Kampong Som has three brothel strips, two others besides Poom Thmei. One is called Phnom Qieu which is all Viets and the other is actually not quite a strip, but cafes scattered along a highway, about six or seven, some Khmer some Viet.
Poom Thmei is the largest, but the accommodations are about like those of Tuol Kork in Phnom Penn. Phnom Qieu has better accommodations, and maybe better girls.
Special note. Kampong Som is often referred to as Sihonoukville (after the former King of Cambodia). Poom Thmei translates as something like /new town’ or ‘new village’ according to several of my drivers. There is another new ‘hooker village’ with the same name in Koh Kong… near the border crossing at Hat Lek Thailand.
Phnom Qieu might be difficult to pronounce for many guys. Just ask your driver for ‘blue mountain’.
You are most likely to come to Kampong Som from either Koh Kong by boat, or from Phnom Penn by bus or car. Regular tourists will most likely want to stay at the beach. If your main plans for a holiday at the town are for the ladies of the night, you will find the beach hotels both inconvenient and not the best place to travel to and from at night. (unless you can afford a car and driver)
Most take one of the motorcycle taxis. In which case you should stay closer to the center of town. Blue Mountain is not far from the hotels where the bus stops. The New Village (not so new anymore) is closer to the train station…and landing where the boats come in. Both plus the little scattered cafes on the highway beyond Blue Mountain, are easiest to get to from town center.
Keep in mind that brothels are in general pretty dirty places. The going rate for sex on the premises and on sheets that were changed during the last change in Presidential administrations in America’ is $5. You can negotiate for less, but don’t do it. If you think you should pay more, secretly give the girl a tip in the back room. Never tip these girls in front of management (mama sans or papas) as the tips will just be confiscated as soon as you leave.
Most guys unless on a very limited budget will find it better to pay the going rate of $10 to take the girl to your room… usually you have 60 to 90 minutes to return her. Overnights go for about $20. You can negotiate for less but there are many reasons why you should not. I am not a wealthy man and I refuse to pay less that the going rate in these cases. I will provide more details in one of the books I am presently writing. Just trust me. I never advise overpaying and causing inflation, but underpaying comes with its own set of problems. Tipping the girls is not only okay, but recommended.