Cambodia · Safety report last updated
As of July 2026, Kampot scores 63/100 on the IsMyTripSafe composite safety index — verdict: mostly — take normal precautions. Moderately safe — very low violent crime, but June 2026 evidence of scam operations and police corruption indicates elevated fraud risk for visitors. The main risks for visitors are pickpocketing (moderate risk) and tourist-targeted scams.
Safety Report
IsMyTripSafe.com
Cambodia · Assessed 29 July 2026
63
/ 100
Safer than ~62% of countries
What drives this score
01 · Official Guidance
Advises against all-but-essential travel to parts
“Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Areas where FCDO advises against travel FCDO advises against all but essential travel to within 20km from the land border with Thailand.”
Updated 2026-04-22T11:07:26Z
Full advisory →Exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories)
“Canada's official risk level for Cambodia: exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories).”
Updated 2026-07-29T14:31:46.2003107-04:00
Full advisory →02 · Evidence Signals
Mugging & robbery risk
City SignalCity Web Research
Pickpocketing & theft risk
City SignalCity Web Research
Visitor safety sentiment
City SignalCity Web Research
Urban scale factor
City SignalCity Geocoding
Homicide rate
Robbery / mugging
LowHomicide and violent crime rates are exceptionally low; armed robbery of visitors is rare, though petty theft and bag-snatching occur in crowded areas and are more prevalent in Phnom Penh.
Pickpocketing
ModeratePickpocketing and bag-snatching occur in crowded markets and tourist areas; phone theft when using devices in public is documented. Kampot is smaller and less targeted than Phnom Penh, but standard precautions apply.
03 · Environment
04 · Institutions
05 · Field Research
Traveller sentiment score
Cautious, gradually improving
74/100
Sentiment collapsed in October 2025 (travel bans, 80 missing persons, student killed). Began recovering as Cambodia closed 200 scam centers by February 2026 and South Korea eased restrictions. The June 2026 Kampot police corruption case has tempered optimism — travellers remain wary of unsolicited offers and police.
Moderately safe — very low violent crime, but June 2026 evidence of scam operations and police corruption indicates elevated fraud risk for visitors.
Violent crime in Kampot is exceptionally low (1.8 homicides per 100k, far below global average), and terrorism is not a threat. However, Cambodia's weak institutions and corruption enable organized fraud; June 2026 reporting shows scam operations were active in Kampot itself with police involvement in evidence tampering.
Recent developments
Common scams
Full briefing
Kampot Safety Briefing
Kampot is moderately safe for visitors, with exceptionally low violent crime—the homicide rate is roughly one-third the global average, and terrorism is not a concern. However, organized fraud targeting foreign nationals, enabled by weak governance and high corruption, poses a significant risk that demands careful precautions.
Crime against visitors in Kampot tends to be petty rather than violent: pickpocketing, bag-snatching in crowded markets, and theft from rooms are more common than mugging. As a provincial coastal town of 23,000 residents, Kampot is considerably safer than Phnom Penh, where organized gangs operate more visibly. However, the most alarming recent development involves fraud operations. In June 2026, CamboJA News reported that over 50 police and military officers in Kampot were charged with online scam evidence theft—indicating that fraud rings were actively operating in the city and that institutional corruption was protecting them.
This reflects a broader crisis. In October 2025, The Guardian reported a "deepening scam crisis" that prompted South Korea to ban travel to parts of Cambodia after 80 people went missing and a South Korean student was killed in fraud-related circumstances. Cambodia responded aggressively, closing nearly 200 scam centers by February 2026 (Reuters), and South Korea began easing restrictions for major tourist cities by December. However, the Kampot police corruption case from June 2026 shows the threat persists and enforcement remains compromised. The dossier suggests sentiment is cautiously improving, but wariness around unsolicited job offers—a key recruitment tactic for scam rings—remains justified.
To stay safe: reject all unsolicited job offers, especially online. Use only registered taxis or tuk-tuks with fares negotiated upfront before boarding. Keep cash secure and register your trip with your embassy. Do not travel alone after dark or to unfamiliar neighborhoods. If police demand bribes, refuse firmly and contact your embassy. Road deaths are also elevated in Cambodia, so exercise caution around motorbikes and avoid driving yourself. Travel insurance with evacuation capability is strongly advised given the limited health infrastructure.
06 · Neighbourhoods
Our field research rated 6 Kampot districts for visitors: 2 safer, 4 needing caution. See them plotted on the Kampot safety map.
Central MarketcautionCrowded; watch for pickpocketing and phone snatching; avoid alone after dark
Port & HarborcautionLess touristy maritime area; becomes isolated after dark; fewer people around in evenings
Bokor Hill RoadcautionNational Park approach; high traffic fatality rate (18.8/100k); use caution when driving or riding
Rural Kampot ProvincecautionUndeveloped areas; limited lighting and infrastructure; stay on main roads
Downtown KampotsaferCommercial center, restaurants, shops; well-trafficked daytime, police presence, good infrastructure
Riverside DistrictsaferTeuk Chhou River waterfront; popular for boats and cafés; busy with tourists; safe during daylight hours
07 · After Dark
Homicide and violent crime rates are exceptionally low; armed robbery of visitors is rare, though petty theft and bag-snatching occur in crowded areas and are more prevalent in Phnom Penh.
After dark, be most careful around Central Market, Port & Harbor, Bokor Hill Road, Rural Kampot Province. Stick to busy, well-lit streets and licensed taxis or ride-hail late at night.
08 · Trip Profiles
Who's travelling changes which risks matter. These re-weight Kampot's category data for common trip types — same data, different emphasis. Run your own profile from the interactive checker.
09 · Questions
Moderately safe — very low violent crime, but June 2026 evidence of scam operations and police corruption indicates elevated fraud risk for visitors. Violent crime in Kampot is exceptionally low (1.8 homicides per 100k, far below global average), and terrorism is not a threat. However, Cambodia's weak institutions and corruption enable organized fraud; June 2026 reporting shows scam operations were active in Kampot itself with police involvement in evidence tampering. (Assessed 29 July 2026.)
Unpaved/unlit areas after dark; Remote locations away from main routes; Informal money exchanges and unsolicited financial services. See the district-by-district safety map.
Kampot ranks #1 of 5 Cambodia destinations we've assessed, scoring 63/100. See the Cambodia safety overview for the full list.
The score blends 12+ public data sources — government advisories, UNODC/World Bank crime statistics, WHO health data, live air quality and disaster alerts — with AI field research over current local reporting. The databases carry 82% of the weight; the traveller-sentiment score from field research carries 18%. Full methodology.
Browse the Cambodia safety overview or all destinations. Raw data: kampot.json (CC BY 4.0).
