From Part 1: The Khmer Empire Rises Again – In the Age of AI and Wiki Media, many readers came away with a shared question:
“Why is Cambodia so obsessed with Thai culture?”
As this phenomenon spreads across online platforms — from Wikipedia pages to YouTube comments and TikTok videos — countless Thais and international observers have noticed a recurring pattern:
Whenever Thai culture is featured, be it food, dance, or even a viral restaurant, Cambodian accounts often swarm in, claiming:
“It’s originally Khmer.” “Thailand stole everything.” “Siamese thieves.”
And in some truly bizarre cases, they go even further — Flagging Cambodian national flags on famous Thai restaurants, products, or media where Cambodia has no historical connection whatsoever.
This isn’t just random internet trolling. It’s a sustained, coordinated attempt to reshape perception, erase Thai contributions, and recast Cambodia as the rightful origin of Southeast Asia’s identity.
In this second installment, we dive deeper. We uncover the political incentives, economic motivations, foreign influences, and cultural psychology behind this aggressive campaign.
Welcome to Part 2: The Khmer Empire Rises Again – Why Does Cambodia Want Thai Culture So Badly?
🎭 Why Does Cambodia Want Thai Culture So Badly?
1. It’s Proven Profitable — and Globally Famous
Thai culture has already made its mark on the world stage. Whether it’s food, dance, fashion, or Muay Thai, it’s recognizable, admired, and marketable. Cambodia sees an opportunity not to create, but to repackage Thai culture as their own, hoping to inherit the prestige without building the foundation.
2. A Convenient Distraction from Internal Problems
The Cambodian government has discovered that fueling nationalist sentiment against Thailand serves as an excellent distraction from domestic mismanagement. By portraying cultural appropriation as “reclaiming stolen heritage,” the regime wins the support of its citizens, who believe they are standing up for their history — even when that “history” isn’t theirs.
Turning envy into policy: When you can’t govern well, stir up an enemy.
3. The Shadow of China: Grey Capital and Geopolitical Games
In the case of Kun Khmer (Cambodia’s rebranded Muay Thai), a deeper layer reveals itself: Chinese grey capital has taken interest in Thailand’s cultural assets, especially Muay Thai — but cannot control or commercialize it directly, since Muay Thai is protected by international recognition and institutions.
The workaround? Back Cambodia’s campaign to promote Kun Khmer. Let Cambodia fight for it — and China profits from the aftermath, whether through hosting events or controlling the narrative.
4. A New Colonial Allegiance: From Siam & Vietnam to Beijing
Historically, Cambodia has always depended on either Siam (Thailand) or Vietnam for survival. But since Chinese influence surged, Cambodia has abandoned regional cooperation and aggressively sided with China, emboldening its government to antagonize Thailand at every turn — while still tiptoeing around Vietnam due to Vietnam’s deep military and political presence inside Cambodia.
Notable actions include:
Unilaterally canceling the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam trilateral cooperation
Openly claiming disputed islands from both Vietnam and Thailand
Telling Chinese audiences false narratives about Thai culture — something they attempted in Japan but were denied due to diplomatic respect. China, on the other hand, allowed it freely.
4. A Taste of Recognition — The Joy of Finally Being Seen
For years, Cambodia was barely acknowledged by Thailand — or by many other ASEAN nations. Now, for the first time, Cambodians are gaining regional attention, especially by openly picking fights with Thailand and injecting themselves into online debates across platforms like Reddit and YouTube.
And for some, that attention feels like validation.
By stirring controversy and attaching themselves to Thai cultural content, they gain visibility. Some even feel empowered, believing their country finally has a voice — and even tourism benefits, as misinformed foreigners assume:
“Thailand and Cambodia are basically the same.” “If I don’t go to Thailand, I’ll just go to Cambodia — it’s probably similar.”
For a country long ignored, this newfound relevance is intoxicating. And if all it takes is hijacking Thai culture to get it — why wouldn’t they do it?
