Quick Facts About Cambodia
General Information
- • Capital: Phnom Penh
- • Currency: Riel (KHR), with US dollars in everyday use
- • Language: Khmer
- • Population: about 17.6 million (2024 estimate)
- • Time Zone: ICT (UTC+7)
Tourist Information
- • Best Time: November to March, the dry season
- • Power Plug: Type A/C/G, 230V
- • Emergency: 117 police, 118 fire, 119 ambulance
- • Main airports: Techo (KTI) for Phnom Penh, Siem Reap–Angkor (SAI)
- • Visa: e-Visa in advance or visa on arrival for most nationalities — check the official Cambodian e-Visa service before you book
Which Network You Actually Get
Cambodia has four licensed mobile operators — Cellcard, Metfone, Smart and Yes Seatel — but a travel eSIM does not get to pick freely between them. Each plan carries its own roaming agreements, and in Cambodia those differ enough to matter. This is what our own coverage data says, checked on 12 September 2026.
| Plan you buy | Cambodian network | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Cambodia country plan 1–20 GB, or Unlimited 3–30 days | Metfone (Viettel), 4G | Cambodia is the whole trip |
| Asia regional plan 18 countries, unlimited tiers available | Metfone and Cellcard, 4G | Cambodia plus Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore… |
| Global plans | Cellcard and Viettel, or Viettel and Smart Axiata depending on the product | Cambodia as one stop on a long multi-continent trip |
The one thing worth remembering. If your phone ever asks you to choose a network by hand in Cambodia, the answer for a Cambodia country plan is Metfone. Guides that tell you to select Smart are describing a network our country plans have no agreement with — picking it will leave you with no service. Leave network selection on Automatic unless something is wrong.
Metfone
Viettel Cambodia. The network behind our Cambodia country plans, and the one with the widest rural reach in the country — Viettel built out beyond the cities earlier than its competitors.
Cellcard
CamGSM, part of the Royal Group. Cambodian-owned and the oldest network in the country. You reach it through the Asia regional and global plans rather than the country plan.
Smart
Smart Axiata. A major operator in Cambodia, but in our catalogue it appears on one global product only. Do not plan on reaching it from a Cambodia country plan.
Yes Seatel
The fourth licensed operator. It does not appear in any of our Cambodia coverage rows, so no plan we sell will register on it.
Every Cambodian entry in our coverage tables declares 4G/LTE. We do not advertise 5G for Cambodia, because we have no coverage row and no reliable source that would let us stand behind it.
Why an eSIM Makes Sense in Cambodia
A long transfer from a new airport
Siem Reap–Angkor International is 50 km from town and Techo is 19 km south of Phnom Penh. Arranging that first ride is much easier with data already working.
Cambodia is outside every roam-like-at-home zone
A European or Latin American plan bills Cambodia as an out-of-zone destination or sells you a paid daily pass. Check your operator's tariff page for the exact figure before you fly — the gap against a local-rate eSIM is usually large.
Navigating Angkor
The Angkor park is a road network, not a single site. Maps, temple opening times and finding your driver again all want a working connection.
Ferries and islands
Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem run on ferry timetables that change with the weather. Coverage is best near the villages and main beaches.
Ride-hailing instead of haggling
PassApp and Grab both work in Cambodian cities and quote the fare up front, which removes the tuk-tuk price negotiation entirely. Both need data.
No shop, no passport queue
Cambodian SIM registration requires your passport in person at an operator shop. An eSIM installs from home the week before you travel.
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Arriving: Cambodia Has Two Brand-New Airports
This is the detail most Cambodia guides still get wrong, and it changes your arrival day.
Techo International (KTI), Phnom Penh
Techo took over all commercial and international flights from Phnom Penh International on 9 September 2025, with the official inauguration that October. The old airport now serves as a military airbase and handles domestic and private-jet traffic.
It sits roughly 19 km south of the city centre in Kandal province — further out than the airport it replaced, so budget more time and expect a metered or app-booked ride rather than a short hop.
