Prostitution Prostitution laws in Cambodiaកម្ពុជា
Cambodia's 2008 Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation defines prostitution as sexual intercourse or other sexual conduct with an unspecified person in exchange for anything of value. Selling sex is not itself an offence, but soliciting another in public for the purpose of prostitution is punished with one to six days' imprisonment and a fine of 3,000–10,000 riel. Buying sex from an adult is not an offence; buying sex from a minor carries two to fifteen years. Procuring prostitution, which includes drawing a financial profit from or assisting the prostitution of others, carries two to five years, as do managing or financing an establishment of prostitution and providing premises for it. Human Rights Watch reported in 2010 that the law was followed by police crackdowns and detention of sex workers in social affairs centres.
Legal model
Legal, organisation banned. Selling and buying are legal, but brothels, procuring and organising are criminal offences.
The 2008 Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation does not make selling or buying sex between adults an offence as such, but punishes soliciting in public (1–6 days and a small fine) and criminalises procuring, managing establishments of prostitution and providing premises. Buying sex from a minor is a crime. Human Rights Watch has documented police raids and detention of sex workers under the law.[1][2]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Restricted Breach: criminal offence | Selling sex is not an offence as such, but a person who willingly solicits another in public for the purpose of prostituting himself or herself faces one to six days' imprisonment and a fine of 3,000–10,000 riel. Minors are exempt from punishment for soliciting.[1][2] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | Paying an adult for sex is not an offence under the 2008 law. Purchasing child prostitution is punished with two to five years, or seven to fifteen years where the child is under 15.[1][2] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | Managing, exploiting, operating or financing an establishment of prostitution, accepting or tolerating prostitution or client-seeking inside an establishment, and providing non-public premises knowing they will be used for prostitution each carry two to five years; seven to fifteen years where children are involved.[1] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Procuring prostitution, which covers drawing a financial profit from, assisting or protecting the prostitution of others, recruiting or inducing a person into it, and acting as an intermediary, carries two to five years; five to ten years in aggravated cases and longer where a minor is involved or torture is used.[1] |
| Advertising sexual services | Restricted Breach: criminal offence | No offence of advertising adult sexual services was found. Advertising child prostitution as an intermediary is a specific offence (two to five years). Publishing advertisements for another person's sexual services could amount to assisting the prostitution of others or acting as an intermediary (Article 25), and public soliciting is an offence for the person selling sex.[1] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Selling sex is not an offence as such, but a person who willingly solicits another in public for the purpose of prostituting himself or herself faces one to six days' imprisonment and a fine of 3,000–10,000 riel. Minors are exempt from punishment for soliciting.[1][2]
Confidence: medium. Read in UNICEF's unofficial English translation (2008); the Khmer text was not compared. Enforcement practice is documented mainly in a 2010 report and may have changed.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
Paying an adult for sex is not an offence under the 2008 law. Purchasing child prostitution is punished with two to five years, or seven to fifteen years where the child is under 15.[1][2]
Confidence: medium. Absence of a buyer offence confirmed from the translation and by Human Rights Watch (2010); the 2009 Criminal Code was not reviewed.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Managing, exploiting, operating or financing an establishment of prostitution, accepting or tolerating prostitution or client-seeking inside an establishment, and providing non-public premises knowing they will be used for prostitution each carry two to five years; seven to fifteen years where children are involved.[1]
Confidence: medium. Unofficial English translation.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Procuring prostitution, which covers drawing a financial profit from, assisting or protecting the prostitution of others, recruiting or inducing a person into it, and acting as an intermediary, carries two to five years; five to ten years in aggravated cases and longer where a minor is involved or torture is used.[1]
Confidence: medium. Unofficial English translation.
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
No offence of advertising adult sexual services was found. Advertising child prostitution as an intermediary is a specific offence (two to five years). Publishing advertisements for another person's sexual services could amount to assisting the prostitution of others or acting as an intermediary (Article 25), and public soliciting is an offence for the person selling sex.[1]
Confidence: low. Inference from the procuring definition; whether online advertising counts as soliciting "in public" was not established. Telecommunications and cybercrime rules were not reviewed.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation (Royal Kram NS/RKM/0208/005) — unofficial translation by UNICEF, 3 March 2008 Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation (Royal Kram NS/RKM/0208/005) Articles 23–37 | Defines prostitution and criminalises public soliciting, procuring, management of prostitution establishments, provision of premises and purchase of child prostitution.[1] | 15 February 2008 |
Timeline
- 15 February 2008The Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation is promulgated, replacing the 1996 trafficking law and adding the public-soliciting offence.[2][3]
- 19 July 2010Human Rights Watch publishes "Off the Streets", documenting arbitrary detention of sex workers following the 2008 law.[2]
Sources
- Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation (Royal Kram NS/RKM/0208/005) — unofficial translation by UNICEF, 3 March 2008. ASEAN Secretariat (hosted copy), 15 February 2008. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Off the Streets: Arbitrary Detention and Other Abuses against Sex Workers in Cambodia. Human Rights Watch, 19 July 2010. ngo · accessed 30 October 2026
- Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation (Khmer and English versions, metadata). Open Development Cambodia. ngo · accessed 30 October 2026