The issue of Thai culture being claimed by Cambodia has reignited heated debate online, with daily incidents reported. Most recently, Dr. Bum Panadda Wongpudi gave an exclusive interview to Thairath Entertainment about the controversy surrounding a Cambodian beauty pageant that used photos of women in ancient Thai royal costumes and AI-generated fake news to claim the Thai dress and shawl as their own.
She called it nonsense that the Cambodian pageant had no content other than competing over who could insult Thailand the most. She fired back sharply, "In hindsight, maybe they should have competed in speech contests instead. It's ridiculous. When they have nothing else to say, they just insult Thailand. They should criticize their own leaders instead!"
Are the Cambodian beauty queens making heavy claims?
"Yes, they are making heavy claims. They even use old photos of palace women, falsely stating they are ancient Cambodian images. It's all confused and mixed up. They are flooding social media with AI fake news. They're so shameless and bold. I don't even know what kind of pageant this is. This has happened in previous Cambodian pageants too. There's no creativity—it's just whoever insults Thailand newest and harshest wins. Honestly, they might as well enter speech contests instead of beauty pageants. It's nonsense. When they have no ideas, they just attack Thailand. They should criticize their own leaders!"
How should we respond to this?
"Well, that's why I say we need to wait for the Ministry of Culture to take action. But what exactly is their clear action? It's not just about explaining or sending letters abroad. They must also reassure Thai people because we all love our country."
Some say just let it go. What is your view, Mae Bum?
"We can't let it go anymore because it's creating fake news. We want to make sure everyone knows the shawl and Thai dress belong to Thailand. We want people worldwide who don't know to understand. Don't just think in your small bubble that everyone already knows it's Thai. They're not Thai; how would they know? Even when we travel abroad, we can't always tell if someone is English or Icelandic. Westerners lump Asians together too. But we have to clearly show our culture so people know this is Thailand. Why would Cambodia claim the shawl? They just recently became a country and don't even have the right look. Their ancient Khmer faces don't look like that—we all know. They're trying to change things, like living in Thailand."
What message do you have for the event organizers or Cambodians who consume this content?
"I believe many Cambodians know the truth. Don't let others laugh at your country, saying you can't do anything except copy others. That's embarrassing. I believe you have your own culture and notable heritage in the world, like Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. Present that instead. Show the world your Khmer identity instead of copying and falsely claiming others' culture. Fake news is fake news. Don't let habitual lying distort even the truths you have. I feel sorry saying this, but it must be said."
What do you want to say to the Ministry of Culture?
"I earnestly ask the Ministry of Culture to seriously address this. It's been happening for years, and now it has escalated to large events using our historical images. It's time for the Ministry to take action on this global stage and inform Thais to become cultural advocates. Multiple approaches are needed, and we must work together. Cambodians are united in spreading fake news and insulting Thailand well, so we need to unite and respond too."
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