Siem Reap–Angkor International (SAI)
Opened 16 October 2023, replacing the old Siem Reap airport, which sat close to the temples and was moved partly because of the pollution risk to Angkor.
The new terminal is 50 km east of Siem Reap — about an hour by road. If you land at night with no data and no pre-booked transfer, that hour is the least pleasant part of the trip. Have your eSIM live before the doors open.
How to Install Your Cambodia eSIM
Before You Travel
- Check your phone supports eSIM — look for an EID in Settings, About Phone
- Make sure it is carrier-unlocked; a contract handset can refuse a second profile
- Buy your Cambodia country plan, or an Asia regional plan if this is a multi-country trip
- Install over trusted Wi-Fi at home, not on airport Wi-Fi after landing
Installation Steps
- Receive the QR code: it arrives by email right after purchase
- Open Settings: Cellular, or Mobile Data on Android
- Add eSIM: choose Add eSIM or Add Cellular Plan
- Scan: point the camera at the QR code
- Label it: name the line "Cambodia" so you can tell it from your home line
- Set preferences: data on the eSIM, calls and messages on your home line
Pro tip: install before departure but leave the line switched off. Most plans start counting from first connection, so turning it on when you land in Cambodia is what you want. And turn on data roaming for the eSIM line — it is roaming by definition, and leaving it off is the single most common reason a new eSIM shows no service.
Coverage Across Cambodia
Cambodian mobile coverage follows population and roads, which in practice means the Mekong and Tonlé Sap corridor, the national highways, and the coast. Our plans declare 4G/LTE across the country; what changes from place to place is how dense the cell sites are, not the technology.
Where you can expect solid 4G
Dense urban coverage
- • Phnom Penh and its suburbs
- • Siem Reap town and the Angkor circuit
- • Sihanoukville and the ferry port
- • Battambang
- • Kampot and Kep
Thinner, road-following coverage
- • Outlying temples: Beng Mealea, Koh Ker, Preah Vihear
- • Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem away from the villages
- • Kratie and the Mekong dolphin stretch
- • Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri highlands
- • The Cardamom Mountains
Practical reading of that
- • Angkor: the main circuit is close to Siem Reap and shares its coverage. Treat it as normal, not as wilderness.
- • Islands: the villages and main beaches on Koh Rong are served; interiors and the far beaches are not. Download before the boat.
- • Long road days: coverage tracks the highway. Off the highway it drops away quickly.
- • Land borders: plan on having no data during the crossing itself, and on your Cambodian plan doing nothing at all on the Thai or Vietnamese side unless you bought a regional plan.
How Much Data You Actually Need
These sizes are stated against our actual Cambodia catalogue: country plans run from 1 GB to 20 GB plus Unlimited tiers of 3 to 30 days, and the multi-country unlimited option is the Asia regional plan rather than a Cambodian one.
Angkor and the classic loop
Typical length: 5–10 days
Siem Reap, the Angkor circuit and Phnom Penh — the route most first visits follow
Data you will need
3–5 GB
Recommendation
A 5 GB country plan comfortably covers maps, the temple circuit, ride-hailing, translation and normal photo sharing for a week. Go to 10 GB if you upload video daily.
Worth doing:
- ✓Download the Siem Reap province offline map before you go
- ✓Save your driver’s number and your hotel address offline on day one
- ✓Sunrise at Angkor Wat is congested for everyone at once — upload later
- ✓Angkor passes carry your photo and cannot be shared; buy through the official channel
Cambodia as one stop on a Southeast Asia route
Typical length: Varies
Bangkok, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City — the overland and short-hop circuit
Data you will need
Depends on the route
Recommendation
This is where the Asia regional plan wins outright. Its coverage list includes Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, so one profile carries the whole trip instead of a new purchase at every border.
