Politics Thai Politicians Allegedly Hold Secret Bank Accounts in Cambodia

[webfact]

Rangsiman Rome. Picture cou rtesy of Khaosod

 

BANGKOK - Rangsiman Rome, an Opposition MP from the People's Party, has alleged that seven Thai politicians have secretly opened bank accounts in Cambodia.

 

The claim was made during his visit to the Klong Luek border checkpoint in Sa Kaeo province, amidst ongoing concerns about restricted border crossing hours. While Rangsiman insists he has robust evidence, he remains tight-lipped about the specifics.

 

Thai-Cambodian Border Tensions Escalate

 

Rangsiman, acting as a member of the House committee on national security, has highlighted the political instability within Thailand as a key factor weakening the country's stance in ongoing border disputes. He noted that the Cambodian government is carefully monitoring Thailand’s internal political turmoil and is capitalising on it by piling pressure on Bangkok. Rangsiman stresses the need for a stable Thai government to engage effectively in negotiations with Phnom Penh.

 

Checkpoints Shut as Tensions Rise

 

Rangsiman pointed out that while Thailand has restricted border crossing hours to curb gambling and illegal labour activities in Poipet casinos, Cambodia has retaliated by closing its own checkpoints.

 

This move has not only disrupted border trade but also affected local communities reliant on this economic activity. He criticised the Thai government's approach, underscoring that merely reducing checkpoint hours is not sufficient to combat the persistent problem of call-centre scams originating from Cambodian towns like Poipet.

 

Call for International Collaboration Against Scams

 

Rangsiman advocates for a strategic shift, urging the Thai government to collaborate with international allies to dismantle cross-border call-centre syndicates. He emphasised that negotiations for reopening border checkpoints should ensure a mutual agreement to do so simultaneously on both sides. He warns against conceding to Cambodia's demands for unilateral actions that could leave Thai interests vulnerable.

 

The allegations and ongoing tensions underline significant challenges facing the Thai government and its diplomatic relations with Cambodia. The call for international cooperation signals a broader approach may be necessary to combat illegal activities while maintaining essential border trade.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Nation 2025-07-08

 

 

[Will B Good]

 

I find this accusation incredibly hard to believe.

[MarkBR]

2 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

I find this accusation incredibly hard to believe.

Who knows, there is so much going on politically that us farang will never hear about.  Unless evidence explodes into the open via media, we will never know.  Although, I agree it would be very strange for a Thai politician to do something so obviously politically stupid

[Artisi]

3 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

I find this accusation incredibly hard to believe.

I agree, it must be a major misunderstanding. 

[chuang]

Ask Hun Sen am sure he will provide the names.

[ukrules]

5 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

I find this accusation incredibly hard to believe.

 

Lol, anyone can open a bank account in Cambodia, I've got one. They didn't even ask for proof of my address - I wrote it down for them and that was good enough, all you need is a 6 or 12 month visa and you're in - and that's with ABA, one of the most reputable of the banks.
 

[Purdey]

With Cambodian interest rates at 0.77%, those politicians are hoping for anonymity because they certainly will not be able to save much.

[JoePai]

...and Laos

[unblocktheplanet]

Wait, did someone smell...unusually rich?

[Jim Blue]

6 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

I find this accusation incredibly hard to believe.

Bet you a Rial your wrong !!!!!

[thesetat]

21 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

I find this accusation incredibly hard to believe.

I do not... with the border closed these people lost access to their bank accounts there. They need the borders open. 

[FlorC]

Very stupid. Why not buy gold and keep it here .

Out of sight , out of mind and value keeps going up.

[hotchilli]

22 hours ago, webfact said:

Rangsiman Rome, an Opposition MP from the People's Party, has alleged that seven Thai politicians have secretly opened bank accounts in Cambodia.

Tip of a very large ice.berg... 

