Senate President Hun Sen and his son, Prime Minister Hun Manet, ramped up pressure on Thailand on Friday, halting internet service deals, banning Thai films and threatening to block imports in an escalating row over restricted border crossings after a fatal exchange between troops weeks earlier.
Late Thursday, Hun Manet announced on Facebook that Cambodia would halt electricity and internet purchases from Thailand as a preemptive measure, citing social media speculation that “Thai extremist groups” might cut services to Cambodia.
Telecom links from Thailand to the border town of Poipet were later cut on Friday morning, the telecommunications ministry said.
Some towns near the border depend on Thai telecom infrastructure, which Thai authorities have previously cut off over concerns it was being used by scam centers.
Around the same time, Hun Sen posted a derisive message on Facebook targeting Thai “extremists” backed by “pro-war military factions” and “war-tongued militants,” insisting Cambodia has the infrastructure and economic sovereignty to withstand external pressure. He also proposed banning all Thai films from Cambodian television but called on Cambodians’ to curb their own extremist acts, including avoiding protests at the Thai embassy and acts of bigotry towards Thai nationals.
Cambodia’s culture ministry followed suit on Friday, ordering a halt to the import and screening of Thai films in cinemas nationwide, effective from noon.
The tit-for-tat follows Thailand’s move on June 7 to slash border crossing hours, stoking fears of trade snarls and economic pain in frontier towns. It also comes a day ahead of a scheduled meeting in Phnom Penh of the Joint Boundary Committee, a pre-existing forum for resolving border disputes. The meeting was prompted by a May 28 clash between troops near the contested Preah Vihear temple that left one Cambodian soldier dead.
Hun Sen, who handed power to his son in 2023 after nearly four decades in office, also posted on Friday a six-point list of retaliatory steps he expects Cambodia to take if Thailand does not restore normal border operations – though he gave no timeline for action.
He called for suspending imports of Thai goods, pushing Cambodians to buy domestic products instead.
The ruling party leader also urged redirecting patients who usually seek care in Thailand to local or other foreign hospitals, and preparing to absorb returning workers amid a labor shortage. He also demanded armed forces stay on full alert and border provinces get ready to evacuate residents if needed.
Government spokesperson Pen Bona said Cambodia is waiting for Thailand’s response to the proposed actions but did not specify when or how Hun Sen’s directives would be implemented.
In the first five months of this year, trade between the neighbors totaled $1.87 billion, according to Cambodian customs data. Cambodia exported $395 million worth of goods to Thailand over that period, while imports from Thailand reached $1.48 billion. Cambodian leaders have framed the persistent trade deficit as a greater vulnerability for Thailand in the event of any disruption.
Cambodians also rely heavily on Thai and Vietnamese hospitals for specialized medical care, with many traveling across the border for treatments unavailable at home due to limited local capacity.
(Additional reporting by Khuon Narim)
Update: This article was updated at 1:35 p.m. to add details about Hun Sen’s Facebook post urging Cambodians to avoid xenophobic acts toward Thai nationals and a link to another of his posts. A comment from government spokesperson Pen Bona was also added.