Worth doing:
- ✓Compare the regional plan against buying a country plan per stop before you commit
- ✓The unlimited tiers in our catalogue that span many countries are regional, not Cambodian
- ✓Expect no data during the land border crossing itself
- ✓Leave the profile installed between countries instead of reinstalling
Coast and islands
Typical length: 7–14 days
Sihanoukville, the ferry out to Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem, Kampot and Kep
Data you will need
5–10 GB
Recommendation
Mid-size country plan. Coverage on the islands is real near the villages and main beaches and thin elsewhere, so what you need is enough headroom to download before the boat, not a huge allowance.
Worth doing:
- ✓Download your return ferry booking before you board the outbound one
- ✓Ferry timetables change with the weather — check the morning you travel
- ✓Guesthouse Wi-Fi on the islands is variable; do big uploads on the mainland
- ✓Save an offline map of the island; the walking trails are not obvious
Beyond the highway
Typical length: 10–20 days
Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri, Kratie, the Cardamoms, the outlying temples
Data you will need
10 GB or an unlimited tier
Recommendation
Cambodian coverage follows roads and population. Out here you are relying on cell sites along the highway, so buy for the days you are back in town and download for the days you are not.
Worth doing:
- ✓Cache maps for the whole province, not just the destination
- ✓Tell someone your route before you leave the highway
- ✓Beng Mealea, Koh Ker and Preah Vihear are long drives — download first
- ✓Carry a power bank; navigation on a hot day drains a phone fast
Working from Cambodia
Typical length: 30+ days
Extended stays in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap or Kampot
Data you will need
20 GB, an unlimited tier, or a local SIM
Recommendation
Past a few weeks a registered local SIM usually costs less and gives you a Cambodian number. Keep the eSIM as your arrival bridge and as a backup line when the local network has a bad day.
Worth doing:
- ✓Buy the local SIM once you are settled, not in the hour after landing
- ✓Registration needs your passport, in person, in business hours
- ✓Unlimited tiers may slow after a daily fair-use threshold — plan calls accordingly
- ✓Keep the eSIM installed as a second line rather than deleting it
Family travel
Typical length: 7–14 days
Two adults and children, with one phone usually acting as the hotspot
Data you will need
10–20 GB
Recommendation
Size for the hotspot, not for one phone. A tablet streaming in the back of a van between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh will outspend everything else on the trip combined.
Worth doing:
- ✓Download films and shows before the long road legs
- ✓Turn off automatic photo backup on mobile data for every device
- ✓One plan on one phone as hotspot is usually cheaper than four small plans
- ✓Agree a meeting point at Angkor in case someone loses signal
Connectivity in Cambodia, stated plainly
- • One network on a country plan: every Cambodia package in our catalogue declares Metfone, on 4G. The Asia regional plan adds Cellcard.
- • We do not advertise 5G here: all our Cambodian coverage rows say 4G/LTE, so that is what we promise. Nothing on a normal trip needs more.
- • Coverage follows roads and towns: the Mekong corridor, the highways and the coast are well served; the highlands and outlying temples are not.
- • No speed figures: we have no source that measures real throughput across Cambodia, so we do not print a number.
- • Wi-Fi is everywhere in tourist areas and of very mixed quality. Use it for big transfers, not for anything time-critical.
Rough data use, so you can size your own plan
Saves the most data
- • Offline maps for Siem Reap and Phnom Penh
- • Khmer offline pack in Google Translate
- • Photo backup set to Wi-Fi only
- • Films downloaded before the long road legs
Where the data goes
- • Navigation with maps already cached: very little
- • Messaging and email: negligible over a whole trip
- • Social media with photos: the main daily cost
- • Video calls and streaming: by far the largest single use
Not sure which plan fits your route? The full Cambodia catalogue, country and regional, is one click away.
