Phnom Penh

Is Phnom Penh safe?

Yes, for a visitor who keeps a grip on their bag. Violent crime against tourists is rare, and Cambodia's homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary is about 1.8 per 100,000 people by WHO's estimate, lower than Thailand's. The crime you are most likely to meet is fast and physical: a thief on a motorbike who cuts a bag strap or pulls a phone from your hand. Add the most crowded and crash-prone roads in the country, dengue, hazy air in the dry season and hospitals that cannot handle every emergency.

We score Phnom Penh 59, below Siem Reap (64) and our Cambodia page (64), and well below Bangkok (66). The capital has more theft and more traffic than the temple town.

Bag snatching on the riverfront and in BKK

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary's advice for Cambodia names two hotspots in Phnom Penh: the riverfront, where Sisowath Quay runs past the Royal Palace and the bars facing the Tonle Sap, and the BKK area, the expat district of cafés, hotels and nightlife south of Independence Monument. Thieves on motorbikes ride past people walking or sitting in tuk-tuks, cut straps and grab bags or phones. The FCDO says these thefts often cause injury, because victims are dragged or pulled off a bike.

What helps is simple and worth doing every time:

• Carry a small bag across your body, on the side away from the road, and leave passports and spare cards in the hotel safe.
• Do not hold your phone out at the kerb or while riding in a tuk-tuk. Step back into a shop doorway to check a map.
• Choose tuk-tuks with metal grilles on the sides and back, which the FCDO recommends.
• Never put a bag in a bicycle basket.

Smaller money tricks are routine. The FCDO warns that fake or torn dollar notes are handed out as change in shops and clubs, so check your notes, and that passengers have had things taken from their bags while asleep on buses. Police are not always willing to investigate thefts. For an insurance report, go to the tourist police at Street 598; the FCDO says the report should be free.

Nights out

Phnom Penh's nightlife is concentrated along the riverside and in BKK. Gallup's 2025 survey found 62% of Cambodians feel safe walking alone at night, one of the lowest shares in South-East Asia and well below Vietnam's 88%. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary's advice is to take extra care after dark and to stick to well-used, well-lit roads, and side streets off the main boulevards are dark and quiet.

Drink spiking has been reported in bars used by foreigners, and the FCDO reports deaths from methanol in alcoholic drinks in Cambodia. Stick to beer, wine and drinks from sealed bottles in places you trust, and do not leave a glass unattended. At the end of the night, book a ride through Grab or PassApp instead of walking or flagging a moto.

Traffic: the bigger danger

More visitors are hurt on Phnom Penh's roads than by crime. WHO estimatesWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary Cambodia's road death rate at 13.3 per 100,000 people in 2023, and the capital has the most crashes of any province: 461 of the 1,279 accidents recorded nationwide in the first half of 2026, according to an Interior Ministry report. Deaths across the country rose 11% in that period after police paused traffic enforcement. By the end of September, 1,160 people had died on Cambodia's roads in 2026; police said motorbikes were involved in up to 83% of accidents and about 70% of those killed wore no helmet.

For a pedestrian, the city is hard work. Pavements are used for parking and stalls, motorbikes ride against the traffic, and drivers rarely stop at crossings. Cross in a group of locals, walk at a steady pace and look both ways even on one-way streets. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary calls motorbike taxis dangerous. If you rent a scooter, you need the right licence for your insurance to pay, and riding without a helmet can bring an on-the-spot fine.

Air, heat and health care

IQAir measured an average of 21.9 µg/m³ of PM2.5PM2.5Tiny airborne particles 2.5 micrometres across or smaller. They reach deep into the lungs and are the air pollutant most linked to early death.More in the glossary in Phnom Penh in 2024, more than four times the WHO guideline and the 33rd highest of the capitals it ranked. Cambodia has no public government monitors, so the figure comes from independent sensors. Smoke from burning fields makes the air worse in the dry season. From March to May, afternoon heat often passes 35°C.

Dengue is common in the city; use repellent during the day. Phnom Penh has the best private hospitals and international clinics in Cambodia, and they handle most minor injuries and infections. Serious trauma, heart problems and complex surgery often mean a flight to Bangkok or Singapore, so buy insurance that covers medical evacuation.

Rain and floods

The monsoon runs from about June to October. Heavy storms overwhelm the drains, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary warns that flooded roads cause major jams in Phnom Penh, including on the way to the airport. The city's new main airport, Techo International, opened on 9 September 2025 in Kandal province, roughly 20 km south of the centre, so allow plenty of time after a downpour. Floods here are usually a nuisance rather than a danger, but do not wade through water that may hide open drains.

How we scored it

Traffic safety (42) is Phnom Penh's weakest factor, set by Cambodia's road death rate and the capital's share of crashes. Theft and scams (50) reflects the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary's named hotspots and the injuries snatch thefts cause. Violent crime (76) is the strongest factor, held below Siem Reap's 80 for organised crime and scam compounds near the capital. Night safety (62) uses Gallup's Cambodian share, two points below Siem Reap for the riverfront and BKK.