The Russians are coming to Phnom Penh's most sophisticated pleasure palace , which

is doing a roaring trade just weeks after opening its doors for business on bustling

Monivong Boulevard.

The B. Boss KTV Nite Club runs a stable of beautiful foreign and home-spun hostesses

who are ready to soothe the most troubled of brows in individual karaoke rooms or

the spacious upstairs bar and discotheque.

But punters are advised to arrive early for a piece of the action and make sure you

are not packing a pistol, but a well-stocked wallet.

On arriving at the conspicuous white fronted and well-illuminated club, clients

are asked to hand over weapons and body-checked at the entrance.

It obviously does not deter the well-heeled and predominantly Asian clientel-Mercedes

Benz could use the parking area in front of the building or sales promotion puposes

on most evenings.

Once inside you have the choice of a night of garullous singing in your own private

room with hostess or a knees-up to the strains of the two Filipino bands on the first

floor.

The club, reportedly financed by a group of Singaporean and Taiwanese businessmen

, hires out 19 karaoke rooms by the hour, with large rooms going for U.S. $20 an

hour against U.S. $ 12 for the small rooms.

Drinks come at a fairly steep price, though there is already an impressive collection

of personal bottles of Chivas and cognac croabwding out a glass fronted cupboard

beside the upstairs bar.

The dames don't come c heap either and the prices are listed in the menu alongside

costs of liquid refreshment.

Leggy Chinese belles from the mainland and English-speaking Filipinas cost nine

dollars an hour , compared to a bargain five dollars for "locals."

A trio of expatriate adventurers decided to sample the foreign talent on a recent

visit to the club but were miffed after placing their order when the waiter returned

to the table and said: "Sorry we're out of Filipinas, but we can offer Vietnamese."

The Vietnamese , presumably, are classed as locals in the minds of overseas Chinese

businessmen-apparently confirming Khmer Rouge fears that the country is slipping

towards colonialism by its neighbours.

Staff members confirmed rumours that the club's overseas contingent-currently 24

Chinese and Filipinas - will shortly be boosted by the arrival of Russian girls -the

"have passport, will travel" ladies of the international hostess /escort

trade.

The waiters are a rare treassure in their own rights offering the most attentive

service.

Some guests ordered a round of beers and were most impressed when the waiter approached

on his knees and proferred the can of beer for their approval as though it were a

vintage wine.

Punters are also expected to behave in the club and the classy hostesses are not

there to be mauled-after-hours liaisons, however, are up to the discretion of the

individual.

The arrival of the B. Boss Club, which could fit in in any of the other regions developng

nations, was perhaps inevitable in a country struggling to come to grips with peace

and prosperity.

Whether it is appropriate at this stage in Cambodia's history is debatable.