Phnom Penh

Guys, which is more conveniant and/or cheaper to get to PP? Bangkok or Singapore?

[QUOTE=Rguy89]Guys, which is more conveniant and/or cheaper to get to PP? Bangkok or Singapore?[/QUOTE]


[url]www.airasia.com[/url] and

[url]http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/index.html[/url]

Will give you the answer

[QUOTE=Wendella]I don't say this to provoke, as I've been a buyer in those same shops myself, even in this past year. I just wonder: how can these places be selling these drugs so much cheaper than they're available elsewhere? They're somewhat higher priced in Bangkok, and much higher priced almost anywhere else.

I can see how the explanation for the Indian knockoffs would make sense, but how could they be selling the Pfizer and Eli Lilly originals at such low prices? One possibility there is that they're counterfeit of course, but I'm actually open to hearing what explanation otherwise there might be, if anyone claimed they're legit, and judging how plausible that explanation sounds.

I want to believe, I really do. ;)[/QUOTE]

I watched a BBC documentary about a year ago. The lady reporter pretended to be a wholesale buyer. She visited several factories in India.

They were telling her that she couldn't make the difference in the packaging and that she could have any percentage of the incredient in the pills.
I remember them quoting 7%, 25% or whatever she wants.

[QUOTE=El Greco]I watched a BBC documentary about a year ago. The lady reporter pretended to be a wholesale buyer. She visited several factories in India.

They were telling her that she couldn't make the difference in the packaging and that she could have any percentage of the incredient in the pills.
I remember them quoting 7%, 25% or whatever she wants.[/QUOTE]

So if that's right, then the Cialis and Viagra pills are knockoffs too. If so, there'd be no reason to buy those brands in PP, but rather to just stick with the ones we know are Indian (Apcalis, Kamagra, etc.).

I don't follow what you said about how the woman could 'have any % of the ingredient in the pills'. Which ingredient? The active ingredient?

[QUOTE=Wendella]So if that's right, then the Cialis and Viagra pills are knockoffs too. If so, there'd be no reason to buy those brands in PP, but rather to just stick with the ones we know are Indian (Apcalis, Kamagra, etc.).

I don't follow what you said about how the woman could 'have any % of the ingredient in the pills'. Which ingredient? The active ingredient?[/QUOTE]

They meant the active ingredient eg sidenafil for viagra.

I will agree with you about Kamagra etc. I only get mine in bulk while in Buenos Aires. Genuine Cialis and local generic viagra but they do the job very well.
I buy from pharmacies but you can check prices and what's available there at this site.
[url]http://www.viagrasalud.com.ar/[/url]

I have been back in PP for a few days now. I want to correct 2 typos in my last report on prices, and add a little more info:

"Motodop to/from anywhere in the Riverside/Walkabout/Psar Tmai to Martini: $1. Coming back, if you have stayed late and there is a shortage of rides, you might have to pay more, but not over $1." That should have been "not over $1.50"

"American Embassy" should have been "Thai Embassy." I don't know what I was thinking. I have also been informed that the trip should have only cost $1--I overpaid.

When I mentioned paying 1000 riel for a short motodop ride, the operative word was "short"--like from St. 118 to St. 136. In other words, an easily walkable distance that you just don't feel like walking at the moment. The vast majority of rides will be 2000. Khmers will actually pay 1500 for certain in-between distances, but that is more effort to figure out than I am willing to go to for 12.5 cents.

My comments about setting the price first apply to tuk-tuks more than girls. I have noticed that I no longer discuss price first with girls except in hostess bars, and I seldom take girls from those. Not sure when I stopped doing this--I guess I just go by the feel of the situation. For instance, I have never asked a girl from Heart of Darkness about money, and I have always just given them $20 early the next afternoon and had no complaints.

I have lots of friends who buy generic medicine here and have heard no complaints about them not working properly--which seems rather incredible considering how corrupt Cambodia is. I have, however, heard of people getting supposedly name brand drugs where the boxes were not quite right, and refusing to buy them because they feared the contents might be fake as well. Overall, I would say you are as safe buying here as in Thailand, and more so than in the Philippines.

[QUOTE=Hippie]Overall, I would say you are as safe buying here as in Thailand, and more so than in the Philippines.[/QUOTE]
Safe in terms of effectiveness but not necessarily your health. Sildenafil and tadalafil are cheap to manufacture so there's no reason not to put some in -- it keeps your distributors happy. The problem with fast and dirty production is impurities, including some nasty ones like boric acid. Potency varies widely too.

The safest assumption in Cambodia is that these drugs are 100% bootleg, mostly from China. Many friends use them with no problems but personally I'm happy to pay a bit more for 'real' Indian generics in Thailand.

