ABSTRACT
In January 1979, Vietnamese forces drove the Khmer Rouge out of Phnom Penh and took control of the country. Though life improved for most Cambodians, currency had yet to be reintroduced, and a semi-legal barter system persisted. Khmers who had survived the regime set up small markets throughout the nation, selling food and other necessities for gold or rice. Others used their possessions to plot their escape from Cambodia, paying guides with gold and jewelry to help them cross the border. This activity continued in the refugee camps in Thailand, where thousands of Khmers waited to immigrate to France or the United States. This section examines the evolution of the exchanges after the fall of Democratic Kampuchea and includes a discussion about the reintroduction of currency in Cambodia.
