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Hun Sen’s Facebook Flooded with Thai Hate Comments Amid Rising Border Tensions

This Week

Thai Facebook users stormed the official page of Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen shortly after he lifted restrictions on Thai IP addresses on 23 June, allowing users in Thailand to access his Facebook page.

The flood of activity prompted Hun Sen to partially disable comments after a wave of mockery and criticism over Cambodia’s recent border decisions.

It was on this platform that Hun Sen shared a full 17-minute phone call with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, a move that sparked domestic controversy in Thailand and further escalated tensions between the two nations.

“The quality of this tourism video looks like it was filmed with equipment from 30-40 years ago,” one Thai user commented under a tourism promotional clip shared by Hun Sen.

“Cambodia ❌ Scambodia ✔️a country with a deceptive leader, brainwashing its citizens and lying to the world,” another user wrote, replying to a post originally from Prime Minister Hun Manet’s Facebook page, which showed him visiting evacuees near the border.

“You shut the borders, but now Thai people have assembled on your Facebook. Come reply to us, Uncle Vun Sen (Noodle in Thai slang),” read another mocking comment.

The flood of Thai comments on Hun Sen’s Facebook page also drew reactions from Cambodian users, some rushing to defend their leader, while others expressed dissent.

“Parents, brothers, and sisters, there are Thai people trying to write in Khmer. This shows they’re working hard to learn our alphabet,” one Cambodian user commented, interpreting the act as a sign of respect or effort.

“Don’t be fooled by what you see in the comments. Thai people are trying to make us turn against our leaders. Don’t fall for our neighbor’s manipulation, Khmer brothers and sisters,” they added, urging others to remain loyal.

“I feel sorry for the Cambodian people,” one user wrote. “The country still isn’t developed, yet the leaders continue to convince the public to see the world differently. Cambodia remains trapped in outdated nationalist thinking, while many citizens still suffer from hunger.”

These digital protests coincided with Thailand’s decision to close border crossings with Cambodia in six provinces, including Surin, Buriram, Si Sa Ket, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, and Trat. The move restricts entry to all vehicles and pedestrians, except students and individuals seeking urgent medical care.

The closures, effective immediately, also block tourists from using popular entry points such as the Aranyaprathet-Poipet crossing.

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