from being broadcast in Cambodia81, 82. After Cambodia was accused of hiring foreign mercenaries to assist in the conflict, Hun Sen also took to Facebook to deny the allegations83. On his Facebook page, he also attacks opponents and spreads disinformation and propaganda84. His comments and behavior have further strained relations between the two countries. In June 2025, he posted a 17-minute recording of a phone call between himself and then-Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on his Facebook page85. In the leaked call, Paetongtarn was heard calling him “uncle” as they discussed the border tensions. She also referred to the Thai army commander, Boonsin Padklang, then in charge of the border area where the clash occurred, as “an opponent.”86 The phone call ultimately led to Paetongtarn’s removal from office in August 202587. Some observers suspect that the border tensions in 2025 stem from a personal feud between Hun Sen and Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister of Thailand and Paetongtarn’s father. It is known that the Hun family and the Shinawatra family were once close88, 89. On his Facebook page, the former prime minister, who later became Senate president, has attacked his former ally on several occasions in a threatening manner90, 91, 92. “Cambodia’s Hun Sen Urges Halt to Thai Imports, Thai Shows Off Air.” Thai PBS World, 4 July 2025, world. thaipbs.or.th/detail/cambodias-hun-sen-urges-halt-to-thai-imports-thai-shows-off-air/58091. 82. “Hun Sen Proposes Suspension of Thai Films and Imports Amid Border Tensions.” The Nation, 13 June 2025, www.nationthailand.com/news/world/40051185. 83. “Hun Sen Denies Presence of Foreign Mercenaries.” The Nation, 17 Dec. 2025, www.nationthailand.com/ news/general/40059915. 84. Baliga, Ananth, and Meng Kroypunlok. “Hun Sen Shows He Is in Charge of Cambodia’s Border Crisis.” Nikkei Asia, 25 July 2025, asia.nikkei.com/politics/international-relations/thailand-cambodia-conflict/ hun-sen-shows-he-is-in-charge-of-cambodia-s-border-crisis. 85. Saksornchai, Jintamas. “Thai Prime Minister’s Leaked Phone Call With Cambodia’s Hun Sen Sparks Outrage and Political Turmoil.” Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025, www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-06-19/ thai-prime-ministers-leaked-phone-call-with-cambodias-hun-sen-sparks-outrage-and-political-turmoil. 86. “Hun Sen Admits to Recording Phone Call With Thai PM and Sharing With 80 Officials.” The Nation, 18 June 2025, www.nationthailand.com/news/asean/40051411. 87. Baker, Graeme. “Thai Court Removes PM Over Leaked Phone Call With Cambodian Leader.” BBC News, 29 Aug. 2025, www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgeqlw05rzo. 88. “33 Years of History: Thaksin and Hun Sen’s Complex Relationship of Love and Hate.” The Nation, 20 June 2025, www.nationthailand.com/blogs/news/asean/40051502. 89. Head, Jonathan. “The Fractured Frienship Behind the Fight at the Thailand-Cambodia Border.” BBC News, 25 July 2025, www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg1gdgy2pyo. 90. ““I Was Betrayed First”: Hun Sen’s Livestream Exposes Rift With Thaksin. The Nation, 27 June 2025, www. nationthailand.com/news/asean/40051822. 91. “Hun Sen Shares Photos of Paetongtarn Visiting Former PM’s Rooms in Phnom Penh.” The Nation, 20 June 2025, www.nationthailand.com/news/asean/40051519. 92. “Hun Sen Says Thailand Owes Him Gratitude, Threatens to Expose Shinawatras.” Bangkok Post, 27 June 2025, www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/3059273/hun-sen-says-thailand-owes-himgratitude-threatens-to-expose-shinawatras. 81. 26