- Like Poipet, this former capital of the Khmer Rouge is now a boomtown attracting Cambodians from around the country seeking to make their fortune, or at least a better salary than back home. Pailin was the major revenue producer for the Khmer Rouge guerillas, being a major gem producing area as well as a prime logging area.

- While gem production seems to have tapered off a bit, other business opportunities and the lifestyle have attracted prospectors to the town. Up until the surrender deal of Khmer Rouge’s number three men, Ieng Sary, in 1996, the townsfolk lived under the strict rules of the KR hierarchy, with little freedom of expression and most aspects of life being completely controlled by the paranoid regime.

- Abound here, another of Cambodia’s Wild West towns. And like the gold-rush days of Califirnia, people seem to be everywhere in the hills sifting through mud puddles and scratching at the dirt, looking to strike it rich with the find of a nice gem. Still, there is more control of some aspects of life than in other areas of Cambodia.

- But this seems to have attracted people rather than kept them away. I talked to several people who had moved to pailin from Phnom Penh and gave this as the main reason they made the move. They liked the idea that criminals did not enjoy the same impunity that they seem to enjoy in Phnom Penh. The influx of residents from other parts of the country has produced a friendlier Pailin.

- Nowadays the mixed lot of Pailin residents seem happy to see foreigners coming in to holiday and check the place out, realizing that their presence means that normalcy and revenue are arriving in Pailin.

- Even the Vietnamese residents seem to have been accepted, which is truly amazing given the hatred the Khmer Rouge have generally shown them. Pailin is worth checking out. The town is nestled in a beautiful valley with picture sunsets over the mountains that separate Cambodia and Thailand close by.

- Wat Gohng-Kahng: This features the much-photographed landmark gate of Pailin town that you face as you arrive on the highway from Battambang. This wat is the center of holiday festivities these days in Pailin and was the scene of the official Pailin reintegration ceremony in 1996, after the Ieng Sary faction of the Khmer Rouge worked out surrender and semi-autonomy deals with the Cambodian government.

WHAT TO SEE

- Wat Phnom Yaht is the hilltop temple next to Wat Gohng-kahng. The temple is a good example of how things have changed in Pailin since the surrender deal. A number of moths after the deal a friend and I had a conversation with the head monk of the temple and he said that he still felt very intimidated by the local authorities, all ex- Khmer Rouge. He was strongly discouraged from giving Buddhist instruction to the townspeople. With the influx of Cambodians from other parts of the country and a change of heart for some of the ex-KR, the temple has seen a rebirth. There is a beautiful new decorative stairway leading to the hilltop temple area, where a new temple is under construction and the monks openly teach the faith. Obviously, respect for monks has risen, and temple projects are receiving a lot of donations. Great views of the Pailin area and the dynamite sunsets over the Border Mountains can be had from the hilltop.

- Border Crossing & Casino Area: The locals refer to this area as simply Pbrohm. This was a main lifeline of the Khmer Rouge during the years of fighting with the government. Food, supplies and weaponry were brought over from Thailand here. The action today is of the gaming type with the Flamingo Casino open for business and another under construction. The casino sees a lot more business than the one in town, as the Thai people that represent the vast majority of customers like the idea of staying within spitting distance of Thailand. So if you like tossing money away, you have several choices in Pailin. There are also a few seedy looking karaoke bars with ladies working near the casinos and border. As for using Pailin as a border crossing to and from Thailand: The Thais have no problem with it and will issue you a Thai visa or stamp you out between 7 am and 5 pm. The problem is on the Cambodian side as the immigration police say that it’s not an officially sanctioned crossing and there is no way that a foreigner can cross here. So for now it’s best to sticks with Poipet and Koh Kong for land crossings. Getting to the border is the interesting part. About 5 km on the way from Pailin is a small wooden bridge going over the Oh-chah-rah River. The water coming down from the mountains is clean, so a swim here is an inviting prospect. You also pass by the bombed shell of a tank, reminding you which side of the border you are on. Tank bodies just sit where they die in Cambodia and simply become another part of the landscape. The border is easy to get to –just the one turn on the map. It takes just under a half hour and is around 180 baht for roundtrip moto-taxi.

- Ceasar Casino: The casino and pub located in the same complex are open off and on these days. As mentioned earlier, the Thais prefer the Flamingo Casino with its border location. If they book a group of Thais to come to town they open the casino.

- Goh-Ay Mountain is a river that’s great for a swim. Definitely for the dry season if you want to be a bit more adventurous and see more of the area. Your best bet is to talk to the guys’ at the English school next to the Hotel Sang Phi Run if you want to venture out this way, as they can help with direction or take you out there. Definitely stay on the worn trails by the river area. There are landmines around.

- Kbal Autavao Resort is the natural resort full of beautiful scenery with clear-water canal, and locates at Sangkat Ou Tavao, Khan Pailin in five-Kilometer distance from Pailin town.

- Kbal O Chra is  5 km (15mn) From Provincial Town. Description: Nature & Wildlife Preserves, Location: Ouchra Leu Village, Tuol Lwea Commune, Khan Pailin.

- Phnom Keuy Resort is the natural resort with beautiful scenery of natural forest and river, and locates at Sangkat Steung Kach, Khan Saha Krau in 20-Kilometer distance from the Pailin town.

- Phnom Yat Resort is the cultural and historical site with ancient pagoda built as Ko La pagoda’s style. Phnom Yat locates at Pailin City and can be reached by the Road No 10. Phnom Yat, the site worshipped by the local people and the passersby who have very strong abstract belief. It also has most precious stone among other sites in Pailin City.

- Steng Kuy is 20 km (1h) from Provincial Town. Description: Nature & Wildlife Preserves, Location: Phnom Kuy Village, Sangkat Sala Krau, Sala Krau District.

- Wat Phnom Yaht is the hilltop temple next to Wat Gohng-kahng. The temple is a good example of how things have changed in Pailin since the surrender deal. A number of moths after the deal a friend and I had a conversation with the head monk of the temple and he said that he still felt very intimidated by the local authorities, all ex- Khmer Rouge. He was strongly discouraged from giving Buddhist instruction to the townspeople. With the influx of Cambodians from other parts of the country and a change of heart for some of the ex-KR, the temple has seen a rebirth. There is a beautiful new decorative stairway leading to the hilltop temple area, where a new temple is under construction and the monks openly teach the faith. Obviously, respect for monks has risen, and temple projects are receiving a lot of donations. Great views of the Pailin area and the dynamite sunsets over the Border Mountains can be had from the hilltop.

- Waterfall: Like all waterfalls, the rainy season is the best time to go with the water flowing best then. But there are still pools of clean water to cool off in during the dry season and the heavily forested hills provide nice scenery. Locals and folks on holiday from Battambang come here on weekends and holidays and the well-worn pathways and picnic spots are safe for your use. Hiking to the upper level brings you to more pools. Your best bet for getting out here is to take a moto-taxi or have one lead the way, as there are several turns on unmarked small roads. For the round trip, 120 baht should do it.