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Cambodia

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Cambodia. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Phnom Penh

Head of State

King Norodom Sihamoni

Head of Government

Prime Minister Hun Manet

The Asean Observer Team visits an area of Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province where a civilian was killed. Photo: AKP/AFP

2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict

Asean monitors: ‘simply theatre’ in a Thai-Cambodian narrative war?

With zero enforcement powers, monitors risk being used to simply validate rival propaganda campaigns, analysts say.

2 hours agovideocam

China travel

China’s economic clout boosts ‘passport power’, index finds

3 Jul 2026 - 4:00PM

US-China relations

Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders: tracker, June 2026

1 Jul 2026 - 11:36AM

Hong Kong economy

New Asean Chamber of Commerce launched in Hong Kong will ‘fulfil long-felt need’

New business group launched at the South China Morning Post’s GBA-Asean Summit 2026.

30 Jun 2026 - 7:46PM

Dignitaries, including city leader John Lee (front centre), gather for a group photo at the launch of the new chamber. Photo: May Tse

Japan

Meet AIko: Japan’s AI police chief taking on a US$2 billion scam epidemic

Japan has a new police chief. Her name is AIko, she lives on YouTube and she’s coming for scammers.

29 Jun 2026 - 12:15PMvideocam

Extreme weather

Asia’s ‘dangerous’ humid heatwaves push human body to its limits

Parts of Southeast Asia are set to experience at least six months of dangerous humid heat days annually, a report says.

26 Jun 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

Food and Drinks

Your Hong Kong weekend drinks guide for June 25-27

Phnom Penh’s Sora pops up at Terrible Baby, Bangkok’s Sundry takes over Friday After Class, and Shakespeare-inspired Madara cocktails land at Alibi.

25 Jun 2026 - 10:56AM

Cherry Lady Punch, created by Sora from Rosewood Phnom Penh, will be on offer at Terrible Baby in Hong Kong for one night only. Photo: Handout

Thailand

Thailand auctions US$18 million superyacht linked to supersized fraud

Nearly US$700 million in assets have been seized in Thailand so far, an example of the amount of dirty money sloshing through the economy.

23 Jun 2026 - 12:18PMvideocam

Crime

Top operative of China-born tycoon Chen Zhi extradited from Cambodia

Mainland police say Liu Ren founded group that operated multiple online gambling platforms and aggressively solicited Chinese citizens.

17 Jun 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

Thailand

Thai court sentences 2 Uygur men to death for 2015 Bangkok shrine bombing

The worst attack on the city in recent history killed 20, including tourists from China, Malaysia and Singapore.

11 Jun 2026 - 7:42PM

Police cordon off the site of a bomb blast at the Erawan shrine in Bangkok on August 18, 2015. Photo: AFP

Ebola virus

Asia on Ebola alert: could the virus slip through regional defences?

While the risk of Ebola reaching Asia is low, experts urge governments to prioritise early detection over border controls.

10 Jun 2026 - 11:30AM

A health worker dries gumboots and gloves under the sun at the Mulago National Referral Hospital isolation unit in Kampala, Uganda, on Monday, amid the Ebola outbreak. Photo: AFP

Donald Trump

Trump’s forced-labour tariffs put Southeast Asia in the firing line

Washington’s proposed tariffs of 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent could push regional countries to accelerate economic integration.

9 Jun 2026 - 4:58PM

Hong Kong weather

Hong Kong serves up local flavour as ‘Typhoon Dim-sum’ joins new storm names list

City’s weather forecaster says latest submission has been endorsed by UN-backed Typhoon Committee for use in the Western North Pacific region.

8 Jun 2026 - 9:16PM

Southeast Asia forced-labour scams

Cambodia’s ‘performative’ crackdowns fail to stop scam centres: Amnesty

The rights group said it identified 86 scam compounds operating across Cambodia as of April, up from 53 a year earlier.

8 Jun 2026 - 3:02PMvideocam

Cambodian authorities display equipment seized from a scam compound in Phnom Penh on March 11. Photo: EPA

Thailand

Thailand to join UN maritime arbitration with Cambodia

Cambodia launched a compulsory conciliation process under Unclos after Bangkok ended a framework pact for talks on a disputed maritime belt.

5 Jun 2026 - 8:59PM

Despite ‌joining the mediation, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Bangkok would not hold any other two-way talks, including those to manage and resolve land border ‌issues. Photo: AFP

Singapore

Suspected Filipino scammer reveals how Cambodian ring conned Singaporeans

De Villar Rizalyn Panganiban, accused of taking part in a three-level impersonation scam, gives insights into the gang’s fraud tactics.

