Senate President Hun Sen said Thailand's closure of its border with Cambodia cuts not only links with Cambodia but also connections within ASEAN and East Asia. He described bilateral trade as a lose-lose situation, saying Cambodia had “jumped lower, so the fall hurts less”, while Thailand had “jumped higher, so the fall hurts more”. He made the remarks while representing the King at the opening of the 33rd nationwide Buddhist monks' congress on the morning of November 17, 2025.
Hun Sen said unofficial figures put Cambodia–Thailand trade at more than $10 billion. However, the customs authority recorded more than $6 billion in bilateral trade in 2024, with Cambodia exporting around $1.1 billion to Thailand and Thailand exporting around $5.4 billion to Cambodia. Thailand therefore had a trade surplus of more than $4 billion, he said.
He asked: “Who loses, and who gains?”
By: Pai Sokhim