6. Cultural Osmosis Turned Delusion
For decades, Cambodians have watched Thai television, listened to Thai music, and enjoyed Thai entertainment — often dubbed into Khmer without credit. TV shows were translated with local voiceovers, but the Thai origin was never acknowledged. Historical dramas and folklore films — unique to Thai culture — began to be mistaken as Khmer creations.
Even cultural elements from Southern Thailand, which Khmer culture never reached, have now been absorbed and rebranded in Cambodian perception as their own heritage.
They don’t just consume Thai culture — they digest it until they forget where it came from.
Introduction: The Empire Holds No Sword, Only a Keyboard
In the past, empires expanded with armies, stone citadels, and royal decrees. But in the 21st century, conquest looks very different. It comes not with flags and force, but through online content — Wikipedia pages, YouTube videos, and a barrage of question-and-answer threads that relentlessly assert: “Cambodia is the original source of everything in Southeast Asia.”
One of the most glaring examples is found in the Talk page of the Wikipedia article on Thai cuisine. There, a quiet but persistent war has been unfolding — with coordinated efforts to rewrite the narrative and label many aspects of Thai culture as mere imitations of Khmer heritage.
Cultural Claiming: The Case of “Thai Cuisine” Becoming “Khmer Food”
The main article on Thai Cuisine has become a battleground of edits, reverts, and re-edits. Numerous contributors — often linked with Cambodian interests — have attempted to rename dishes, change culinary origins, and frame Thai food as an offshoot of Khmer cooking.
Yet historical records, linguistic roots, royal court recipes, and centuries of evolution show a rich and distinct Thai culinary tradition — influenced by Chinese, Indian, and Western cuisines, synthesized uniquely into what the world today knows as Thai food.
To claim this as Khmer in origin is not only historically false, but also reveals a pattern: a nation so obsessed with heritage restoration that it is willing to discard its own identity in order to claim another’s.
Why Would a Nation Abandon Its Own Culture to Claim Another’s?
The answer lies in history — a complex, often painful one. Cambodia was a vassal state of Ayutthaya and Rattanakosin for over 400 years, and later a colony under France. During those centuries, Thai culture saturated Cambodian society — from royal rituals to folk customs.
After independence, Cambodia emerged with political sovereignty but deep cultural scars. Rather than developing a forward-looking identity, there has been a sweeping attempt to “reclaim” — or rather appropriate — Thai elements as ancient Khmer origins.
It is not evolution. It is rebranding by force.
Incredible Examples of Cultural Rewriting
🥊 Muay Thai Becomes “Kun Khmer” – A Rebranding Fueled by Envy and Strategy
The rebranding of Muay Thai as “Kun Khmer” didn’t emerge from combat tradition — it emerged from cinematic envy. Following the global success of the Thai film Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior, which took the world by storm and redefined martial arts cinema across Hollywood, Cambodia’s response was not admiration, but appropriation.
In a strikingly coordinated campaign, Cambodia submitted “Bokator” — a traditional martial art closer to dance than combat — to UNESCO for Intangible Cultural Heritage recognition. Once recognized, they rapidly remodeled Bokator’s visual identity to resemble Muay Thai techniques, renamed it “Kun Khmer,” and began to claim Muay Thai as a Cambodian derivative.
What’s worse, UNESCO approved the registration under the guise of preserving Bokator — but it was then weaponized as a diplomatic and cultural tool to discredit Muay Thai and reframe Thailand as the imitator. The campaign’s evidence?
Reliefs at Angkor Wat, which, though ancient, appear to magically “update themselves” to match modern narratives. New claims cite wall carvings that “prove” ancient Cambodian martial arts — even when such details did not exist in past archaeological documentation. In some cases, historical inscriptions or motifs linked to Siam have been scratched off or replaced, suggesting a deliberate erasure and redirection of cultural memory. This is not heritage preservation — this is heritage fabrication. When walls rewrite themselves, and dance becomes a fist, history is no longer recorded — it is forged.
