Cambodia’s Dual Reality: Between Paradise and Hell

“Is Cambodia a paradise or a hell? Perhaps it is both.”
Once celebrated as the cradle of Khmer glory and home to Angkor Wat—the world’s largest Buddhist temple complex—Cambodia dazzles with cultural splendor. Yet today, it is also synonymous with cyber scam compounds and modern slavery.

Thousands of Chinese once flocked here chasing fortunes, some striking gold overnight, while many others became ensnared in scams, kidnappings, or worse. The Cambodian people themselves reflect this duality—at once humble yet shrewd, timid yet easily swayed.

Angkor Wat’s central tower rises like Mount Meru, the axis of the universe in Buddhist cosmology, drawing millions of tourists who see it as a paradise. But at the same time, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) estimates 100,000 to 150,000 people are trapped in scam operations, most of them foreigners. Paradise and hell coexist in stark contrast on this land.