Relations with Cambodia ‘unaffected’ by Thaksin’s visit: Thai official

Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck posing with Hun Sen and his family at the birthday dinner in Phnom Penh on Aug 5, 2023. - The Nation

BANGKOK (The Nation/Asia News Network): A surprising appearance by former Thai prime ministers Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck in Cambodia on Aug 5 has sparked much chatter. The two were in Phnom Penh to celebrate the 72nd birthday of Hun Sen, with a government spokesperson claiming it was purely a personal gathering.

Pictures of the celebrations were shared by well-connected local media outlet Fresh News and Hun Sen himself via his Telegram channel. They showed Thaksin and Yingluck mingling with Hun Sen’s extended family, including Prime Minister-in-waiting Hun Manet, at his residence in Kandal province’s Takhmao town, just outside the capital.