Compare All Cambodia PlansPractical Travel Notes
Money
- • US dollars circulate alongside the riel in daily use
- • Change under a dollar is usually given in riel
- • Many ATMs dispense dollars; check the withdrawal fee before you confirm
- • Worn or torn dollar notes are often refused — inspect what you are given
- • Markets expect some negotiation; restaurants and shops do not
Getting around and staying connected
- • PassApp and Grab both operate in the cities and quote fares up front
- • Angkor passes are issued by Angkor Enterprise and carry your photo, so they cannot be shared or resold — buy through the official channel, not from a tout
- • Download the Khmer offline pack in Google Translate before you go
- • Save offline maps for Siem Reap province and for anywhere you leave the highway
- • Learn "som aw kun" (thank you); it is worth more than it costs
Where People Actually Go
Temples and history
- 🏛️ Angkor Wat: the reason most visitors come, and busiest at sunrise
- 🗿 Bayon: the face towers at the centre of Angkor Thom
- 🌳 Ta Prohm: the temple left in the grip of its trees
- 👑 Royal Palace: Phnom Penh, with the Silver Pagoda
- 🕯️ Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek: Khmer Rouge memorial sites — visit with the seriousness they ask for
Coast, river and highlands
- 🏝️ Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem: reached by ferry from Sihanoukville
- 🐬 Kratie: Irrawaddy dolphins on the Mekong
- 🐘 Mondulkiri: forest, waterfalls and ethical elephant projects
- 🦀 Kep: the crab market and the coast road to Kampot
- 🏞️ Bokor: the mountain plateau above Kampot
Problems and Fixes
No service after landing
- 1. Check data roaming is ON for the eSIM line — this is the usual cause
- 2. Confirm the eSIM line is set as the one carrying mobile data
- 3. Airplane mode on for 30 seconds, then off, to force a fresh network scan
- 4. If you must choose a network manually, pick Metfone on a Cambodia country plan, or Metfone or Cellcard on an Asia regional plan. Do not pick Smart on a country plan; that agreement does not exist.
- 5. Set network selection back to Automatic once you have service
Slow at Angkor around sunrise
- • Thousands of people converge on the same few cells at the same minute — this is congestion, not a fault
- • It clears as the crowd disperses after sunrise
- • Download the temple map and your driver's contact details the night before
- • Upload photos later from the guesthouse, not from the reflecting pool
Island connectivity
- • Signal is best in the villages and at the main beaches
- • Interiors and the far beaches can have nothing at all
- • Download your return ferry booking before you board the outbound boat
- • Most guesthouses and beach bars have Wi-Fi of varying quality
Data stops partway through the trip
- • Check the remaining allowance in your account before assuming a fault
- • Unlimited tiers may apply a fair-use speed reduction after a daily threshold; the speed drops, the connection does not stop
- • Background photo backup is the most common silent consumer — turn it off for mobile data
- • You can top up or add a second plan without reinstalling anything
Emergency Numbers in Cambodia
National emergency numbers
- 👮 Police: 117
- 🚒 Fire: 118
- 🚑 Ambulance: 119
- 🧒 Child helpline: 1280
These three are the numbers to memorise. 119 is the ambulance, not the fire service — a mix-up that appears in a lot of travel content.
Hospitals with 24/7 emergency lines
- 🏥 Royal Phnom Penh Hospital: +855 23 991 222
- 🏥 Royal Angkor International Hospital, Siem Reap: +855 63 761 888
Both numbers are the emergency lines published by the hospitals themselves. For an embassy contact, use your own foreign ministry's current list rather than a number copied from a travel page — consular numbers change. Make sure your travel insurance covers medical evacuation; serious cases are routinely moved to Bangkok or Singapore.
Etiquette
Do
- ✅ Greet with the sampeah, palms together
- ✅ Cover shoulders and knees at temples — this is enforced at Angkor
- ✅ Remove shoes and hats before entering a temple building or a home
- ✅ Ask before photographing people, especially monks
- ✅ Spend with local guesthouses, drivers and restaurants
Don't
- ❌ Touch anyone on the head, adults or children
- ❌ Point your feet at a person or a Buddha image
- ❌ Touch a monk — women should avoid handing anything directly
- ❌ Climb on carvings or roped-off structures at Angkor
- ❌ Give money to begging children, or visit orphanages as a tourist activity — both sustain the trade they appear to relieve
One note on history. The Khmer Rouge period is within living memory for a large part of the population. Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek are memorial sites, not attractions: no posed photos, no selfies, and follow the signs about where silence is expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which network does a Cambodia eSIM actually connect to?
