‘Cambodia won’t give in to Thai economic threats’

‘Cambodia won’t give in to Thai economic threats’

PM Hun Manet says Thailand’s baseless accusations are aimed at tarnishing Cambodia’s reputation.

Prime Minister Hun Manet Monday said Thailand is exerting unwarranted pressure on Cambodia, terming it as weaponising its economy by cutting electricity, internet, fuel supply, and unilaterally closing borders. However, he said, Phnom Penh is ready to take this economic battle to its logical end.

Presiding over the closing ceremony of the Central Committee Meeting of the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia (UYFC) in Siem Reap, the Premier outlined three strategies that the Royal Thai Government (RTG) is using as a weapon to threaten Cambodia amid the border tension in the Mom Bei area.

Mr Hun Manet said, “Thailand implements three strategies to put pressure on Cambodia, such as the ignition of a nationalist movement, the use of the economy as a weapon, and the military equipment show-off.”

On economic warfare, he underlined that Thailand is trying to use the economy as a weapon to put pressure on Cambodia, using tactics such as threatening to cut off electricity and internet, followed by gas and fuel supplies, and unilaterally closing borders.

“Thailand has been threatening to cut off electricity and internet over the past few months, citing the move aimed to fight against online scamming activities at the border,” he said.

The Premier noted that the real intention behind Thailand’s actions is to gradually tarnish Cambodia’s reputation and portray the country to the world as a scamming hub, an accusation he firmly rejected as baseless and politically motivated.

“Look at your own country, just yesterday, a group of scammers was arrested in Bangkok,” Mr Hun Manet said.

He emphasised that the government remains very patient, however. The citizens are well-educated and closely following both local and international news, understanding that the RTG’s baseless accusations are intended to tarnish Cambodia’s reputation.

Speaking to Khmer Times, Chey Tech, a socio-economic researcher, agreed that the Thai government has been using bilateral trade, outbound tourism, and utility supplies as tools to pressure Cambodia to withdraw its lawsuit over the border conflict from the International Court of Justice.

He said, “Whether through diplomatic, military, or even economic tactics, the Royal Government has responded in proactive and effective ways, causing the counterpart to lose a range of benefits.”

On bilateral trade, Chey emphasised that Cambodia holds the position of consumer while Thailand is the seller. Trade data showed that Cambodia’s exports to Thailand remained at $1.1 billion, while Thai exports to Cambodia exceeded $5 billion in 2024.

“In the business world, the consumer is king, and sellers must comply with their demands—especially in this modern era, where consumers have access to a wide range of suppliers and resources due to expanded logistics and interconnected regional infrastructure,” he said.

Chey noted that the government seems well aware of the leverage Thailand holds and has responded with advanced strategies, such as restricting vegetable, fruit, fuel, and gas imports from Thailand.

On the escalating border tensions, he urged the public not to worry, saying that even if conflict were to break out, it would likely remain localised to border areas, an advantage for Cambodia, based on past experience.

“Additionally, Thailand also stands to lose the benefits of its 2 million Cambodian migrant workers, including 1.2 million legal and around 800,000 undocumented workers, who generate approximately 100 billion baht, or approximately $3 billion,” he said.

Besides contributing labour to factories, Chey stressed that most Cambodian workers spend their earnings within Thailand on goods and services, with only a portion sent home, highlighting their net positive impact on the Thai economy.

He also pointed out that Cambodia’s industrial and agricultural sectors are rapidly developing, and the return of these workers would align with national development priorities that require a growing labour force.

However, Chey added that not all of the two million workers are likely to return, as the Thai government is also implementing support mechanisms to protect Cambodian workers from discrimination or any acts of violence.

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