The +855 country code is for Cambodia. A country of about 17 million people in Southeast Asia, Cambodia sits between Thailand to the west, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east. Phnom Penh is the capital. If you know Cambodia mainly through Angkor Wat tourism, the telecom situation might surprise you -- mobile phones are everywhere, the country skipped landlines almost entirely, and there are more active SIM cards than people.

Quick answer: The country code +855 is for Cambodia. Cambodian mobile numbers are 8-9 digits after +855. A typical mobile looks like +855 12 XXX XXX or +855 96 XXX XXXX. Phnom Penh landlines use area code 23: +855 23 XXX XXX.

How to call Cambodia: quick reference

Cambodia uses a domestic trunk prefix of 0. Drop it when dialing from abroad.

Calling from Dialing format
US/Canada mobile +855 [number without leading 0]
US/Canada landline 011-855-[number without leading 0]
United Kingdom (UK) 00-855-[number without leading 0]
France 00-855-[number without leading 0]
Australia 0011-855-[number without leading 0]
Thailand 001-855-[number without leading 0]
South Korea 001-855-[number without leading 0]

France is listed because of the colonial history -- Cambodia was part of French Indochina until 1953, and a significant Cambodian diaspora lives in France. South Korea has a growing community of Cambodian workers. Australia has the largest Cambodian-born population outside Southeast Asia.

Understanding Cambodian phone numbers

Cambodian mobile numbers are 8-9 digits after +855. The length depends on the carrier and when the number was issued. Older numbers tend to be shorter (8 digits), while newer numbers from some carriers are 9 digits. All mobile numbers start with a carrier-specific prefix.

Mobile numbers

Cambodia has a crowded mobile market for a country its size. The main carriers:

  • Cellcard (CamGSM): Prefixes 12, 17, 77, 78, 89, 92, 95. The oldest carrier, founded in 1997 as a joint venture with a Cambodian royal family connection. Now majority-owned by the Royal Group (a Cambodian conglomerate). Has the widest rural coverage.
  • Smart Axiata: Prefixes 10, 15, 16, 69, 70, 81, 86, 87, 93, 96, 98. Malaysian-backed (Axiata Group). The market leader by subscriber count. Popular with younger users. Strong in cities and along major roads.
  • Metfone: Prefixes 31, 60, 66, 67, 68, 71, 88, 90, 97. Vietnamese-owned (Viettel). Entered in 2009 and grew fast with aggressive pricing. Good rural coverage because Viettel invested heavily in towers outside Phnom Penh.

There are also smaller operators -- Seatel and Cootel -- but you're unlikely to encounter their numbers from abroad.

Many Cambodians carry multiple SIM cards. A Smart SIM for data, a Cellcard SIM for calling family in rural areas where Cellcard has better coverage, a Metfone SIM because it's cheapest for calls to Vietnam. It's not unusual to see someone juggle three phones or a dual-SIM phone with a spare SIM in their wallet.

  • Length: 8-9 digits after +855 (varies by carrier and number age).
  • Example: Domestic 012-345-678 becomes +855 12 345 678 internationally.

Landline numbers

Cambodian landlines use area codes:

  • Phnom Penh: Area code 23.
  • Siem Reap: Area code 63.
  • Battambang: Area code 53.
  • Trunk prefix: Drop the leading 0 when dialing from abroad.

Landlines barely exist in Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge destroyed most of the phone infrastructure in the 1970s, and the country rebuilt around mobile phones rather than laying new copper lines. Hotels and some government offices have landlines. Everyone else uses a mobile. If someone gives you a Cambodian phone number, it's almost certainly a mobile.

Cambodia area codes reference table

Rarely needed -- almost all international calls to Cambodia go to mobile numbers. You might use a landline area code if calling a hotel in Siem Reap or a government office in Phnom Penh.

City/Province Area code International format
Phnom Penh 23 +855 23 XXX XXX
Siem Reap 63 +855 63 XXX XXX
Battambang 53 +855 53 XXX XXX
Sihanoukville 34 +855 34 XXX XXX
Kampong Cham 42 +855 42 XXX XXX
Kampot 33 +855 33 XXX XXX
Prey Veng 43 +855 43 XXX XXX
Takeo 32 +855 32 XXX XXX
Pursat 52 +855 52 XXX XXX
Kratie 72 +855 72 XXX XXX

Don't confuse +855 with +856

Cambodia is +855. Laos is +856. One digit apart, they're neighbours, and both are in the same time zone. If you expected Khmer and heard Lao instead, check your dialing.

Code Country Region
+855 Cambodia Southeast Asia
+856 Laos Southeast Asia

Another occasional confusion: +852 is Hong Kong. The 85X block covers several Asian countries and territories, so double-check if you're dialing from memory.

Time zone: UTC+7

Cambodia is on Indochina Time (ICT, UTC+7) year-round with no daylight saving. This is the same as Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. If you're already calling one of those countries, the timing is identical for Cambodia.

