Opinion: Thailand’s Hypocrisy on Cambodia’s Nobel Peace Prize Nomination for Donald Trump

Opinion: Thailand’s Hypocrisy on Cambodia’s Nobel Peace Prize Nomination for Donald Trump

Thailand’s reaction to Cambodia’s decision to nominate Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize is nothing short of hypocritical. Bangkok’s media and political voices rushed to sneer at Cambodia’s gesture, pretending that recognizing a peace facilitator is somehow laughable. Yet it was Thailand’s own reckless border aggression that forced international mediation in the first place.

Cambodia’s nomination is not about politics; it is about peace. Trump’s intervention helped halt the bloodshed and brought Thailand’s military to the negotiating table after repeated incursions and provocations. The ceasefire that saved lives on both sides did not materialize out of thin air—it was achieved because Cambodia sought solutions, while Thailand hesitated until external pressure was applied.

By ridiculing Cambodia’s move, Thailand exposes its sour‑grapes diplomacy. It refuses to acknowledge that the world saw through its tactics and that international involvement was necessary to stop its adventurism. Instead of taking responsibility and embracing peace, Bangkok resorts to dismissive commentary aimed at covering up its own failures.

Cambodia will not apologize for valuing stability and saving lives. Our nomination sends a simple message to the international community: we reward those who help end conflicts, not those who deny their own role in starting them.

If Thailand prefers pride over peace, that is its choice. But history will remember that when the region needed calm, Cambodia acted—and Thailand mocked.

Roth Santepheap is a geopolitical analyst based in Phnom Penh. The views expressed are his own.