Street 136

Overview and Location

Street 136 runs east-west in central Phnom Penh, connecting to the Sisowath Quay riverside promenade at its eastern end. The entertainment section stretches roughly 200 meters and sits between Street 5 and the riverside, placing it squarely in the tourist district. You can walk here from most riverside hotels in under ten minutes.

The street has been Phnom Penh's primary hostess bar strip for over a decade. It's compact enough to walk end to end in a few minutes, with bars lining both sides. The mix includes hostess bars, small clubs with dance floors, KTV rooms, and a handful of restaurants. Expats, tourists, and business travelers make up most of the foot traffic after dark. During the day, the street is quiet and unremarkable.

Nearby streets, particularly Street 104 and Street 130, have their own clusters of entertainment venues. But Street 136 remains the most established and concentrated strip for foreign visitors.

Legal Status

Prostitution is illegal in Cambodia under the 2008 Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation. The law criminalizes both buying and selling sexual services, though prosecutions of foreign customers for adult consensual encounters are rare. Enforcement focuses on trafficking and underage exploitation, where Cambodia cooperates actively with international law enforcement agencies like INTERPOL and the FBI.

Hostess bars on Street 136 operate under entertainment licenses. The bar fine system, where a customer pays a fee for a hostess to leave the venue, exists in a gray area. Bars frame themselves as entertainment and drinking establishments. The authorities tolerate this arrangement as long as venues stay within unwritten boundaries.

Police conduct periodic raids, often tied to anti-trafficking campaigns or political pressure. These raids can result in temporary closures. Foreigners caught in any situation involving minors face prosecution in Cambodia and potentially in their home country under extraterritorial laws.

Costs and Pricing

Street 136 operates almost exclusively in US dollars. Riel may be given as change for amounts under one dollar at a rate of roughly 4,100 riel per dollar.

Drink Prices

Draft beer runs $1.25-2.50 per glass depending on the venue and the brand. Angkor Draft sits at the cheaper end, while imported bottles cost more. Spirit mixers like vodka soda or gin and tonic go for $3.50-4.50. Happy hour deals, usually running from opening until 8 or 9 PM, can drop draft beer to $0.75.

Lady drinks are priced at $4.50-5.50 at most venues. These are the drinks you buy for a hostess who sits with you. They're smaller than standard drinks and represent the primary revenue mechanism for both the bar and the worker. Expect a hostess to request one within the first few minutes of conversation.

Bar Fines

A bar fine is the fee paid to the bar to allow a hostess to leave with a customer. On Street 136, bar fines typically range from $15-25. Some bars charge $15 if you've already bought lady drinks and $20-25 without prior lady drink purchases. Weekend rates can be slightly higher at certain venues.

Other Costs

• Tuk-tuk to Street 136 from most central hotels: $1-3
• Grab/PassApp ride within central Phnom Penh: $1-2
• Street food near the strip: $1-3 per dish
• Late-night food vendors on the street: $1-2

Set a spending limit before you go out. The lady drink system is designed to encourage continuous spending, and costs add up quickly in a social environment where buying rounds is expected.

Street-Level Detail

Walking east from Street 5 toward the river, the first section has a mix of restaurants and smaller bars. The hostess bars concentrate in the middle stretch, where neon signs and open-front venues compete for attention.

OSTEX Bar 136 is one of the larger venues on the strip. It has a DJ, live dance shows, pool tables, and VIP rooms. It calls itself the biggest hostess bar in Phnom Penh, and the claim isn't far off. It's a reliable starting point if you want to see how the scene works before exploring smaller venues.

Amazing Bar occupies two floors with a pair of KTV rooms, two full bars, and a dance floor upstairs. It's been a fixture on the street for years and draws a steady crowd.

Tiger Bar 136 runs a high-energy format with live DJ music and dance shows throughout the evening.

Xanadu Bar is one of the better-known spots, with a large number of staff and a party atmosphere. Lady drinks here run $4.50.

Smaller bars fill the gaps between these larger venues. Many have open fronts with stools facing the street, a few pool tables, and anywhere from five to twenty hostesses working at a given time. Some of these smaller places cater primarily to Chinese and Korean clientele, with signage and menus in those languages.

The eastern end of the street, near the riverside, transitions into more conventional restaurants and bars that serve the general tourist crowd along Sisowath Quay.

