Report Cambodian PM Hun Manet Prepares for Migrant Worker Repatriation from Thailand

[webfact]

Pfile photo courtesy of Facebook Phnom Penh Post

 

The Cambodian government is on high alert, ready to welcome back its migrant workers from Thailand, should a mass return become necessary. Prime Minister Hun Manet has assured the nation that all relevant sectors, from security forces to local administrations in border provinces, have been activated to coordinate safety, temporary accommodations, and support for these workers.

 

In a message disseminated on June 14, the Prime Minister emphasised the readiness to manage any large-scale return, regardless of the cause. Collaborative efforts have been fortified across the seven provinces lining the Thai-Cambodian border, where authorities are teaming up with border protection forces. Essential supplies, including food and temporary shelters, are in place at strategic checkpoints to ensure a seamless transition for the workers.

 

Transportation logistics also see reinforcement, with the Ministry of National Defence and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces joining hands with Phnom Penh Municipality to ensure workers return conveniently to their respective provinces. Additionally, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training stands prepared to assist returnees in finding jobs back home. Impressively, over 70,000 job openings await Cambodian nationals in various sectors across the nation.

 

Tackling the financial effects of this transition, the Ministry of Economy and Finance is crafting a robust aid package aimed at guaranteeing basic needs and income security for the returning workers. Furthermore, Hun Manet has called upon the Association of Banks in Cambodia and the Microfinance Institutions Association to explore debt relief measures for these individuals.

 

The Prime Minister encouraged these financial institutions to contemplate deferring loan repayments or restructuring debts for those burdened by existing financial commitments. He championed the spirit of unity, asserting that solidarity stands as Cambodia's shield during times of challenge.

 

This poignant announcement surfaces amid rumblings of unease over the status of Cambodian workers in Thailand, amidst unconfirmed reports of political rifts and the threat of deportation. Despite the lack of official expulsion notifications from Thai authorities, Cambodia is positioning itself to safeguard its citizens.

 

Presently, the Cambodian Labour Ministry states that over 1 million of its citizens are employed in Thailand, notably in agriculture, construction, and services sectors. With such significant numbers at play, Hun Manet’s proactive measures exemplify the government’s commitment to handling the situation with urgent foresight and care.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from [source] 2025-06-16

 

 

[ukrules]

These people are earning far more money in Thailand than they can do back home in Cambodia and most of them literally won't give a crap about some border dispute that their lords and masters have.

I'm in Phnom Penh now with the Mrs and she often speaks to Tuk Tuk drivers and other Cambodians who can speak Thai because they learned it long ago while doing such work. They were very happy with the outcome of their time spent in Thailand and the extra money they earned allowed them to purchase tuk tuks, open small businesses, etc, etc.

There will be no exodus no matter what happens.

[quake]

All looks like one big.

 

[thesetat]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

These people are earning far more money in Thailand than they can do back home in Cambodia and most of them literally won't give a crap about some border dispute that their lords and masters have.

I'm in Phnom Penh now with the Mrs and she often speaks to Tuk Tuk drivers and other Cambodians who can speak Thai because they learned it long ago while doing such work. They were very happy with the outcome of their time spent in Thailand and the extra money they earned allowed them to purchase tuk tuks, open small businesses, etc, etc.

There will be no exodus no matter what happens.

 

unless they are deported... you are probably correct.. 

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

This poignant announcement surfaces amid rumblings of unease over the status of Cambodian workers in Thailand, amidst unconfirmed reports of political rifts and the threat of deportation.

 

[gt162]

There are millions of Thais who are Cambodian descent  who love being in Thailand and will never go or back to poor Cambodia if they don't have to.

[ukrules]

21 minutes ago, thesetat said:

unless they are deported

 

Not gonna happen. Many Thais in Cambodia too.

 

[Ohyesuare]

15 minutes ago, gt162 said:

There are millions of Thais who are Cambodian descent  who love being in Thailand and will never go or back to poor Cambodia if they don't have to.

 

Thais of Cambodia descent are not migrant workers, they're Thai citizens, so how is that even relevant to the topic?

[daveAustin]

The guy should grow up. Why would they want to go back home to misery and <deleted>e money? All the hotspots around the world have one common theme… small willy narcissistic ‘strongmen’ syndrome. It’s pathetic. 

[zzzzz]

Hun SEn threatened to close the borders tomorrow, so HOW will the million + Khmers return home??

