Thread: Child sex trade soars in Cambodia

There is a real market for that kind of sick stuff in Cambodia. You can organise it from several big clubs in Pnomh Penh. Armed guards will drive you in a minivan to a suitable hotel/accomodation.
Locals can buy a kid from a poor family to be freely used as slaves in rich households, the going price was 50-60 Dollars for local politicians, businessmen in 2003, I am not "up to date" with the prices now..
The (chinese) chef de bar of the then-biggest club in Pnomh Penh estimated that 70% of the prostitutes there have are HIV-infected and a minority are working for themselves/are there from their free will.

Originally Posted by William

not that I am condoning this behavior, but does anyone know what the age of consent is in Cambodia?

Article 8:


Any person who commits debauchery acts onto a minor person of below 15 years old, even if there is consent from the concerned minor person or if upon buying such minor person from somebody else or from a head of the prostitutes, shall be subject to punishment from ten (10) to twenty (20) years in prison. In case of not giving up, the maximum punishment term shall be applied.


The court may, in addition to the above principal punishment, apply a sub-punishment by restriction of the civil rights and non-authorization of residence.

^that reads very similar to Thailand - but in Thailand if consideration (e.g. money) is involved, I think the age becomes 20.

But as is the case with any law, if it is not enforced, it has no teeth and becomes meaningless

I think that if a UK citizen was to have sex with a 15 year old in Cambodia,you would probably be arrested when you arrived back home. I`m sure I read this on the BBC news site.....?

Originally Posted by jandajoy

A Cambodian woman who allegedly acted as a pimp was also charged with debauchery. If convicted... the woman whose charge also relates to an offence of human trafficking faces 10 to 20 years.

It seems that Cambodia is more thorough in it's application of the law than Thailand.