🧢 They Even Claimed Tony Jaa as Their Own
As if rebranding Muay Thai wasn’t enough, Cambodian voices online — from forums to YouTube comments — began to claim that Tony Jaa, the Thai action superstar of Ong-Bak, was in fact of Cambodian descent, and that the film itself was inspired by “Khmer martial heritage.”
This myth, though widely debunked, continues to circulate in online spaces — part of a broader strategy to blur national origins, erase Thai achievements, and absorb global recognition into a fabricated narrative.
It’s a familiar tactic: When a neighboring country succeeds, they don’t just admire — they retroactively claim ownership.
🗺️ When Borders Lie – The Great Khmer Map Heist
Beyond music, food, martial arts, and costumes, Cambodia has taken its cultural appropriation campaign into the realm of cartography — redrawing history with maps that never existed.
In online forums, educational pages, and even printed textbooks, they present heavily altered world and regional maps, shaded boldly in ochre or red, labeling enormous swathes of Southeast Asia as “Khmer Empire.” These fabricated maps often:
Cover most of modern-day Thailand, Laos, southern Vietnam, and Malaysia
Stretch as far as the Bay of Bengal and Java Sea, despite no historical evidence
Include areas Khmer forces never occupied, and where no archaeological remains exist
Many of these maps are based loosely on ancient Siamese or French colonial maps, which have been color-manipulated and relabeled, often overlaying historical inconsistencies with modern political borders.
It is the digital age’s equivalent of “planting a flag.” If you can draw it, share it, and go viral with it — the world may believe it.
This cartographic propaganda has infiltrated Wikipedia, YouTube documentaries, and nationalist merchandise, turning visual lies into psychological weapons.
👘 Thai Traditional Dress Recast as “Khmer Royal Attire” – But Tailored in Thailand In their relentless campaign to appropriate Southeast Asian culture, Cambodian sources have gone as far as to relabel Thai traditional attire as “Khmer royal costume,” complete with fabricated historical timelines and AI-generated reinterpretations of court life. The irony? Many of these “Khmer” garments were proven to be purchased from Thai online shops. Numerous fashion pieces showcased in state-sponsored cultural events have been traced back to Thai designers and costume vendors, with critics online exposing the inconsistencies and lack of historical authenticity. But the narrative doesn’t stop there. To support this claim, they also began promoting the idea that “Thais are Chinese” — asserting that Thai traditional dress is merely adapted from Chinese immigrant clothing or hill tribe attire. In this twisted logic, only Cambodia retains the true, native, original royal aesthetics of the region.
🌏 A Dream of Lost Empire – Cambodia as the Sole Ruler of ASEAN Cambodian ultranationalist rhetoric has increasingly promoted the belief that Khmer culture ruled all of Southeast Asia — from Burma to Malaysia, and even Indonesia. They have claimed ownership over Borobudur and Bali, despite no historical record of Angkorian presence in those regions. More recently, Cambodia stirred controversy by claiming the capital of Vietnam — suggesting that modern Hanoi was a stolen Khmer city, and that its population are “foreign squatters.” This is not just revisionism — it is a mythological empire-building project, built not on history, but on colonial trauma and manipulated identity.
🏛️ A Legacy Rewritten by Empire Cambodia’s deep-rooted resentment toward Thailand is not organic — it was carefully constructed by French colonial authorities. To elevate Cambodia as a “noble protectorate” while suppressing Siamese influence, the French manufactured a historical narrative that: Erased Siam’s historical sovereignty over Cambodia Falsified records to glorify Angkor while vilifying Thailand Used global influence to demand the return of Siem Reap and Angkor Wat — stripping Thailand of both its spiritual and territorial connection to these sacred sites This is why the Musée Guimet in France once labeled Angkor Wat as “Siamese”, and why Thailand built a replica of Angkor Wat as a memorial — not of conquest, but of cultural theft through diplomatic trickery.
When memory is stolen, monuments become weapons. And when identity is fabricated, truth becomes dangerous.
