Having a nice cold beer after a day out in the sun is something many of us enjoy. If you’re new to Cambodia, you might not realize that you’re probably throwing away free beer… or more.
Most Cambodian beer brands—like Cambodia, Ganzberg, and Angkor—have a long-running promotion where you can win prizes, usually free beer, under the ring pull of your beer can.
And your chances of winning are pretty good — like, really good. Many people who live here keep track of their personal record of how many cans they’ve won in a row. It’s often a half-dozen or more. When you buy a case of beer with your friends, once you’re done, you’ll generally have a handful of winning ring pulls for free beers that’ll keep the night going.
If you do win, you’ll find a message printed under the ring pull. This is where it helps to recognize a bit of Khmer. Don’t worry too much, though; since you’re almost always winning a free can, just remember that “can” is “កំប៉ុង” (Kampong). It’s a three-letter word, with the first letter looking similar to an ‘N’ with a line and dot over it. The losers say “អរគុណ” (Arkun); Thank-you. If you find anything else, your phone should be able to translate your prize.
If you’ve won money, it’s usually marked with a $ symbol for dollars. But for riel, you might see something like “1 មួយម៉ឺន”—that’s 10,000 riel.
But the prizes don’t stop at free beer and some spare cash. Motorbikes, Rolex watches, and even a new Ford Ranger have been given away in the past. A Kampot local recently won $20,000 USD.
If you win, you’re technically supposed to claim your prize at the beer company’s office. While local bars and big-chain convenience stores won’t accept them, many locally run shops will redeem the smaller prizes—for a small fee, of course. The going rate (in Kampot at least) is 500 riel (0.12$) for a can of beer.
A few important things to be aware of: Don’t fiddle with your ring pulls too much! If you break the ring pull, it’s no longer valid. And, even more importantly, if you do win a big prize—$10 or more—you’ll need to keep the can! The beer company will cut it in half to verify that the prize is printed inside the lid.
Not everyone is thrilled about these beer promotions, though. At large gatherings like weddings, where beer is provided for free, guests sometimes open can after can, searching for prizes while leaving the drinks untouched. Another problem is the possible disputes over who gets to keep the winnings—the guest who opened the can or the hosts who paid for it. To avoid these issues, the beer companies offer “wedding beers”—cheaper, prize-free cans to avoid these problems.
During a regular night out with friends, your chances of winning are so good that you might end up with more free beers than you know what to do with. Many locals simply tip their winnings to the bar staff—a small act of generosity that keeps the good karma flowing, in true Cambodian spirit.