Siem Reap

Is Siem Reap safe?

Yes, for nearly all visitors. Siem Reap lives off the temples of Angkor, and the town and the archaeological park are among the calmest and best policed places in Cambodia. Violent crime against tourists is rare; 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. The risks are more ordinary: the roads, especially at night, bags pulled off tuk-tuk seats, the heat in the temples, dengue, and a hospital system that sends serious cases abroad.

We score Siem Reap 64, the same as our Cambodia page, and close to Bangkok (66). Its crime is low, but its roads and health care pull it down.

The border war and Angkor

Thai and Cambodian troops fought along the border in July 2025 and again in December. On 15 December, Cambodia said Thai F-16s had dropped a bomb near a camp for displaced people in Srei Snam district, in the north of Siem Reap province. Al Jazeera put the site about 80 km by road from Angkor Wat. Cambodia's information minister said it was the first Thai strike inside the province since the fighting resumed. Neither the town nor the temples were hit, and a ceasefire has held since 27 December 2025.

The war hurt Siem Reap's economy more than its safety. AFP reported that Angkor ticket sales fell at least 17% from June to November 2025 compared with a year before. Land crossings to Thailand are still closed, so arrive by air. 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 advises against all but essential travel within 20 km of the border, and Canada against all travel within 50 km. Siem Reap town, about two hours' drive from the border, is outside those zones.

Getting around: tuk-tuks and night roads

Cambodia's roads are the main risk to visitors. 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 13.3 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2023, 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 says Cambodia has one of the highest crash rates in South-East Asia, much of it from poor vehicles and driving. Around Siem Reap, tuk-tuks, scooters, cyclists and tour buses share the roads to the temples, often without lights after dark.

Most visitors hire a tuk-tuk driver for the day, and that is the best choice. Pick a tuk-tuk with metal grilles on the back and sides if you can, which the FCDO recommends as protection against bag snatching, and keep your bag on the seat away from the road. If you rent a scooter or bicycle, ride in daylight only and wear a helmet. The FCDO adds that you may need the 1949 international driving permit to rent a motorcycle over 125 cc, and that insurers often refuse claims without the right licence.

Theft, scams and nights out

Siem Reap does not appear on 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 list of theft hotspots, which names Phnom Penh's riverfront and Sihanoukville. Bag and phone snatching by thieves on motorbikes still happens, and the FCDO warns that it often causes injury when people are pulled off a bike or tuk-tuk. Carry little, leave passports in the hotel safe, and keep your phone in your pocket at the roadside.

The everyday annoyances are about money. Agree tuk-tuk and boat prices before you set off, especially for trips to the floating villages on Tonle Sap lake, buy Angkor passes only at the official ticket centre or from Angkor Enterprise online, and check your change, as the FCDO says fake dollar notes are given out in shops and clubs.

Pub Street and the Old Market fill with bars and restaurants every night. The serious risk there is for women on their own: the FCDO says lone women have been sexually assaulted by men claiming to be motorbike taxi drivers in the Pub Street area. Book rides through Grab or PassApp, or ask your hotel. Gallup's 2025 survey found only 62% of people in Cambodia feel safe walking alone at night, below Thailand's 70%, though the main tourist streets of Siem Reap feel safer than that figure suggests.

Heat, dengue and hospitals

The temples are hard on the body. From March to May, temperatures often pass 35°C, there is little shade, and stairs at Angkor Wat's upper level, Ta Keo and Phnom Bakheng are steep and worn. Go early, rest in the middle of the day and drink plenty of water.

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 lists dengue, malaria, Zika and schistosomiasis in Cambodia; in town, dengue is the one that matters, so use repellent by day. Malaria is mainly a risk in forested border areas. Do not drink tap water or swim in lakes and rivers. Cambodia has no official air monitoring, and smoke from burning fields can haze the sky in the dry season. Siem Reap has private hospitals and international clinics that handle minor problems, but serious injuries often mean a flight to Bangkok, so insurance that covers evacuation is essential.

Floods

The monsoon from June to October brings heavy afternoon rain. In wet years the Siem Reap River can overflow and low-lying streets flood; in September 2026 the national disaster committee reported floods in 10 provinces, including Siem Reap, affecting 16,789 families. Floods can also close roads to outlying temples such as Beng Mealea and Phnom Kulen, where flash floods at waterfalls are a risk.

How we scored it

Traffic safety (45) is Siem Reap's weakest factor, set by Cambodia's road death rate and unlit temple roads. Health and environment (52) reflects dengue and the need to evacuate serious cases. Violent crime (80) is the strongest factor, held down by the 2025 border fighting and sexual assaults reported near Pub Street. Night safety (64) uses Gallup's low Cambodian figure, lifted slightly for the town's busy tourist streets.