The legend of Mae Nak Phra Khanong, a true Thai ghost tale deeply embedded in Bangkok’s culture, has been reproduced in Cambodia with a claimed Khmer origin.
Luk thung (Thai country music) and even Mor Lam (Isan-Laotian folk) have been paraded online as “Khmer folk roots.”
Even spoken Thai in dubbed TV shows is claimed to be “Khmer-accented Thai derived from ancient Khmer.”
A New Empire Backed by the State – Not with Soldiers, but Social Media Teams
What makes this trend deeply concerning is that it is not merely a grassroots nationalist movement. It is occurring at the governmental level:
Government-sponsored YouTube and TikTok channels targeting international audiences with polished content that distorts historical truths.
Networks of volunteers (possibly bots and paid editors) swarming Wikipedia, Reddit, Quora, and other platforms to steer the narrative consistently toward Cambodian supremacy.
This is information warfare — the colonization of public knowledge by altering global perception.
Conclusion: From Civilization to Cultural Warfare
The resurgence of the Khmer Empire is not marked by Angkorian temples or warrior kings, but by URLs, bots, and social media accounts. Rather than simply learning from Thailand, Cambodia seems determined to erase Thailand from its own culture — and insert Khmer supremacy in its place.
This is not merely a matter of credit. It is a battle over identity, truth, and cultural sovereignty.
If we let this digital empire expand unchecked, the world might one day believe that Thai food is Cambodian, and Thai culture is a Khmer revival. When in fact, the truth is quite the opposite.
🇺🇸 America’s image during this period: The U.S. positioned itself as the Leader of the Free World.
Polite in speech, diplomatic, full of etiquette and sweet words — yet still undeniably powerful.
Built alliances such as NATO, the UN, G7, IMF, WTO.
Supported a “New World Order” where American rules were central.
Soft power was at its peak — Hollywood, McDonald’s, Apple, Dream.
🤝 The world tacitly accepted America: “Yes, the U.S. may have its own interests, but at least it’s keeping the world in decent order.”
🧱 Trump Era: “From Hidden Emperor to Open Emperor”
“No need to pretend we’re allies. We all know I’m the superpower you depend on.” – Donald Trump (in various versions 😂)
What Trump did was: Break every tradition past U.S. leaders had followed.
Rejected multilateralism → shifted toward pure hard power.
Withdrew from several agreements: TPP, WHO, Paris Climate Agreement, etc.
Intimidated allies: told NATO to pay more or lose support.
Openly hated China: used racially charged language in public.
Used social media as a political weapon (especially Twitter).
💥 The result: “The America we once knew” disappeared.
Allies began to distrust the U.S. and sought ways to survive without depending on it.
Old rivals (like China, Russia, Iran) seized the moment to expand influence.
🔮 Post-Trump America: “Losing Balance or Adapting?”
🎭 Joe Biden returned to the “classic tone,” attempting to “restore the pre-Trump order.”
But it’s no longer the same.
The world hasn’t forgotten the “Trump moment” that exposed America’s true hand.
🧠 What the world learned from the Trump era: The U.S. can no longer hide its darker side.
Can one leader really shift national policy this drastically? → Is the system unstable?
Allies began forming “backup plans,” like:
Europe developing its own SWIFT system
Saudi Arabia making more deals with China and Russia
Asia shifting focus from TPP to RCEP
📌 Even though Biden tries to “repair relationships,” the sentiment remains: “You may forgive… but you don’t forget.” – A European diplomat said after meeting with Biden in 2021.
🏛 If we were to compare:
Before Trump = A Roman Emperor in golden robes (rhetoric + hidden power) Trump = Took off the robe and walked the streets with a hammer (I’m the biggest; disagree and I’ll cut your funds) After Trump = Trying to put the robe back on, but it’s torn (The world says “I’ve seen your true form.”)
💡 Speculative analysis from the future:
If Trump returns (a real possibility in 2024–2025), The world may enter an era of “Global Order Instability.” Nations might shift into “survival mode” rather than cooperation.
The U.S. could become a “superpower no one wants to rely on.”
