Prime Minister Hun Manet has ordered the authorities to investigate allegations that fuel is being smuggled into the Kingdom from Thailand. If any such operations are discovered, he has demanded that the perpetrators face the strictest legal measures, regardless of their rank or social position.
His call follows widespread reporting in Thai media that criminal networks are smuggling oil from Thailand for sale in Cambodia, as global prices rise as a result of the ongoing Middle East conflict. Fuel imports from Thailand have been completely closed by Cambodia since the border clashes of June 2025.
Manet took to social media to share his instructions.
“I have issued orders to Keo Rattanak, Minister of Mines and Energy; Sar Thet, National Police Commissioner; and Kun Nhem, director-general of the General Department of Customs and Excise, to investigate this case thoroughly. If these cases are indeed occurring, all involved targets must be identified, and the strictest legal action must be taken,” he wrote, a short time ago.
“If any oil companies are involved, their licenses must be revoked. If any civil servants or members of the Cambodian Armed Forces are involved, they must be terminated and summarily dismissed from the framework, regardless of their position or rank,” he added.
Manet reiterated that Cambodia no longer needs to import fuel from Thailand, as the country has sufficient sources from other nations.
It was widely reported yesterday, April 2, that Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had issued a similar warning to Thai businessmen, after Thai authorities discovered that several companies were implicated.
Anutin claimed that the illegal fuel is being smuggled into Cambodia through various means, and authorities are currently collecting data on the scale of the operations.