GCG Asia founder Sokhom Visal sits down and feeds our curiosities about him and his business. Few may not know about GCGs Malaysian origins. GCG Asia CEO tells us the origins of his experiences that led to the beginnings of the GCG Asia travel company in Cambodia. And it all began when as an avid traveller Sokhom Visal took a trip to Malaysia. GCG Asia’s origins have a rather interesting history! Let’s find out more. 

Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO LAUNCH GCG ASIA?

Firstly, I am a travel enthusiast. Travelling has been my passion since my college days. When I initially created the GCG Asia blog website, it was mostly for my visiting in-laws from the US. I did not want them to go through a scam experience I had been through so it was more to protect them. They began to refer their friends and eventually, word got around about the GCG Asia blog website and tourists from all over the world began to use it.

Q: PLEASE TELL US MORE ABOUT THE GCG’s MALAYSIAN SCAM ORIGINS

Haha! GCG’s Malaysian scam beginning is quite funny in hindsight but at the time it was the most traumatising period of my life. Scam and fraud have become increasingly common so naturally, we are inclined not to just trust anyone and even then we are still prone to falling victim to a scam. Like I said, I have always been a travel enthusiast so with that came experience over the years that I had been travelling so I underestimated the chances of being a victim of scam. Before I visited any country, I would always do my research but never had I used a travel site before to book for everything. I remember how badly I wanted to visit Malaysia so I began to read about it. Suddenly, I came across a travel site advertisement that seemed like it had ‘great package deals’. 

Excited, I decided to pay for the ‘best package’ displayed as it offered a flight ticket, accommodation and a tour of Malaysia. Of course, because it was an online transaction, I used my card details and all hell broke loose on the day of my trip. To cut a long story short, as soon as I got to the airport I discovered that I had been scammed and that my identity may have also been stolen. I quickly reported this to the authorities and eventually we were able to resolve the problem although I had already lost quite an amount of money. To this day, I am still quite paranoid. This is also one of the reasons why I founded the GCG Asia travel blog website. I thought to myself, that if it was that easy for me to be a scam victim, it was possible for it to occur to anyone. 

I knew I had to protect my family so it is definitely a plus that tourists from all over the world use my site and I get to protect them from scams as well as build their trust in GCG Asia. Malaysia is a beautiful country. And though GCG Asia is based in Cambodia, GCG Asia’s Malaysian office will soon be set up to cater to demand. We are working hard to establish GCG Asia Malaysia soon. But meanwhile we are starting to gather Malaysian GCG Asia resources and put them on GCG’s official website. We’ll post an alert on GCG Asia’s twitter, telegram and social media channels, so follow us for the latest updates.

Q: WOULD YOU DO ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY?

Looking back, I would not. GCG in Malaysia changed me for the better. Despite facing trauma and still being paranoid, I learnt that it is better to be extra careful than just careful. The scam also birthed the GCG Asia blog website which has been able to not only cater to my family and tourists all over the world but has also protected them from falling prey to scams like I did. By using the GCG Asia’s official website, they are saved from horrendous ordeals. 

Q: WHAT DOES GCG ASIA WEBSITE OFFER?

Haha. You know the funny thing is that the GCG Asia website was inspired by the scam experience I had been through. I recall looking through their website and imagining myself in the accommodation they had displayed. Their website was also beautifully designed and easy to navigate. It was user friendly. This is why it seemed so real. When I created the GCG Asia website, I went for the same concept. I wanted to make it easier for people to find what they were looking for and for tourists to be able to envision a home away from home experience. The GCG Asia website offers different packages including flights, accommodation and tour guides to the most beautiful places in Cambodia. We also pride ourselves in the quality of services we provide and in building trust with our clients.GCG Malaysia will also be the same. Again, stay tuned for the latest news about GCG Malaysia, coming soon!  

Q: ARE YOU STILL A TRAVEL ENTHUSIAST AFTER THE GCG MALAYSIA SCAM INCIDENT?

What can I say, old habits die hard? In good time I am looking to expand, from Malaysia GCG is going to legit expand across the world. All in due time!

Q: PARTING SHOT?

Firstly, thank you so much for having me. I would just like to send a message to anyone that has been through a challenging experience. What doesn’t kill you can either break you or make you rise like a phoenix. The choice is in your hands. Lastly, when in doubt always use the GCG Asia website, and follow us on twitter!