A Brief Look Inside The Lesser-Known Profession Of Housekeeping - Thoura’s Story

Thoura, who has been working as a housekeeper at Borey Chankiri for more than a year now, is very passionate about his job. He loves keeping his spaces spotlessly clean and organised, and he puts 100% into every job he does. He is always on hand to make sure that the visits of clients to the one of the show homes he manages are as comfortable and enjoyable as possible so that they feel compelled to return again.

Thoura grew up in Kompong Speu province, where his parents farmed. From his village, it is uncommon for teenagers to finish high school, but he did. After graduating from high school, he moved to Phnom Penh to study banking at a local university while working as a cleaner for an international hotel chain. His overnight shifts usually begin at 6 pm, and he works until the early hours of the morning. Surprisingly, this tough job developed into a passion of his.

“I became a housekeeper because I was a student at the time and needed to support myself financially," says Thoura. "While working, I found that I have a talent for making people feel at ease and comfortable in their own homes by keeping them clean.” Now, as a supervisor, he oversees a small staff of gardeners, cleaners, and order supplies, manages their work shifts, trains new hires when necessary, and takes corrective actions when appropriate.

"While working, I found that I have a talent for making people feel at ease and comfortable in their own homes by keeping them clean.”

Outside of work, Thoura enjoys volleyball. He has a strong appetite for the game and almost every other day he spends one or two hours playing with his friends. About once or twice a year, when he has got some spare time on his hands, he travels back home to Kompong Speu province to help his parents with the rice harvest.

Thoura’s story tells us that we shouldn’t ever stop learning and improving our skills, no matter how experienced we are.

Watch his video.