VN expat teaches kindness to Siem Reap

A Vietnamese immigrant who lives in Cambodia’s Siem Reap Province has dedicated the last 10 years to teaching overseas Vietnamese children vocational skills, offering them a shot at a better life and route out of poverty. Thao Lu reports When he first started working, Bui Hoang Sang sold fish and traded pigs. A world away from being deputy director of a travel agency. Sang was born in 1975 in Dong Thap Province. As his family was very poor, Sang only completed junior high school, then he had to leave school to join a group of friends and become wandering traders. In 1988, Sang travelled through Cambodia. Learning some Khmer words as he went, he toured the provinces as a street vendor and a pig trader. Then he visited Siem Reap. Although his life was very hard by today’s standards, Sang did not forget to learn the customs and habits of the indigenous people he met on his travels. Sang began to learn English when he had saved enough money. When he realised that many people from across the world visited the Angkor Wat and the countryside around Siem Reap, Sang studied to become a tour guide. As he was hardworking, efficient and friendly, Sang quickly won the hearts of many visitors. He began to speak with more confidence in front of large groups of tourists about the majesty and history of the Angkor temples, Ta Prohm Temple, Bakheng Hill, Phnom Pagoda and Tonle Sap River, the magical Apsara dance and… [Read full story]