4 Jun 2026 - 10:00AMvideocam

Thailand

Cambodia starts UN-backed process for maritime dispute with Thailand

The dispute relates to sea space in the Gulf of ‌Thailand that holds trillions of cubic feet of natural gas and large quantities of oil.

2 Jun 2026 - 5:03PM

Asean

Asian Angle | Where Southeast Asians really want to live, work and travel

While Thailand leads for tourism, Singapore and Japan are the top draws for work, revealing uneven regional soft power dynamics.

31 May 2026 - 10:00AM

People at the Merlion statue in Singapore. The city state has emerged top among Southeast Asians who chose an Asean member as their preferred relocation destination, according to a survey. Photo: AFP

US-Asean relations

Tariffs, war and broken trust: Southeast Asia’s Trump problem

Disillusioned by US unpredictability, the region is learning to diversify – while Trump treats allies as bargaining chips.

30 May 2026 - 7:30AM

Asean

Opinion | Why the Philippines walks a delicate balance as Asean chair

Manila’s success at the helm will depend on its ability to make the Association of Southeast Asian Nations more operational than before.

30 May 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

China-India relations

What India’s ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’ near Malacca means for its China ties

Uncertainty over Strait of Hormuz amid US-Iran conflict has New Delhi moving on US$10 billion plan to transform Great Nicobar Island.

28 May 2026 - 5:21PMvideocam

A passenger vessel approaches the jetty at Campbell Bay on Great Nicobar Island, India's southernmost territory, located less than 150km from the Strait of Malacca's western entrance. Photo: AFP

South Korea

Cambodia jails 6 Chinese men for South Korean student’s torture and murder

The six were reportedly part of a criminal gang linked to the multibillion-dollar ‘pig butchering’ scam industry.

28 May 2026 - 1:15AMvideocam

The inside of a suspected scam centre is seen in a secluded area in Cambodia’s Kampot province in February. Photo: Laura Zhou

Vietnam

Samoan suspect confesses to hired hit in Vietnam on Sydney gangster

In a rare gun crime in Vietnam, the suspect admitted that he and an accomplice were in Ho Chi Minh City looking for two victims.

27 May 2026 - 7:28PM

Human rights

Video | Cambodia’s Hun Sen pardons detained opposition leader

Many political opponents were convicted during Hun Sen’s time in power while Sam Rainsy, the co-founder of Sokha’s party, CNRP, remains in self-exile in France.

26 May 2026 - 12:16PM

Hun Sen

Hun Sen pardons detained Cambodia opposition leader Kem Sokha

Many political opponents were convicted during Hun Sen’s time in power while Kem Sokha’s CNRP co-founder Sam Rainsy remains in self-exile in France.

26 May 2026 - 11:49AMvideocam

Kem Sokha, former leader of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), arrives to attend a hearing at the Municipal Court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE

Asean

Shock absorber: will Asean’s power grid be up to the task by 2045?

With only eight of 18 links built and a 100-terawatt demand surge looming, analysts say the blueprint may need an overhaul for the AI age.

25 May 2026 - 8:00AM

The sun sets behind power lines in San Fernando town, Pampanga province, the Philippines, last month. Photo: AFP

Crime

Editorial | Hong Kong should spare no effort in fight against financial crime

The recent crackdown by law enforcement agencies from 10 jurisdictions on international scams shows the benefit of regional cooperation.

25 May 2026 - 6:45AM

Hong Kong transport

What to eat and buy at Hong Kong airport’s revamped Terminal 2

Passengers and visitors will find 25 shopping and dining options, including McDonald’s, Nap Tea and Imperial Patisserie.

24 May 2026 - 5:16PMvideocam

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Cambodia

Asean monitors: ‘simply theatre’ in a Thai-Cambodian narrative war?

With zero enforcement powers, monitors risk being used to simply validate rival propaganda campaigns, analysts say.

China’s economic clout boosts ‘passport power’, index finds

Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders: tracker, June 2026

New Asean Chamber of Commerce launched in Hong Kong will ‘fulfil long-felt need’

New business group launched at the South China Morning Post’s GBA-Asean Summit 2026.

Meet AIko: Japan’s AI police chief taking on a US$2 billion scam epidemic

Japan has a new police chief. Her name is AIko, she lives on YouTube and she’s coming for scammers.

