Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has ordered governors of seven provinces bordering Thailand, along with several key government ministries, to fully prepare for the return of Cambodian migrant workers currently living and working in Thailand. The directive also includes creating job opportunities for them once they return home.
In a special audio message released on the morning of June 16, Prime Minister Hun Manet responded to numerous questions and appeals from Cambodian workers in Thailand. He instructed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Prak Sokhonn to issue official guidelines to the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok, the consulate in Sa Kaeo province, and other diplomatic offices, to assist workers in processing the documents required for their return.
Hun Manet also tasked Labour Minister Heng Sour with developing pathways for job placements inside Cambodia, emphasizing that the country is currently experiencing a labor shortage.
Additionally, he called on Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Sokha, Immigration Department Director-General Sok Phal, and governors of the border provinces of Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey, Preah Vihear, Battambang, Pailin, Pursat, and Koh Kong to cooperate fully in facilitating the repatriation process. The support is to extend to both documented and undocumented workers.
The prime minister acknowledged the concerns of long-term migrants, saying, “Some people have lived in Thailand for 30 years and want to come home to care for their 80-year-old mothers. Regardless of whether they have documentation, every Cambodian will be accepted without discrimination.”
Authorities in the capital Phnom Penh have also mobilized resources. On June 14, Phnom Penh Governor Khuong Sreng confirmed that approximately 400 city buses are on standby to transport returnees from border checkpoints to their home provinces if instructed by the national government.
In Pursat province, local officials have prepared 170 vehicles and support personnel to assist approximately 3,000 residents—about 800 families—living near the border. Other border provinces such as Pailin and Koh Kong have likewise prepared transportation and manpower to support returning workers at their respective checkpoints.
Senate President Hun Sen, who also leads the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, issued a separate statement from the Senate headquarters on June 16, reinforcing the government’s position. He declared that all Cambodian nationals returning via any border crossing must be allowed to reenter the country, regardless of whether they hold valid travel documents.
“Do not allow them to be insulted or mistreated,” Hun Sen said, warning of increasing racial discrimination against Cambodian workers and citizens in Thailand.
According to the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, over 1.2 million Cambodians are currently working in Thailand. These workers send home an estimated 2.1 billion US dollars in remittances each year.
Thailand is the largest host country for Cambodian migrant workers, followed by South Korea with more than 46,000, Japan and Malaysia with over 20,000 each, Singapore with more than 300, Hong Kong with just over 100, and Saudi Arabia with 14 Cambodian workers.