[Gsxrnz]

Thai politicians usually keep their loot in cash on forklift pallets in their spare bedrooms or in a secret bunker. When they eventually run out of available storage space they do convert some cash into assets such as gold, wristwatches, artifacts, amulets, and art.  It's all about logistics, bulk, and weight.

 

Remember the Transport official that got burgled while his daughter was getting married - the tealeafs were caught and described the mansion bedrooms as being stacked floor to ceiling with Baht.  

 

Doesn't surprise me if they load up a Cambodian bank account - easier to truck a pallet of cash across the land border than fly it to Switzerland. 

[harryviking]

22 hours ago, MarkBR said:

Who knows, there is so much going on politically that us farang will never hear about.  Unless evidence explodes into the open via media, we will never know.  Although, I agree it would be very strange for a Thai politician to do something so obviously politically stupid

LMAO! Thats funny!🤣🤣🤣

[SOTIRIOS]

...Smacks Of Treason...More & More... (?)

[Burma Bill]

On 7/8/2025 at 10:18 AM, webfact said:

alleged that seven Thai politicians have secretly opened bank accounts in Cambodia.

 

Well done these Thai politicians - investing money in Cambodia!

The hard line Thai yellow shirt nationalists won't like this

 

Perhaps they were fed up with the new stringent and bureaucratic Thai banking rules.

[CanadaSam]

5 hours ago, FlorC said:

Very stupid. Why not buy gold and keep it here .

 

Because when you piss somebody off, there is a raid and they find it all.

[FlorC]

1 minute ago, CanadaSam said:

 

Because when you piss somebody off, there is a raid and they find it all.

Not if you hide it well.

[Look Chang]

12 minutes ago, FlorC said:

Not if you hide it well.

In a private safe of a bank in Cambodia . . . 

[MarkBR]

31 minutes ago, Look Chang said:

In a private safe of a bank in Cambodia . . . 

But maybe some Cambodian politician knows what all thai accounts belonging to important thai politicians contain.  Useful for controlling them.

[retayl]

This would only be newsworthy if it claimed there were some politicians who didn’t have unexplained wealth.

[cynic1]

23 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

Lol, anyone can open a bank account in Cambodia, I've got one. They didn't even ask for proof of my address - I wrote it down for them and that was good enough, all you need is a 6 or 12 month visa and you're in - and that's with ABA, one of the most reputable of the banks.
 

Mmmm interesting. I better mail my big bag with a cash deposit of $20,000,000 US to ABA saves paying 10% to a legit bank in USA. 😁Does ABA guarantee that it will be safe?

[ukrules]

2 minutes ago, cynic1 said:

Mmmm interesting. I better mail my big bag with a cash deposit of $20,000,000 US to ABA saves paying 10% to a legit bank in USA. 😁Does ABA guarantee that it will be safe?

 

Who cares - I never keep more than about $10k in there and only really use it for day to day spending when I'm in Cambodia.

 

[Cuchulainn]

Hope they all get frozen. Better still, hacked!!

[cynic1]

4 minutes ago, ukrules said:

 

Who cares - I never keep more than about $10k in there and only really use it for day to day spending when I'm in Cambodia.

 

That's great!  Good on you.

[Hunz Kittisak]

Things are heating up with the arrest of Hun Sen’s buddy. Ready the popcorn 

[Andycoops]

On 7/8/2025 at 1:02 PM, MarkBR said:

Who knows, there is so much going on politically that us farang will never hear about.  Unless evidence explodes into the open via media, we will never know.  Although, I agree it would be very strange for a Thai politician to do something so obviously politically stupid

The vast majority of Thai politicians are dumb and stupid.

[Sheryl]

On 7/8/2025 at 5:38 AM, Purdey said:

With Cambodian interest rates at 0.77%, those politicians are hoping for anonymity because they certainly will not be able to save much.

2 - 3% for a US dollar fixed deposit account. 

[Burma Bill]

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

2 - 3% for a US dollar fixed deposit account. 

 Thanks Sheryl. 

There will be an interest rate change from 3% to 2.5%  on the 1st August 2025 with JTR Bank