Khmers in Thailand are here cause they have a better life< not to mention the have bank loans that need paying back 
PLUS many Khmers send up to 50% of their pay Back to Cambodia
how will cambodia handle that loss an unpaid Bank loans and 1 million + unemployed?

[newbee2022]

7 hours ago, ukrules said:

of them literally won't give a crap about some border dispute

Well, unfortunately they are not asked.

So escalation is going on.

[newbee2022]

11 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

Hun SEn threatened to close the borders tomorrow, so HOW will the million + Khmers return home??

Khmers in Thailand are here cause they have a better life< not to mention the have bank loans that need paying back 
PLUS many Khmers send up to 50% of their pay Back to Cambodia
how will cambodia handle that loss an unpaid Bank loans and 1 million + unemployed?

The threat from Thailand came earlier

[bannork]

Thailand has already announced they won't send back Cambodian workers.

Time for Cambodians to rise up and overthrow the dictatorial Hun Sen family regime.

 

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

The Cambodian government is on high alert, ready to welcome back its migrant workers from Thailand, should a mass return become necessary.

Unless Thailand kicks them out I can't see many voluntarily leaving better/higher paid jobs and returning home

[crazykopite]

9 hours ago, ukrules said:

These people are earning far more money in Thailand than they can do back home in Cambodia and most of them literally won't give a crap about some border dispute that their lords and masters have.

I'm in Phnom Penh now with the Mrs and she often speaks to Tuk Tuk drivers and other Cambodians who can speak Thai because they learned it long ago while doing such work. They were very happy with the outcome of their time spent in Thailand and the extra money they earned allowed them to purchase tuk tuks, open small businesses, etc, etc.

There will be no exodus no matter what happens.

 

24 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Unless Thailand kicks them out I can't see many voluntarily leaving better/higher paid jobs and returning home

 

24 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Unless Thailand kicks them out I can't see many voluntarily leaving better/higher paid jobs and returning home

 

24 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Unless Thailand kicks them out I can't see many voluntarily leaving better/higher paid jobs and returning home

 

24 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Unless Thailand kicks them out I can't see many voluntarily leaving better/higher paid jobs and returning home

Unless Tony has them all kicked out he hates foreigners and lets not fool ourselves hes running the Government his daughter is just the puppet

[FlorC]

Plenty of people of Myanmar to replace them.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, crazykopite said:

Unless Tony has them all kicked out he hates foreigners and lets not fool ourselves hes running the Government his daughter is just the puppet

Thailand cannot afford to lose the slave labour

[Free the 115]

3 hours ago, crazykopite said:

 

 

 

 

Unless Tony has them all kicked out he hates foreigners and lets not fool ourselves hes running the Government his daughter is just the puppet

I’m a City fan and when he owned the club his nickname was Frank…..I’m struggling to make Tony work. 

[Derek B]

11 hours ago, gt162 said:

There are millions of Thais who are Cambodian descent  who love being in Thailand and will never go or back to poor Cambodia if they don't have to.

If Thai they cannot be deported.

[thaipo7]

9 hours ago, bannork said:

Thailand has already announced they won't send back Cambodian workers.

Time for Cambodians to rise up and overthrow the dictatorial Hun Sen family regime.

 

At least you know what a dictator is and how he acts.  We have half the population in the US calling Trump a dictator when they are so far off the mark.

[bannork]

16 minutes ago, thaipo7 said:

At least you know what a dictator is and how he acts.  We have half the population in the US calling Trump a dictator when they are so far off the mark.

Trump is a wannabe dictator. He's trying hard.

[Jonathan Swift]

Just as these people have settled back into good wages after being devastated by Covid, now this. So sad and unfair to them.

[Jonathan Swift]

14 minutes ago, bannork said:

Trump is a wannabe dictator. He's trying hard.

Half the people in the US have their heads screwed on right, the rest voted for Trump. The US is a shίtshoω right now and getting worse. The military has been called out to silence protesters in Los Angeles. I'm glad I moved here 12 years ago, but what's happening in the US is terribly disturbing. 

[bannork]

31 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

Half the people in the US have their heads screwed on right, the rest voted for Trump. The US is a shίtshoω right now and getting worse. The military has been called out to silence protesters in Los Angeles. I'm glad I moved here 12 years ago, but what's happening in the US is terribly disturbing. 

I agree but please let's stick to the topic, Cambodia and Thailand.