(Phnom Penh): Cambodian Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said Thailand cannot use the fight against online scams as a pretext to conceal an encroachment on Cambodia’s territory, stressing that Thai domestic law cannot be enforced on Cambodian soil.

Speaking ahead of Cambodia’s International Conference on Combating Technology-enabled Fraud on September 23-24, Neth Pheaktra cited O’Smach, a Cambodian territory, and criticised Thailand for bringing military attachés and journalists to locations there over alleged scam activities.

“They have used the fight against scams as a pretext to conceal the real reason behind the encroachment on Cambodian territory,” he said, adding that Cambodia has formally protested such activities as violations of its sovereignty.

Neth Pheaktra said cross-border scam cases should be addressed through bilateral cooperation rather than unilateral enforcement, while reaffirming Cambodia’s commitment to working with Thailand and other countries to combat technology-enabled fraud.

Cambodia will host the International Conference on Combating Online Scams (ICCOS) in Phnom Penh on September 23-24, bringing together representatives from more than 20 countries and three major international organisations to strengthen global cooperation against increasingly sophisticated transnational scam networks.

Held under the theme “Acting Together towards Breaking the Chain and Eradication of Online Scams,” the conference will convene senior government officials, policymakers, law enforcement agencies, financial regulators, cybersecurity experts, technology companies, academics, civil society organisations and international partners.

According to Cambodian authorities, more than 830 suspected scam locations were investigated between July 2025 and August 2026, with 663 locations raided and 86 large-scale scam compounds dismantled. More than 20,000 foreign suspects were also deported during the period.
=FRESH NEWS