Money, Currency and Cards in Cambodia
Local Currency
Riel (KHR)
General Advice
The US$ is widely accepted in Cambodia, in fact travellers from Vietnam will feel at home as the greenback is king as it seems to be there. Travel with a good supply of small denomination US$ cash and you won’t go far wrong as long as they are all in good condition – as in many other places in Asia it can be hard to change torn notes.
Money Exchange
Banks can be found in larger towns and tourist centres but in reality everyone uses $. You’ll get change in riels which, after a while, will give you a riel float for small purchases, tips etc.
ATM Availability
ATM's have arrived in Cambodia. ANZ/Royal Bank is claiming to be the first one, but in fact Canada Bank was a little earlier in providing international ATM services accepting credit and debit cards (with MasterCard or Cirrus logo). The machines will give you money in dollar notes. ATMs are (for the time being) available in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap only. You can also check the Visa, MasterCard or American Express locator pages.
Credit Cards
Increasingly accepted for major purchases in larger town and cities. Irritatingly the commission charge that they would usually handle is passed on to you, the user.
Travellers Cheques
Most people nowadays avoid travelling with travellers’ cheques as commission rates are high and off the beaten track they are hard to change and often impossible if in anything other than US$.
Other Information
Cambodian Riel (KHR). Banknotes are issued in denominations of 50r, 100r, 200r, 500r, 1,000r, 2,000r, 5,000r, 10,000r, 50,000r, 50,000r and 100,000r. The US$ is widely accepted wherever one travels in Cambodia with the Thai baht also accepted in some places close to the border with Thailand.