Asia’s ‘dangerous’ humid heatwaves push human body to its limits

Parts of Southeast Asia are set to experience at least six months of dangerous humid heat days annually, a report says.

Your Hong Kong weekend drinks guide for June 25-27

Phnom Penh’s Sora pops up at Terrible Baby, Bangkok’s Sundry takes over Friday After Class, and Shakespeare-inspired Madara cocktails land at Alibi.

Thailand auctions US$18 million superyacht linked to supersized fraud

Nearly US$700 million in assets have been seized in Thailand so far, an example of the amount of dirty money sloshing through the economy.

Top operative of China-born tycoon Chen Zhi extradited from Cambodia

Mainland police say Liu Ren founded group that operated multiple online gambling platforms and aggressively solicited Chinese citizens.

Thai court sentences 2 Uygur men to death for 2015 Bangkok shrine bombing

The worst attack on the city in recent history killed 20, including tourists from China, Malaysia and Singapore.

Asia on Ebola alert: could the virus slip through regional defences?

While the risk of Ebola reaching Asia is low, experts urge governments to prioritise early detection over border controls.

Trump’s forced-labour tariffs put Southeast Asia in the firing line

Washington’s proposed tariffs of 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent could push regional countries to accelerate economic integration.

Hong Kong serves up local flavour as ‘Typhoon Dim-sum’ joins new storm names list

City’s weather forecaster says latest submission has been endorsed by UN-backed Typhoon Committee for use in the Western North Pacific region.

Cambodia’s ‘performative’ crackdowns fail to stop scam centres: Amnesty

The rights group said it identified 86 scam compounds operating across Cambodia as of April, up from 53 a year earlier.

Thailand to join UN maritime arbitration with Cambodia

Cambodia launched a compulsory conciliation process under Unclos after Bangkok ended a framework pact for talks on a disputed maritime belt.

Suspected Filipino scammer reveals how Cambodian ring conned Singaporeans

De Villar Rizalyn Panganiban, accused of taking part in a three-level impersonation scam, gives insights into the gang’s fraud tactics.

Cambodia starts UN-backed process for maritime dispute with Thailand

The dispute relates to sea space in the Gulf of ‌Thailand that holds trillions of cubic feet of natural gas and large quantities of oil.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Asian Angle | Where Southeast Asians really want to live, work and travel

While Thailand leads for tourism, Singapore and Japan are the top draws for work, revealing uneven regional soft power dynamics.

Tariffs, war and broken trust: Southeast Asia’s Trump problem

Disillusioned by US unpredictability, the region is learning to diversify – while Trump treats allies as bargaining chips.

Opinion | Why the Philippines walks a delicate balance as Asean chair

Manila’s success at the helm will depend on its ability to make the Association of Southeast Asian Nations more operational than before.

What India’s ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’ near Malacca means for its China ties

Uncertainty over Strait of Hormuz amid US-Iran conflict has New Delhi moving on US$10 billion plan to transform Great Nicobar Island.

Cambodia jails 6 Chinese men for South Korean student’s torture and murder

The six were reportedly part of a criminal gang linked to the multibillion-dollar ‘pig butchering’ scam industry.

Samoan suspect confesses to hired hit in Vietnam on Sydney gangster

In a rare gun crime in Vietnam, the suspect admitted that he and an accomplice were in Ho Chi Minh City looking for two victims.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Video | Cambodia’s Hun Sen pardons detained opposition leader

Many political opponents were convicted during Hun Sen’s time in power while Sam Rainsy, the co-founder of Sokha’s party, CNRP, remains in self-exile in France.

Hun Sen pardons detained Cambodia opposition leader Kem Sokha

Many political opponents were convicted during Hun Sen’s time in power while Kem Sokha’s CNRP co-founder Sam Rainsy remains in self-exile in France.

Shock absorber: will Asean’s power grid be up to the task by 2045?

With only eight of 18 links built and a 100-terawatt demand surge looming, analysts say the blueprint may need an overhaul for the AI age.

Editorial | Hong Kong should spare no effort in fight against financial crime

The recent crackdown by law enforcement agencies from 10 jurisdictions on international scams shows the benefit of regional cooperation.

What to eat and buy at Hong Kong airport’s revamped Terminal 2

Passengers and visitors will find 25 shopping and dining options, including McDonald’s, Nap Tea and Imperial Patisserie.

Asian Angle | Where Southeast Asians really want to live, work and travel

Video | Cambodia’s Hun Sen pardons detained opposition leader