Editorial Guide
Khmer cultural etiquette for dental tourism patients
By SmileJet Editorial Team · Published May 2026
The basics that earn quiet respect, and the small habits that mark the difference between a tourist and a thoughtful visitor. Most Cambodians are warm and forgiving with foreign visitors; getting these right is appreciated rather than expected.
Greetings and a few basic Khmer phrases
The traditional greeting is the sampeah: hands pressed together at chest height, fingertips pointed up, with a small bow. The higher the hands and the deeper the bow, the more respect indicated. As a visitor, hands at chest height and a slight bow is appropriate for greetings; for senior monks or elders, hands at nose height.
You will not offend anyone by simply offering a Western handshake or a smile and "hello," but a sampeah is appreciated and often returned with warmth.
A handful of phrases that carry you a long way:
- Soo s\'dei — Hello
- Aw kohn — Thank you
- Soum toh — Sorry / excuse me
- L\'ah / Ot l\'ah — Yes / No
- Soum dak m\'tay — Without chilli, please
- T\'lai pohn man? — How much does it cost?
French is understood by many older Cambodians (a legacy of the colonial period) and by senior dentists in our network. Don\'t assume French fluency, but if your French is stronger than your English, mentioning it during a clinic visit may open a door.
Dress and general behaviour
Modest dress is the cultural default in Cambodia outside the most touristy hotspots. For Phnom Penh dental tourism patients this means light long-sleeved shirts, long pants or skirts below the knee, and covered shoulders especially in religious or governmental settings. Tank tops, beach shorts, and revealing clothing read as disrespectful in most contexts and are simply not allowed at the Royal Palace, Buddhist temples, or memorial sites (Tuol Sleng, Choeung Ek).
Climate-wise, modest dress is also more comfortable in the dry season heat. Light cotton or linen shirts protect from sun and ease air-conditioned indoor transitions.
The head is the most spiritually significant part of the body in Khmer Buddhism. Do not touch anyone\'s head, even children\'s. The feet, conversely, are the lowest — do not point them at people, religious images, or food.
Pointing with a single index finger is rude. Use an open hand, palm up.
At temples, palaces, and religious sites
Remove shoes before entering any temple building or shrine. Shoes-off conventions also apply at most homes you are invited into. Easy sandals or slip-on shoes save fumbling.
Sit appropriately when seated on a temple floor. The "mermaid" position (legs tucked to one side) is the local convention. Do not stretch your legs out in front of you or sit cross-legged with feet pointing toward a Buddha image.
Do not interact with monks beyond a respectful sampeah. Women specifically should never touch a monk, hand items directly to a monk, or sit beside one — items pass via an intermediary or are placed on a cloth the monk picks up himself.
Photography of religious images and monks is generally fine for tourist contexts but ask permission first if a monk is present. Do not photograph people in prayer.
The Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek memorial sites have their own conventions covered in our context page.
Food and dining
Khmer eating is communal. Dishes arrive together for the table to share rather than as separate courses for individuals. Take small portions, finish what you take, and pass dishes with both hands when possible.
Use the spoon, not the fork, as your primary utensil. The fork pushes food onto the spoon. Soup is usually drunk directly from the bowl rather than spooned.
Tip: 5 to 10% in restaurants where service was good. Larger tips are appreciated but not expected. Small change for tuk-tuk drivers and hotel staff is the local norm.
Don\'t eat with your left hand. The left is used for hygiene; the right is for food and greetings. This convention is fading in restaurant settings but is universal in homes and street stalls.
If your host says "Nyam baw, nyam baw" ("Eat, eat") it is a friendly insistence. Polite to take a little more than once.
Money, tips, and bargaining
USD is the working currency. Cambodian riel (KHR) is used for amounts under US$1 — your change for a US$5 noodle soup will arrive in riel notes. ATMs at PNH and major banks dispense both USD and KHR. Treat KHR as ordinary local change rather than collectables.
USD notes must be clean, undamaged, and recent. Torn, marked, or pre-2009 notes are sometimes refused — withdraw fresh notes from a major bank ATM rather than carrying older notes from home.
Bargaining is expected at markets (Russian Market, Old Market). Start at 50% of the asked price and meet near 70%. Bargaining is not appropriate at restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, or clinics — those are fixed-price.
Coordinator and clinic interactions are entirely fixed-price; no bargaining or "discount for cash" expectations apply.
Plan a Phnom Penh trip
Your coordinator briefs you on cultural specifics during pre-trip planning, including any clinic-specific etiquette.
More Phnom Penh guides