Tat Marina came into public attention when she was doused with acid at the age of 16 years in a jealousy attack, reportedly arranged by a wife of a high-ranking Cambodian government official.
Marina sold fruit shakes when she was 14 years old, growing up in poverty, in order to earn enough to pay for her father's medical fees and feed the rest of her family.
[2] Marina was feeding her 3-year-old niece in a downtown market in Phnom Penh when suddenly a few men pulled her to the ground and beat her unconscious.
When giving the interview to the Phnom Penh Post, Marina said that she believed the woman was the wife of Svay Sitha, now head of the Council of Ministers's Quick and Press Relation Unit.
[4] In 2008, a creative writing class at Stanford University wrote and illustrated a graphic novel titled "Shake Girl", partially based on Tat Marina's story.