Cambodian Senate President: Cambodia Needs Peace But Never Begs Thailand to Reopen the Border
Phnom Penh (17 November 2025): Cambodian Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen has strongly reaffirmed that Cambodia never beg Thailand to reopen the border where Thai closed unilaterally since mid-July this year.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 33rd National Assembly of Buddhist Monks at the National Institute of Education on Monday, Hun Sen highlighted for the third time that he sent a message to the Thai leaders that Cambodia doesn’t have any cheap character to beg Thailand to reopen the border and Thailand still closes it, Cambodia would not be dead.
Cambodia, Hun Sen suggested, must increase its local products and find new markets for imported products rather than Thai’s.
In 2024, the trade of Cambodia-Thailand had up to US$6.000 million but Cambodia exported to Thailand was just US1.100 million while Thailand to Cambodia was more than US$5.000 million.
“I am absolutely opposed to any proposal from the Cambodian side to open the Cambodia-Thai border because they are closing it. We should not beg for it to be opened, we should not be cheap to ask so,” Hun Sen added.
However, Hun Sen said, peace is important and Cambodia’s whish is to have good relations between the neighbouring countries and the relationship must be repaired and rebuilt. Chhay Sophal