Safety

Street 136 itself is well-lit and has enough foot traffic to feel safe after dark. The real dangers are in the surrounding area.

Motorbike bag snatching is the most serious physical threat. Thieves on motorbikes target pedestrians walking to and from the strip, especially anyone holding a phone or carrying a bag on their road-side shoulder. This isn't a minor inconvenience. People get dragged and injured. Use a cross-body bag worn in front, keep your phone in your pocket, and walk on the building side of the sidewalk.

Drink spiking has been reported at bars on Street 136 and in the wider area. Don't leave your drink unattended, and don't accept drinks from strangers. If you feel suddenly and disproportionately intoxicated, tell someone immediately and get to a safe location.

Police corruption affects this area. Officers occasionally target foreigners leaving bars late at night, demanding "fines" of $20-50 for vague infractions. Stay calm, be polite, and don't carry more cash than you need.

Cultural Context

Cambodia's entertainment industry operates against a complex social backdrop. The country is one of Southeast Asia's poorest nations, and economic pressure drives many women into bar work. The power dynamic between relatively wealthy foreign visitors and local workers is significant and worth acknowledging.

Cambodians are culturally soft-spoken and conflict-averse. Raising your voice in a bar, arguing loudly over a bill, or showing visible anger will cause a loss of face for everyone involved and won't resolve anything. If there's a dispute, speak quietly and calmly.

The sampeah greeting, a slight bow with palms together, is the polite way to greet people. Return it when offered. Basic Khmer phrases go a long way. "Awkun" (thank you) and "susadei" (hello) are good starting points. English is widely spoken in the entertainment district, but the effort is noticed and appreciated.

Scam Warnings

The "friendly stranger" approach happens near the Smile Convenience Mart at the corner of Street 136 and Monivong Boulevard. Someone will approach you with an elaborate story, often involving a family member studying abroad, and try to build rapport before asking for money or luring you somewhere. Walk away from anyone who initiates unsolicited conversation with a personal story.

Card game scams operate in the wider area. Someone invites you to play cards or gamble at a private home. The game is rigged, and you'll lose significant money. Never accept gambling invitations from strangers.

Nearby Areas

Street 104 runs roughly parallel to Street 136, a few blocks north. It has a similar collection of hostess bars, though the venues tend to be smaller and the atmosphere rougher. Prices are generally a dollar or two cheaper. It gets busier later at night when bars on Street 136 wind down.

Riverside (Sisowath Quay) is a two-minute walk east from Street 136. The quay has tourist restaurants, cocktail bars, and a more relaxed atmosphere. It's a good place to start an evening before heading to the entertainment streets.

BKK1 is the main expat neighborhood, about a fifteen-minute tuk-tuk ride south. It has a different character entirely, with wine bars, upscale restaurants, and a more social-oriented scene.

Meeting People Nearby

The riverside along Sisowath Quay has conventional bars and restaurants where travelers and expats mix naturally. Bassac Lane in BKK1 is a narrow alley of cocktail bars that draws a younger professional crowd. For a broader look at Phnom Penh's social scene, including dating apps and expat meetups, see the main Phnom Penh city guide.

Best Times

• 6 PM - 8 PM: Bars opening, happy hour prices, quiet atmosphere
• 8 PM - 10 PM: Venues filling up, shows starting at the larger bars
• 10 PM - 1 AM: Peak hours with the most activity and the fullest venues
• 1 AM - 4 AM: Late-night crowd, some bars starting to wind down
• Weekends are noticeably busier than weekdays
• November through February is peak tourist season with the most visitors
• Khmer New Year (mid-April) quiets the city as many locals leave town

What Not to Do

• Do not carry bags on your road-side shoulder when walking to or from the strip
• Do not use your phone openly while walking along dark streets nearby
• Do not leave drinks unattended at any venue
• Do not carry more cash than you plan to spend for the evening
• Do not engage with anyone who appears underage; Cambodia enforces this aggressively with international cooperation
• Do not accept invitations to gamble or play cards with strangers
• Do not raise your voice or show anger during disputes; speak calmly and quietly
• Do not carry or use drugs; police target foreigners and penalties include imprisonment
• Do not take photos inside bars without explicit permission from staff and workers