Hun Sen had posted that people who felt hurt by Thailand or disliked it should stop buying Thai goods and using Thai baht in Cambodia to strengthen national monetary independence. The report says Cambodian baht holders in border areas, particularly Poipet in Banteay Meanchey province, then sought to exchange it for riel. The Senate president and Cambodia’s acting head of state also appealed to money changers not to seek excessive profits by depressing the baht’s price and raising the riel’s, causing losses to customers.
In a Telegram message on the evening of 8 October, Hun Sen said it was good for Cambodians to use riel at home to avoid losses and vulnerability when currency was used as a political weapon. He said some Cambodians working or trading in Thailand could not withdraw funds from Thai banks. Using the forceful metaphor of “killing”, he warned that the baht was harming those people and would also harm Cambodians at home who continued to hold and use it. These assessments are attributed to him.
He appealed to money changers to exchange at market rates rather than make excessive profits by lowering the baht’s value and raising the riel’s at customers’ expense. He also urged people to stop quoting wages, goods and services in baht and instead use riel or US dollars, preferably riel to strengthen the national currency. He said those who loved their country should keep notes bearing Cambodia’s Father King, Queen Mother and King in their homes, wallets or pockets rather than notes bearing the king of a country he said treated Cambodia as an enemy and insulted it.
Preah Sihanouk Provincial Television | By: ង៉ែត ពិសាន្ត