Your location Time difference Call Cambodia 9 AM - 6 PM
US East Coast (EST) Cambodia is 12 hours ahead 9 PM - 6 AM EST (night before)
US East Coast (EDT) Cambodia is 11 hours ahead 10 PM - 7 AM EDT (night before)
US West Coast (PST) Cambodia is 15 hours ahead 6 PM - 3 AM PST (day before)
UK (GMT) Cambodia is 7 hours ahead 2 AM - 11 AM GMT
UK (BST) Cambodia is 6 hours ahead 3 AM - 12 PM BST
France (CET) Cambodia is 6 hours ahead 3 AM - 12 PM CET
Australia (AEDT) Cambodia is 4 hours behind 1 PM - 10 PM AEDT
South Korea (KST) Cambodia is 2 hours behind 11 AM - 8 PM KST
Thailand (ICT) Same time zone 9 AM - 6 PM ICT

Tip: The Australia-Cambodia gap is manageable. Australian evening (after 5 PM AEDT) catches Cambodian afternoon (after 1 PM), which is a natural window. The US-Cambodia gap is tougher -- you're looking at late evening or early morning calls from the US East Coast.

The US dollar economy and phone top-ups

Cambodia is unusual in that the US dollar circulates alongside the local currency (Cambodian riel, KHR). In Phnom Penh and tourist areas, prices are quoted in dollars and riel is used mainly for change (under $1). Phone top-ups and data bundles can be purchased in either currency.

This matters for the diaspora because sending money to top up someone's phone is straightforward -- you can send dollars, and they spend dollars. Some international top-up services let you recharge a Cambodian mobile directly from abroad. Wing Money (Cambodia's largest mobile payment platform) also handles cross-border transfers.

The carriers: Cellcard, Smart, Metfone

Cellcard is the original Cambodian carrier and has the strongest brand loyalty, especially among older users and in rural areas. The Royal Group connection means it has political ties, which in Cambodia translates to infrastructure access. If you're calling someone in a remote province, Cellcard might be the only carrier with a tower nearby.

Smart Axiata has the most subscribers and dominates the youth market. Smart's data bundles are popular, and its coverage in cities is comparable to Cellcard. The Axiata Group (Malaysian parent company) also owns carriers in several other Southeast Asian countries.

Metfone grew fast after entering in 2009 by undercutting competitors on price. Viettel's playbook -- build towers everywhere, even in unprofitable rural areas, and gain market share through coverage -- worked in Cambodia just as it did in Vietnam and several African countries. Metfone's network is strong along the Vietnamese border and in eastern provinces where the other carriers are weaker.

Sihanoukville and the Chinese factor

Sihanoukville, Cambodia's main coastal city, transformed dramatically after 2016 when Chinese investment poured in. Casinos, construction sites, and Chinese-owned businesses changed the city's character almost overnight. At its peak around 2019, Chinese nationals may have outnumbered Cambodians in parts of Sihanoukville.

For callers, this means a +855 34 number (Sihanoukville's area code) or a mobile number registered in that area might belong to a Chinese business rather than a Cambodian household. The COVID pandemic and a crackdown on unlicensed casinos reduced the Chinese population, but Sihanoukville remains different from the rest of Cambodia in terms of who you might be calling.

It's also worth knowing that online scam operations have been widely reported in Sihanoukville and along the Thai-Cambodian border. If you receive an unsolicited call from a +855 number and you don't know anyone in Cambodia, be cautious.

The diaspora connection

Cambodia's diaspora was created almost entirely by the Khmer Rouge period (1975-1979) and the subsequent civil war. The communities are concentrated in specific places:

  • United States: About 330,000 Cambodian-Americans, the largest diaspora community. Long Beach, California has the biggest concentration -- it's been the capital of Cambodian America since the 1980s. Lowell, Massachusetts is the second hub. Other communities in Philadelphia, the Seattle area, and the Twin Cities.
  • France: The second-largest diaspora, about 80,000. Concentrated in Paris and its suburbs (13th arrondissement, Créteil, Bondy). The French connection goes back to the colonial period and the Sorbonne-educated Cambodian elite.
  • Australia: About 40,000, mostly in Sydney (Cabramatta, Fairfield) and Melbourne. Australia accepted significant numbers of Cambodian refugees in the 1980s.
  • Canada: Smaller community, concentrated in Montreal (French-speaking Cambodians) and Toronto.
  • South Korea: Growing community of Cambodian migrant workers, mostly in manufacturing. Around 50,000 Cambodians live in South Korea, many on employment permits. Calls home to +855 from Korean numbers are frequent.
  • Thailand: Hundreds of thousands of Cambodian workers, mostly in construction and fishing in border provinces and Bangkok. Many use Thai SIMs but call +855 numbers to reach family.

For the older diaspora in the US and France, phone calls to Cambodia carry a weight that goes beyond checking in. Many lost family members during the Khmer Rouge genocide. The connections that survived are maintained fiercely, and a phone call to a +855 number is part of that.

Internet and calling apps

Facebook is the internet in Cambodia, much like it was in Myanmar before the coup. For millions of Cambodians, Facebook is their primary messaging app, news source, marketplace, and even business directory. Facebook Messenger voice and video calls are the default way to communicate online.

