The mail system in Cambodia leaves a lot to be desired. Employees of the Cambodia Post make less than $50 a month, and when you visit the post office, you can tell. Expats estimate that only 80 to 90 percent of the mail they send gets to its destination. Incoming mail usually arrives–but often takes two to five months. Having a post office box seems to improve the odds.

Often small postcards and envelopes disappear en route, so having things sent in large manila envelopes is a good idea. International shippers also can’t track packages once they arrive in Cambodia; it’s not unheard of for a package to enter the country and then not get delivered for another 90 days. That’s just Cambodia, and it’s why many companies are unwilling to deliver to Cambodian addresses. However, things are getting better–Amazon.com will even ship some items to Cambodia these days.

For more information on mail in Cambodia, please see our sections on: receiving mail in Cambodia, sending mail in Cambodia, and getting a post office box.