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| Starbucks Cambodia, only at Phnom Penh International Airport. (Photo by Ted Nierras) |
My recent travel to Cambodia has another story to tell,
this is regarding my quest to buy a Starbucks mug and a tumbler in Phnom Penh.
Two of my friend commission me to buy their well love collections of mug,
however in my arrival in Siem Reap from Manila, I found out that there is no
Starbucks store, and the only Starbucks Coffee shop is in Phnom Penh, and upon
my research online, the said store is in Cambodia International Airport, but I
miss the part that it is only inside the departure lounge, meaning you have to
be a passenger in order to buy coffee or the said mugs. Below is my statement
chronologically.
Last Feb 17, 2016 I travel all the way from Siem Reap to
Phnom Penh via bus, this is after I learn that Starbucks is only located in the
Airport of Phnom Penh, but I was not
inform that it is situated inside the international airport. I have list of
orders for two of my friends who are Starbucks Mug and tumbler Collector, it is
a heaven for them to have mugs with different countries with a brand of
Starbucks.
I arrive past eight in the evening in the airport, I
hired a Tuktok for $15 for a round trip that lasted 45mins travel one way from
my hotel in Phnom Penh City proper, in the departure area I was inform that
there is no chance for me to buy the mug if I am not a passenger, and no way
either for me to go the store since its located inside departure area lounge.
I tried my very best to appeal to the lady in the
Tourism/Information Desk of the Departure area to help me, I am even willing to
stay there at the said location if there is somebody willing to buy the mugs
and tumbler that I am looking for. But she is not a help at all, she endorse me
to some of the guards at the escalator area but I was passed to another guard,
to another guard, to the point one of them try to ask money from me saying he
is willing to escort me going up to the Starbucks shop, only if I’ll give him
money. I told him I don’t have enough money since I am travelling to Vietnam
after my tour in Phnom Penh. That time he told me that no help is available no
more. I didn’t get the name of the said guard on duty since my focus is to buy
the mug I am looking for, and the worry that my the Tuktok I hired is also
waiting in vain for me outside the airport.
I go back again to the Lady on the desk, I beg her to let
me talk to her manager or supervisor and hopefully understand my situation. She
did try calling a certain number, and afterwards she told me that her manager
is busy and cannot attend to my request. She said sorry and there’s nothing
more she can do to help me, I ask her if there is a Tourism/Information Desk in
the Arrival area maybe I can find a help there, she told me that there is but
the said desk is already close that time.
I try to look around the Departure area hoping to find a
good Samaritan, trying my luck maybe I can recognize someone or any fellow
Filipino, who happen to be a passenger or a crew of any airline or any airport
staff that can help me, but I didn’t find any one.
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| The to die for Starbucks mug of Cambodia. |
My spirit is so down that moment, I am thinking of how
failure I am. But somehow I have the feeling that what if I try my luck at the
Arrival area, so I decided to walk a certain mile from the Departure area going
to the Arrival area.
At the arrival of the said Information desk, I told right
away the kind lady with the name Leng Monirath of what happen and my purpose, without
any second thought she stand up to her chair and told me that she will help me,
she will go up and buy me the said mug and tumbler, I can almost cry at the
moment because of her gesture. She told me to wait there at the said booth, and
she will call the phone and talk to me so I can give the instruction to the
Starbucks staff that she will look for, and the rest is history and
successfully I go back at my hotel feeling fulfilled, because of the help of Ms.Leng.
Due to limited money that time, I forgot to give Leng any token or maybe a
Starbucks coffee as a sign of thanking
her for the wonder she did for me and my stay in Cambodia unforgettable.
I already emailed the Cambodia International Airport
administration about what happen, I ask them to give Ms.Monirath a commendation
for the invaluable service she did for me. They already replied to my email
lately and was told that they are taking actions in honoring Ms.Leng.
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| Emails from Cambodia Airport Authorities. |
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