[QUOTE=Betong]Safe in terms of effectiveness but not necessarily your health. Sildenafil and tadalafil are cheap to manufacture so there's no reason not to put some in -- it keeps your distributors happy. The problem with fast and dirty production is impurities, including some nasty ones like boric acid. Potency varies widely too.

The safest assumption in Cambodia is that these drugs are 100% bootleg, mostly from China. Many friends use them with no problems but personally I'm happy to pay a bit more for 'real' Indian generics in Thailand.[/QUOTE]

The plot thickens. Are we pretty sure that's true, that the ones available even as Indian generics in Cambodia are in fact Chinese? How do we know this? Not doubting it, just digging to see why you think so. That these same Indian generics are cheaper in Cambodia than in Thailand would seem to point to your being correct. Though I guess it's possible there is some other reason too. Or a contrary speculation: why would the Chinese bother to counterfeit Indian knockoffs rather than the real thing.

Another disturbing thought: if the Indian generics in Cambodia are fake and from China, why would we assume the ones in Thailand aren't too. It's not like there's any government oversight there either, and even if there was, would you trust Thailand's govt oversight?

[QUOTE=Wendella]Are we pretty sure that's true, that the ones available even as Indian generics in Cambodia are in fact Chinese?[/QUOTE]
I'm sure that some of them are (I'm a journo and pursued some of this for work . . . well, half for work) but by no means all of them. There are a lot of people in a lot of places making fakes these days.

When I first saw Indian generics in PP some years ago I bought some on the principle that they wouldn't be worth counterfeiting. Then I got a batch that was obviously fake -- substandard coating and weird texture. Pretty clearly the big Indian brands like Penegra and Kamagra have reached a level of name recognition where they're a worthwhile target for counterfeiters. And by now some of the fakes look very good.

No government oversight for the Indian generics in Thailand, since they're not licensed for sale there. You need to go to a trustworthy pharmacy. And finding one of those is a whole topic in itself.

[QUOTE=Betong]Safe in terms of effectiveness but not necessarily your health. Sildenafil and tadalafil are cheap to manufacture so there's no reason not to put some in -- it keeps your distributors happy. The problem with fast and dirty production is impurities, including some nasty ones like boric acid. Potency varies widely too.

The safest assumption in Cambodia is that these drugs are 100% bootleg, mostly from China. Many friends use them with no problems but personally I'm happy to pay a bit more for 'real' Indian generics in Thailand.[/QUOTE]No, "as safe" on both counts. Note that I am not saying that they are 100% safe in any way. That would be ludicrous. The same applies to drugs bought in Thailand, where I am 100% positive I have purchased fake Kamagra, and the Philippines, where anything and everything can be fake, including the Cipro I once bought (at least I am pretty sue it was fake, based upon how quickly I responded to a second round of treatment with some I bought at a second location.). Considering that pharmacists in the U.S.A. have been caught selling fake cancer meds in the past, I would never have complete trust in the drugs I purchase anywhere.

I also lived in China for a few years, and you can buy a very limited number of name brand medicines there at dirt cheap price. These are the real thing, but the selection is not very large. They are mostly from European companies, and never include the "latest and greatest" drugs. For instance, there are about 5 or 6 anti-hypertension drugs available, and I think none that have been released in the last decade. However, these are easily recognizable since everything except the brand and name is in Chinese. ED meds were not among this group when I left last year.

[QUOTE=Hippie]Note that I am not saying that they are 100% safe in any way.[/QUOTE]
It's true, the more you look into the drugs distribution system in SE Asia, the more your realize that you are taking a risk anywhere. But Cambodia still has a particularly poor reputation -- lots of info on this online from the WHO -- with ED meds taking over from anti-malarials as the main target for counterfeiters.

Have always bought kamagra gel and V tabs in PP, always worked for me and so cheap.

Can't understand all this debate about authenticity, don't know anyone who has had a problem with getting it up in this town.

[QUOTE=Phil Istine]Have always bought kamagra gel and V tabs in PP, always worked for me and so cheap.

Can't understand all this debate about authenticity, don't know anyone who has had a problem with getting it up in this town.[/QUOTE]

I guess you're right, better to remain ignorant and have no idea if they're legit, or safe or not. ;)

I m in phnom penh now you can still get the taxi girls for 10$ ST and 20$ LT even if they ask for more

Just need to bargain little bit

So don't push the prices up guys because the sevice won't be better if you pay more!

[QUOTE=Prison Break]I m in phnom penh now you can still get the taxi girls for 10$ ST and 20$ LT even if they ask for more

Just need to bargain little bit

So don't push the prices up guys because the sevice won't be better if you pay more![/QUOTE]
I'm coming to Phnom Penh for the first time a week from tomorrow. I think I've mapped out the location of most of the better known bars thanks to the information I've found here, but please tell me what are "taxi girls?" Also, any updates on the bar scene would be much appreciated.

GE