WhatsApp is used by the diaspora and by people in business, but it's secondary to Facebook Messenger within Cambodia. If your contact is Cambodian and under 40, they're almost certainly on Messenger.

Telegram has a niche following, particularly among people who follow independent news (several Cambodian news outlets use Telegram channels).

Mobile data is cheap in Cambodia compared to neighbouring countries. A month of unlimited data costs a few dollars. 4G coverage is good in cities and along major roads. Rural coverage depends on the carrier -- Cellcard and Metfone generally reach further than Smart. Wifi is available in most cafes and guesthouses in cities and tourist areas.

Despite cheap data, voice calls to +855 numbers remain important for reaching older family members in rural areas who may have a basic phone without data capability, or who simply prefer a phone call to typing messages.

Khmer language: what you'll hear

Khmer (Cambodian) is the national language, and carrier voice prompts are in Khmer and sometimes English. If you call a +855 number and reach an automated message, it'll likely start in Khmer. The Khmer script looks nothing like Latin letters -- it's one of the oldest scripts in Southeast Asia, derived from Indian Brahmi.

English is widely spoken in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, especially among younger people and anyone in tourism or business. Outside the cities, Khmer is the only language. If you're calling someone in rural Cambodia, expect to communicate in Khmer or through a family member who speaks some English.

Mobile vs. landline: how to tell the difference

You can tell by the first digits after +855:

  • Starts with 1, 6, 7, 8, 9 (followed by another digit): A mobile number.
  • Starts with 2, 3, 4, 5 (two-digit area code): A landline number.

The overwhelming majority of calls to Cambodia are to mobile numbers. Landlines are a rarity outside hotels and government offices.

Dialing examples

Here are practical examples for calling different types of Cambodian numbers:

Example 1: Calling a Phnom Penh mobile (Cellcard) from the US

  • Cambodian number (domestic): 012-345-678
  • From a US mobile: +855 12 345 678
  • From a US landline: 011 855 12 345 678

Example 2: Calling a Cambodian mobile (Smart) from Australia

  • Cambodian number (domestic): 096-1234-567
  • From Australia: 0011 855 96 1234 567

Example 3: Calling from France

  • Cambodian number (domestic): 071-234-5678
  • From France: 00 855 71 234 5678

Example 4: Calling a Siem Reap landline from the US

  • Cambodian number (domestic): 063-123-456
  • From a US mobile: +855 63 123 456

Common mistakes to avoid

Here are the most common mistakes when dialing the +855 country code:

  • Keeping the leading 0: Cambodian numbers start with 0 domestically (e.g., 012...). Drop it. Dial +855 12, not +855 012.
  • Confusing +855 with +856: Laos is +856, Cambodia is +855. One digit apart, both Southeast Asian.
  • Confusing +855 with +852: Hong Kong is +852. The 85X block covers several Asian locations.
  • Wrong digit count: Cambodian mobile numbers can be 8 or 9 digits after +855. An 8-digit number isn't necessarily wrong -- it might just be an older number from Cellcard.
  • Scam calls from +855: Cambodia has been associated with scam call centres. If you receive an unexpected call from +855 and don't know anyone in Cambodia, don't engage.

Cheapest ways to call +855 numbers

International calls to Cambodia through traditional carriers cost $1-$3 per minute. Ways to bring the cost down:

  • VoIP services: Services like CallSky.io offer competitive per-minute rates to Cambodian mobile and landline numbers. Check our international calling rates.
  • Facebook Messenger: Free when both sides have data. This is the most common way Cambodians communicate online. If your contact is on Messenger, voice and video calls cost nothing.
  • WhatsApp: Free with data. Less common in Cambodia than Messenger, but widely used by the diaspora.
  • Calling cards: Available in Cambodian diaspora communities, particularly in Long Beach, Lowell, and Paris. Check our guide to the best apps for WiFi calling.

For someone in rural Cambodia with a basic phone and no data, a regular voice call to their +855 number is the only way to reach them.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What country has the +855 country code?

The +855 country code is for Cambodia.

How many digits is a Cambodian phone number?

Cambodian mobile numbers are 8-9 digits after +855. The length varies by carrier and number age. Landlines use 2-digit area codes (23 for Phnom Penh) followed by a local number.

What is the area code for Phnom Penh?

The area code for Phnom Penh is 23. Internationally, dial +855 23 followed by the local number.

How do I call Cambodia from the USA?

From a mobile phone, dial +855 followed by the Cambodian number (drop the leading 0). From a landline, dial the US exit code 011, then 855, then the number.

What time zone is Cambodia in?

Cambodia is on Indochina Time (ICT, UTC+7) year-round with no daylight saving. Same as Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos.

What is the difference between +855 and +856?

+855 is Cambodia (capital: Phnom Penh). +856 is Laos (capital: Vientiane). Neighbouring countries, one digit apart.

Ready to make clear, affordable international calls without the hassle? With CallSky.io, you can connect to over 180 countries, including Cambodia, with crystal-clear quality and transparent per-minute rates. Start calling with CallSky.io today.