Thai users misrepresent old video as 'demonstration against Cambodian leader'

Published on June 16, 2025 at 11:04
4 min read
By Pasika KHERNAMNUOY, Suy SE, AFP Thailand

After Thailand and Cambodia agreed to reposition their troops in a disputed border area following a bloody military clash, a video was shared in Thai-language posts falsely claiming it showed Cambodian protesters calling for the ouster of their own prime minister. The footage has in fact circulated in posts since August 2024, when various groups organised events to mark the inauguration of a canal project that aims to provide a new link from the Mekong River to the sea.

"Cambodian protesters demand the return of the monarchy and ousting of its current leader," reads a Thai-language TikTok post published on June 10, 2025.

The attached video -- which amassed at least two million views -- shows a large procession of people waving Cambodia's national flag.

It was shared after Thailand and Cambodia agreed to reposition their troops in a disputed border area where a Cambodian soldier had been killed in a military clash on May 28 (archived here and here).

Parts of the video's superimposed text suggest that the rally could be what "forced Cambodian soldiers to pull back" from the contested area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos meet.

Screenshot of the false TikTok post, captured on June 12, 2025

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet said on June 15 that Cambodia had asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to help find a resolution to the long-running border dispute (archived link).

Thailand has tightened border controls, while Cambodia ordered troops to stay on "full alert" and banned Thai dramas from TV and cinemas (archived link).

Similar posts claiming the circulating video showed Cambodian protesters calling for Hun Manet's ouster were shared elsewhere on Facebook, X and YouTube.

But, as of June 16, there have been no official reports of protests calling on Hun Manet to step down in Cambodia.

A reverse image search using keyframes of the falsely shared video found the same footage was posted on Facebook on August 13, 2024.

Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (left) and the video from August 2024 (right)

AFP geolocated the clip to a garment factory in Phnom Penh (archived link).

Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (left) and a Google Maps photo of the same location (right), with corresponding elements highlighted by AFP

Subsequent keyword searches led to a similar Facebook video that appears to show the same procession passing through the Phnom Penh factory, which was posted on August 18, 2024 (archived link).

Khmer-language text on a banner held up by the crowd, visible in this Facebook video, reads, "Congratulations (to the) Funan Techo Canal".

Screenshot of the Facebook video, with highlights added by AFP

The Funan Techo Canal is a controversial US$1.7 billion project that aims to provide a new link from the Mekong River to the sea (archived link).

Local media reported that the Cambodian government had announced a one-day national holiday to be held on August 5, 2024 to mark the official inauguration of the canal (archived link).

Several organisations held events to celebrate the launch of the project, which has drawn criticism over its funding and potential environmental impact (archived here and here).

Map showing the projected route of the Funan Techo canal in southern Cambodia. (AFP / John SAEKI)

AFP has fact-checked other misinformation related to the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute.

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