantage of a medieval medical system in the provinces.

The road from Siem Reap to Bangkok voted 10 years in a row the worst road in the world, today large 48 seat buses make there way on new sealed roads under passable conditions for the better part of the way, but then the bladder punishing, back wrenching and stomach empting goes for over 100 kilometers to the Thai border. Dense dust clouds and large concrete Lego’s marking the progress towards completion of this route.


Going into the provinces is now possible with many side trip options available on historically air conditioned buses. The roads and travel times going to Ratnikiri and Modolkiri are improving which promises to start rewarding those areas with more visitors soon. The road to Battembong is finished as ruby studded Palin waits impatiently.


There is real travel value in bus travel in Cambodia. Enjoying the scenery has always been one of the real treasures of travel in Cambodia as you skim along side the shimmering ponds of rice with sugar palm sentinels allowing you to take mental pictures for lasting memories of this exotic land.

Vans loading in Siem Reap Angkor Wat for trip to Bangkok Thailand.



river crossing in Cambodia soon to be forgotten Asia Adventure



Portage over land route border run Bangkok Thailand Phnom Penh Cambodia by bus



Newer Cambodian buses in Siem Reap Angkor Wat to Bangkok Thaialnd