The loudest sound of the Thailand–Cambodia conflict is still the shellfire along the frontier. But in evacuation centres, marketplaces and shuttered schoolyards, another kind of damage is spreading quietly, the kind that shows up as missed loan payments, empty farm plots and children losing weeks of classroom time. In Thailand’s Buriram province, evacuees who fled…
If you wake up before dawn breaks in Phnom Penh, you will discover a quiet city – one that most people never see. Almost everyone is still asleep. The only activity comes from a few early-morning athletes running or cycling. Crossing the city is easy because the air is still fresh, slightly humid and remains…
Over the past several days, one thing has become clear along the Cambodia–Thailand border: no one is speaking with one voice. As clashes flared again in early December, statements coming out of Thailand have pointed in different directions. Political leaders have made one set of statements, military officials have made different ones, and foreign partners…
Guest Editorial by H.E. Samheng Boros, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia Introduction: A Region at a Crossroads Anyone who has spent time in Southeast Asia knows how much ordinary people value calm, predictability, and good relations with neighbours. It is something we often take for granted because for many…
Guest Editorial by Samheng Boros, Minister attached to the Prime Minister of Cambodia For families living along Cambodia’s northern border, the past days have unfolded with a heaviness that is difficult to describe. The mornings that used to begin quietly, with the sound of cattle moving across fields and neighbours calling out to each other,…
An Editorial as of 9 December 2025 When violence erupts along the Cambodia–Thailand border, it is always the innocent who feel it first. In the past week, border communities that once lived with a fragile sense of calm have found themselves caught in a storm of artillery, drones and airstrikes. Children have been pulled from…
People who have been visiting Cambodia for years often say the same thing. Something feels different. The country seems steadier, more confident, and far more connected to the world than it used to be. This feeling is not just a traveller’s impression. Recent global rankings show that Cambodia is moving forward in ways that are…
Every country reaches a moment when it must decide what kind of economy it wants to build. Some rely on natural resources. Some depend on manufacturing. Others place their future in services, where knowledge, creativity, and human capability become the real engines of growth. When a nation chooses the service path, policies become far more…
The border that Cambodia shares with Thailand is one of those places where history never fully settles. The hills, the temples, the old paths and the thick forests all carry memories of another time. People on both sides know this. They live with it every day. And yet, in moments of tension, the weight of…
Cambodia’s industrial story is often reduced to headline numbers. Growth percentages. Export values. Sector shares. Yet when you step back and look at the deeper shifts taking place, something much more meaningful comes into view. The country is not simply expanding its industrial base. It is redesigning it. Slowing global demand, new tariff landscapes and…
(Phnom Penh): The Better Cambodia wishes to clarify recent reporting related to YKK Canada and its engagement with Cambodian officials. On November 4, 2025, we published an article titled “YKK Canada Explores Investment Opportunities in Cambodia’s Growing Garment Accessories Industry.” Following communication from YKK Holding Asia Pte Ltd, we acknowledge that the headline and portions…
When Cambodia and Thailand stepped into the global spotlight on 26 October 2025 to sign the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord, the world witnessed something rare. Two neighbours with a long and painful history of border clashes chose diplomacy over division. And standing beside them was former U.S. President Donald Trump, whose role in encouraging both…
When Diplomacy Meets Disbelief When Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord in late October 2025, the world breathed a sigh of relief. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and former U.S. President Donald Trump stood as witnesses, hoping their presence would encourage both nations to…