The Rak Chart Party spokesperson refuted Cambodia's claim that "Mae Nak Phra Khanong" constitutes cultural theft, asserting that the legend is 100% Thai and denying any Cambodian origin as baseless and completely false news.
On 21 February 2026 at 10:00 a.m., in response to Cambodia's attemptto claim,"Mae Nak Phra Khanong"as originating from Cambodia under the name "Mae Nak Preah Thbong", the Ministry of Digital Economy (DE) urged Thai people to help disseminate truthful information in all languages to prevent global misunderstandings caused by distortion.
Recently, Mr. Chaiporn Jirawinichanan, spokesperson for the Rak Chart Party, released an English-language video statement to clarify the facts. He acknowledged Cambodia's efforts to distort the story of "Mae Nak Phra Khanong," Thailand's most famous ghost legend, by claiming it originated from Cambodia under the name "Mae Nak Preah Thbong". He stated that this claim is entirely false and groundless, calling it 100% fake news.
The Rak Chart Party spokesperson further said this act is not simply a misunderstanding but amounts to "Cultural Theft," a severe violation of Thai rights and heritage. The Mae Nak Phra Khanong legend has a well-established history deeply rooted in Thai society. Using it without evidence is a deliberate attempt to discredit and mislead the international community.
“Our Mae Nak Phra Khanong legend has its own well-established history and linking it to such claims is misleading and can be considered cultural theft,” the Rak Chart Party spokesperson said.
Additionally, Mr. Chaiporn called on Thai citizens and online communities to be vigilant and actively counter these falsehoods to protect the nation’s history from being erased or distorted by malicious parties.