Michael Batson

Some people go to Cambodia for a holiday. Others never go home. Here are a few I've met.Davey – bar managerDavey was from Hull. This struck a chord with me as I once went out with a lass from Hull or ‘ull. I was able to tell him I’d been down to the old Boulevard ground to watch Hull FC play rugby league. That I knew of the Hull Cheese, a well-known pub in town, and other landmarks about Humberside. I’ve even been across the Humber Bridge, that great white elephant that was once the longest single span suspension bridge on the planet. At one point I came close to living in Hull, but my choice of employment was selling double glazing or working in a pickled onion factory. Needless to say however neither appealed, but back to Phnom Penh.One night at his work Davey was telling me he was on to wife number three. He’d spent time working on the Gulf before coming to Cambodia. He had a grown-up family back home. His current spouse was a local woman with whom he had two young children. He worked at Sharky’s Bar, a Phnom Penh night spot well known for pool (nine ball) competitions and much live music. The food was passable and the taxi girls to be honest, on the downward side. Next stop the Walkabout Bar for many. Since I last spoke to him, Davey has done a runner back to the UK apparently owing Cambodian authorities about six grand for failing to renew his visa. This is likely a figure designed to line the pockets of some local officials rather than any intention to get