It depends on which plan you buy, and the difference is real. Our Cambodia country plans — the 1 GB to 20 GB bundles and the Unlimited 3 to 30 day tiers — declare exactly one Cambodian network: Metfone, the Viettel-owned operator, on 4G. The Asia regional plan declares two, Viettel (Metfone) and Cellcard. Smart only appears on one global product. So if your phone ever asks you to pick a network by hand in Cambodia, the right answer for a country plan is Metfone, and choosing Smart there will leave you with no service.
Does a Southeast Asia regional plan really cover Cambodia?
The Asia regional plan does, and we can list its countries exactly: Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, Cambodia, South Korea, Laos, Sri Lanka, Macao, Malaysia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam. Eighteen countries on one profile, with unlimited tiers from 3 to 30 days. If Cambodia is one stop on a Bangkok–Siem Reap–Ho Chi Minh style trip, that is usually the plan to compare first. If Cambodia is the whole trip, the country plan is normally cheaper.
Is there 5G in Cambodia?
Not in any way you should plan around. Every Cambodian row in our coverage data declares 4G/LTE, and the published record of Cambodian 5G is a 2019 Smart Axiata trial rather than a national tourist-usable footprint. Treat 4G as what you will get. For maps, messaging, ride-hailing, translation and uploading photos, that is more than enough — nothing in this guide needs 5G.
Will my eSIM work at Angkor and at remote temples like Beng Mealea?
The main Angkor circuit sits a few kilometres from central Siem Reap and is served by the same operator footprint as the town, so Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm are normal coverage. The further out you go — Beng Mealea, Koh Ker, Preah Vihear — the more you are relying on rural cell sites along the road rather than dedicated coverage at the site. Download offline maps for Siem Reap province before you set out; that single step removes almost every connectivity problem people report at the temples.
Which airport will I actually land at?
Probably not the one older guides name. Techo International Airport (KTI) took over all commercial and international flights from Phnom Penh International on 9 September 2025 and sits about 19 km south of the city centre. Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport (SAI) opened on 16 October 2023 and is 50 km east of Siem Reap — roughly an hour by road. That transfer is the single strongest practical argument for having your data working the moment you land, because you will be arranging a car or a ride from a terminal that is nowhere near your hotel.
How much data do I need for a week in Cambodia?
For a typical Angkor-plus-Phnom Penh week, 3 to 5 GB covers maps, messaging, ride-hailing apps, translation and a normal amount of photo sharing. Go to 10 GB if you upload video, tether a laptop, or are travelling with someone sharing your hotspot. Our Cambodia country plans run from 1 GB to 20 GB, and there are Unlimited tiers from 3 to 30 days if you would rather not count.
Should I just buy a local SIM instead?
For a long stay it is a reasonable choice and it gets you a Cambodian number, which an eSIM does not. What it costs you is the arrival: finding an operator shop with your passport, registering the SIM, and doing it in the hour after a long flight from a terminal that is 50 km from Siem Reap or 19 km from Phnom Penh. For a short trip, landing already connected is usually worth more than the local number.
Do I need to speak Khmer?
English is widely used in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and the coastal tourist towns. Outside them it thins out quickly. Download the Khmer offline pack in Google Translate before you travel — it is the one download that keeps working when the signal does not, and Khmer script is genuinely hard to guess at.
How do I check my phone supports eSIM?
Broadly: iPhone XS and XR onwards, Samsung Galaxy S20 onwards, Google Pixel 3 onwards, and most flagships from 2020. The reliable test is to look for an EID number in Settings, under About Phone. One catch worth knowing: a handset bought on contract and never unlocked can refuse a second profile even when the hardware supports it. Check that at home, not at the airport.
Ready to Explore Cambodia Connected?
Pick a Cambodia country plan on Metfone, or an Asia regional plan if Cambodia is one stop on a longer Southeast Asia route.
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Related Southeast Asia Guides
All four of these countries sit inside the Asia regional plan's coverage list, so one profile can cover the whole route.