Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has vehemently rejected recent allegations circulating on social media, claiming that Thailand harbors plans to assassinate Cambodian leaders Hun Sen and Hun Manet. These serious accusations were reportedly made by Cambodia’s Minister of Information, who cited unnamed foreign intelligence sources. Nikorndej Balankura, Director-General of the Department of Information and Spokesperson for the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued a firm denial, categorizing the claims as entirely unfounded and explicitly designed to defame Thailand. He emphasized the counterproductive nature of spreading such false news, particularly when both nations are engaged in crucial General Border Committee (GBC) discussions aimed at peaceful resolution, stating that it "undermines the spirit of dialogue." The Ministry further condemned this disinformation as a damaging attempt to derail ongoing diplomatic efforts between Thailand and Cambodia.

This rejection comes amidst a broader landscape of pervasive misinformation, particularly concerning the contentious relationship between the two Southeast Asian neighbors. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) recently disclosed that a significant majority—eight out of the top ten fake news items identified last week—were false reports directly related to the Thai-Cambodian border conflict. Wethang Puangsup, secretary-general of the National Board of Digital Economy and Society Office and spokesman for the DES Ministry, highlighted that the top three fake news items reviewed from 815 social media posts during the past week exclusively concerned the border situation, with five additional border-related stories also appearing lower in the rankings, underscoring the dominance of this subject in disinformation campaigns.

Adding another layer to the escalating tensions, Acting Prime Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai recently addressed the possibility of further legal action against the Cambodian leadership. He stated on Tuesday that academics might submit a formal proposal to the Thai government advocating for the consideration of suing Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and his father, Hun Sen, in the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of being war criminals. Phumtham affirmed that any such proposal, if officially submitted, would be meticulously reviewed by the government’s legal experts to assess its viability and implications.

This potential ICC action follows an existing resolution by Thailand’s National Security Council (NSC) to pursue both criminal and civil lawsuits against Hun Manet and Hun Sen within Thai courts. These lawsuits are intended to address the profound impact of actions attributed to Cambodian troops, specifically their alleged orders to fire at Thai civilians, which resulted in deaths, injuries to Thai citizens, and extensive damage to assets. The confluence of these legal considerations and the ongoing disinformation campaigns highlights the complex and volatile nature of the diplomatic and security challenges facing Thailand and Cambodia.