SIEM REAP: Spokesperson for the Secretariat of State for Civil Aviation, Sin Chanserey Vutha, responded to online criticism of the new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, saying that people were spreading rumors as a malicious act to tarnish the airport's reputation and customer service workers.

He said that reports of the airport staff asking for bribes from tourists was baseless and that the relevant institutions and authorities cooperated with the airport operator to remind airport staff to adhere to the professional code of ethics. He said they are trained to provide customer service equivalent to that in developed countries.

He also noted that many of the bad reviews were written three to nine months ago, while the new airport only opening just under three months ago.

In one one-star review, a customer complained that a tuktuk driver had accepted his $100 bill and returned old and damaged bank notes which were not accepted in Siem Reap when he tried to use them. The government spokesperson said that the complaint was irrelevant and not within the jurisdiction of Siem Reap Angkor International Airport.

As for the criticism of corrupt airport immigration officials demanding extra money for visas, the spokesperson claimed that it was unsubstantiated information, with most of the comments emerging before the new airport was officially opened.

He said that the visa fee is openly displayed in English where passengers going through the international gateway can clearly see.

At the time of publishing, the new Siem Reap airport has a 3.3-star rating from 558 reviews on Google.