Series 🇰🇭 Cambodia Today: Insights from Vietnam's Neighbor
Vol.8: E-Commerce Across Borders. From Thai Forwarding to Direct Taobao Delivery, Shopping in Cambodia Is Getting Easier Fast
Starting March 5, 2026, KBC-LINK continues its series, 'Cambodia Today,' designed for our readers in Vietnam.
Written by the head of a Japanese Desk at a local bank with six years of residency, this series offers authentic, on-the-ground perspectives—from professional financial insights to the realities of daily life.
What has impressed me most recently, living in Cambodia, is the change in online shopping (e-commerce) and international logistics.
The Old Standard: Overland Forwarding via Thailand
When I first arrived in Phnom Penh, and until a few years ago, buying everyday items online meant using Lazada, a major e-commerce app in Thailand. At the time, there was no system for delivering directly to homes in Cambodia, so we relied on a rather unusual method.
Here is how it worked. You would look for a private courier, something like "XX Express," on Facebook, message them, and get the address of their warehouse in Thailand. When ordering on Lazada, you entered that Thai warehouse address as the delivery address.
Since the order stayed within Thailand, it reached the warehouse in one to two days. From there, the courier carried it overland to Phnom Penh, crossing the border at points such as Battambang.
Along with the order confirmation on Facebook, you sent your Phnom Penh address, phone number, and order number, and the package arrived at your door in about one to two weeks. When I asked about the shipping fee, they said something like "one dollar per item," which was surprisingly cheap. It was not instant like Amazon or Rakuten in Japan, but for things you wanted but were not in a hurry to get, it was a wonderful system: given enough time, you could get almost anything.
However, partly because of changes in the situation along the Thai border, this Thai route gradually became unusable.
Before I Knew It, Direct Delivery from Taobao Had Begun
In the meantime, something even more convenient had quietly started: Taobao, China's giant shopping site.
It is genuinely handy. If you enter your Cambodian address directly in the Taobao app, a logistics company partnered with Taobao delivers the order right to your home in Cambodia.
It does take about one to two weeks, but the shipping is very cheap. Spend a few dollars or more, and shipping is sometimes free, which makes me wonder how it can possibly work as a business.
My most recent order was placed and paid for on August 8 and arrived on August 16. That is just eight days. The app also updates in real time, from movement within China through customs to delivery within Cambodia, which is reassuring. I am not shopping in a hurry, so speed is not what I am after. But I am simply glad that things keep getting easier, and I feel that life here is becoming more comfortable.
In the news, I have been seeing more articles saying that the Cambodian government is actively reviewing and promoting progress on a master plan to modernize the logistics network and reduce transport costs. Perhaps such nationwide efforts are gradually showing up in the convenience of our everyday shopping, too.
Cambodia's Own "Last Mile"
What I find interesting in Cambodia is how the last leg of delivery (the "last mile") works. There are no notices left in the mailbox, as with Japanese post. Once a package arrives in Phnom Penh, a delivery rider on a motorbike contacts you directly by message or phone.
You chat back and forth: "Your package has arrived!" "Please send me a Google Maps pin of your home." Then the rider brings it to your door by motorbike. Once they know where you live, next time it is smooth, with a "Same spot as usual, right?" It is a big help.
News about major roads and bridges being built is certainly welcome. But I also feel that part of what makes Cambodia interesting right now is experiencing, firsthand, how services that directly affect personal life are expanding and everyday living is becoming easier.
Iida-san's Local Cambodia Tips:
November is the time of the Water Festival, one of Cambodia's major holidays. Many people usually travel to neighboring countries during this period, but this year, the situation along the Thai border seems to be affecting travel choices.
While the number of travelers to Thailand has dropped sharply, Vietnam has grown in popularity as a destination reachable in a few days, and airfares have risen. Iida-san also considered a trip to Hanoi this time, but decided against it at around $600 round trip.
For $600, a round trip to Japan could be an option. The situation in neighboring countries is having unexpected effects on where Cambodians travel and what they pay for flights.
KBC-LINK Featured News: Reading Cambodia's Economy Today, with Iida-san of ABA Bank's Japanese Desk
■ Online Shopping Is Spreading Rapidly
Online shopping is spreading quickly among young people in Cambodia.
In a survey published in August 2026, 60.6% of young respondents said they use e-commerce, and China's Taobao was the most widely used platform. Low prices are a major reason for its popularity, and "social commerce," buying through Facebook, TikTok, Telegram, and similar platforms, is also growing. On the other hand, about 40% still do not use e-commerce, and challenges remain, such as differences in access by region and trust in online selling.
Buying online is becoming the norm, but how people buy is a little different from Japan. Cambodian young people's spending habits offer a glimpse of the country's digital progress today.
Author Profile
Asami Iida
Based in Cambodia for 6 years
Japanese Desk, ABA Bank
Supporting Japanese individuals and companies expanding into Cambodia. From financial operations to everyday life, she shares insights into Cambodia’s evolving landscape from both professional and personal perspectives.
Contact
ABA Bank Japanese Desk
Next Episode (Vol.6)
Next month, Iida-san brings us "What's Happening in a Country with an Average Age of 27." Stay tuned!
Editor’s Note
This article is a contributed piece.
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