Frequently Asked Questions - aka the Cambodian bar girl guide

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A girly bar is simply a bar in Cambodia catering primarily to travelers and ex-pats where the female staff are willing to let you buy them lady drinks. They will drink with you, play pool or drinking games with you and probably even flirt with you too. Your mileage may vary, so for best results dress well, be clean and well groomed and you should truly enjoy the attention it brings!

First and foremost, the owners and managers of the bar have a strict 'no nonsense' policy when it comes to pricing and how we treat our customers. This is both good business sense in the long run, but also simply because the owner personally got sick of being ripped off with padded bills and unfair, unannounced charges themselves.. 

In short, our pricing and menu is fair and transparent and we NEVER take advantage of a customer or overcharge them. Period. 

Our goal is and always will be to make sure that The Golden Frog stands out as one of the best girly bars in Phnom Penh,  a safe haven where you can just relax and enjoy yourself and know that no matter what happens, you will only ever be charged exactly what you ordered.  While in the short term our strict code of ethics may cost us money compared to some other notorious Phnom Penh bars, we hope that in the long run you will remember the positive and safe experience you had with us and will tell your friends and and visit us every time you visit Cambodia!

Like the other 'girly bars' in Phnom Penh, our staff will all greet you with a hearty chorus of 'hellos'  when you first come into sight. Upon entering the bar, it might feel a little intimidating at first as  ALL of the girls available to drink with will stand near you and seem to crowd around you a little bit. But no need to feel overwhelmed. They aren't ALL expecting to you buy them a drink (though if you ring the bell at this point, cover your ears to protect then against all the excited screams from the girls).

Most customers pick out one or two girls who initially took their fancy and buy them a 'lady drink' to sit down with them and enjoy their company directly, but you can just as easily wave them all away and drink alone or with a friend if you prefer (you can always ask to see them all again at any time, no need to rush! And you aren't 'locked in' to any decisions here, you can change who you are buying drinks anytime). 

Most of our girls can speak a little English, but rely on google translate or other apps for more challenging conversations. We have free premium WiFi available should you wish to use google translate to chat with them. 

Many customers like to play drinking games, and we have well over a dozen different chance and skill based drinking games and of course, a refurbished vintage pool table. Neither of which require much in the way of advanced language skills. 

If you buy some of the girls some lady drinks and they are in the mood, some of the girls will even get up and dance on the bar itself!

Outside in the streets, public displays of affection are generally frowned upon by Cambodian society. But inside a Phnom Penh girls bar, the rules are, as you might expect, somewhat relaxed. If one or more of the girls takes a liking to you, they may well let you steal the occasional kiss or cuddle, sit close to you, hold hands, etc. As long as you are respectful and don't push the girls beyond what they are comfortable with and there will not be any issues. 

Your mileage many vary, but in general no matter your age or appearance, if you are well groomed, dressed well and smell decent, the odds are very much in your favor. Cleanliness is important in Cambodian culture and even more important when courting a member of the fairer sex anywhere in the world..

If you are getting along well with one (or more) of the girls, you may wish to spend time with them outside of the bar.  Maybe you want to take them to dinner somewhere, or if you are getting on especially well, take a girl or two with you on your travels around Cambodia. 

Not all of the girls will venture out of the bar with a customer, so if this is important to you, it's best to check with one of our English speaking staff which girls are potentially available for this option. If they like you too and agree, then to make up for their absence in the bar a payment typically between $12-20 (depending on the day, quiet days such as from Sunday to Wednesday tend to be cheaper) is required to partially cover their wages and make up for lost customers due to their absence. 

Anything beyond this is something you need to negotiate directly with the girl as the moment you bar fine her, she is officially off the clock.

The short answer is no, definitely not. The girls that work at our bar get an above average base monthly wage plus $2.50 commissions when a customer wants to buy them a 'lady drink' and they can make a good living (several times that above the average monthly wage in Cambodia) just drinking with and entertaining customers in the bar.

In the bar, there are no sexual services of any nature available and if you attempt to push the boundaries, you will politely be asked to leave.  However as noted previously, if one of our girls agrees to be 'bar fined' our of the bar, anything that might happen after she leaves the bar is a private arrangement between two consenting adults (and any tips or gratuities you give her are entirely hers to keep. We do not take a 'cut' of any possible external arrangements). 

Many of the girls are looking for something long term and in general, Cambodian girls are very sweet, modest and not at all greedy or demanding. If you are well groomed, friendly and nice to them it doesn't matter how old you are or where you come from, they might even genuinely fall in love with you and many long term relationships (and even marriages) started in a bar just like ours..

Absolutely. And it is especially true with any of our staff members as they get above average wages with us and want to keep their jobs and avoid trouble with the authorities (plus, we only employ sweet, friendly and HONEST girls). Not all hotels allow you to bring back a guest without paying an additional surcharge to the hotel, and the good ones will either make a copy of or actually keep hold of the girls national ID card to protect you in case something goes awry.

If you 'pick up' a so called 'freelancer' at a club or (heaven forbid) someone working the 'streets', all bets are off. 

Cambodia is a conservative country overall. Unlike their neighbors in Thailand, go-go dancing or shows that involve nudity are illegal in Cambodia and we do not and cannot advertise public or semi-private nudity. 

Of course, on occasion the girls may get a little too drunk and excited and may accidentally (or intentionally) reveal a little more than intended, but full nudity is prohibited at our bar and at every bar in the Kingdom of Cambodia and should not be expected.