The world might move into a multipolar multilateralism era, with China–India–EU–Russia as alternative power poles.
And America’s soft power may keep fading, if its image as a “model to follow” continues to erode.
🧱 Trump Era 2.0: “The Return of Far-Right America”
Trump’s Return – Not Revenge, But Realignment
🎯 Key Foundation:
This time, Trump is not the same man from 2016. He is now:
Someone who has already held power
Someone who knows where the system blocks him
Surrounded by allies ready to openly dismantle the Deep State
🔥 What’s different from Trump’s first term:
Topic
Trump’s First Term (2016)
Trump’s Second Term (2025)
Positioning
“America First”
“America Only”
Approach
Breaking norms while still within the system
Intentionally aims to “revolutionize the system” using popular support
Foreign Negotiations
Threats and intimidation to get better deals
Actual withdrawal and severing of ties
Alliances
Reduced NATO involvement
Possible full withdrawal from NATO
China Relations
Primary adversary
Preparing for a full-scale cold war
Media & Domestic Institutions
Complained about the media
Determined to control media, judiciary, and government agencies
🧨 “The World Order After 2025” – What Might Happen?
🧭 1. The World Fully Enters a “Multipolar” Era
The U.S. will increasingly shut itself off from the world.
The EU, China, India, and Russia will rise as continental powers.
Global alliances will form not by ideology, but by who offers the best chance of survival.
💵 2. The Global Economy = “A Battlefield of Trade”
Tariffs and tech bans will spike.
Global supply chains may become closed loops within each alliance bloc.
Multinational companies will face pressure to choose sides.
🎖 3. Rising Global Tensions
If Trump pressures NATO, Ukraine may be left to stand alone.
Taiwan could become a flashpoint if China perceives U.S. retreat.
The Middle East may heat up as the U.S. pulls back from its role as global policeman.
🗽 4. America’s Soft Power = “An Illusion?”
Artists, celebrities, and scientists may begin leaving the country.
The image of America as “the land of opportunity” may shift to a land of chaos.
Foreign admirers who once said “I want to be like America” may start rethinking.
🎬 Summary:
Trump’s second term could be:
The end of a U.S.-led world order
The beginning of an era of domestic rule over global dominance
A global atmosphere reminiscent of pre–World War I → Multiple power blocs → Overlapping tensions → A spark waiting to ignite
🐉 China: “From Sleeping Dragon to Alternative Leader”
🌏 Before China’s Rise:
China was once seen as “the world’s factory”: – Cheap goods, abundant labor, and massive profits – But staying out of global political affairs
Behind the scenes, though: China was quietly playing the long game.
📈 When China Started Rising:
The “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) – a modern Silk Road → Billions of dollars poured into global infrastructure, especially in developing nations
Established new financial institutions to rival the IMF/World Bank, like AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank)
Money over military → Instead of sending troops, China uses financial tools, mega-projects, and loans to influence geopolitics.
💬 China’s Soft Power:
Spread culture through Confucius Institutes
Promote Chinese culture via dramas, KOLs, and Chinese-language social media
Achieved success in global tech industries (Huawei, TikTok, DJI)
😐 The World Sees China in Two Contrasting Lights:
One side: “China is an economic opportunity”
The other side: “China is a threat to freedom”
🌐 In a Post-Trump World:
As America lays all its cards on the table and allies start to waver, China is emerging as the “alternative” many nations are starting to consider.
📌 Especially in countries that are tired of the American-led system, like:
African nations: Frustrated with what they see as overbearing IMF and World Bank conditions
Some Asian countries: Looking for capital, not wanting to depend solely on the U.S.
Russia: Growing even closer to China, sharing the same goal → no single global ruler
🧠 China’s Grand Strategy:
Not to lead the world like America, But simply to ensure the world doesn’t need a single leader.
As if saying:
“You don’t need to love us… Just don’t rely on them 100%.”
🪖 Russia: “The Superpower That Never Wanted the Spotlight, But Refuses to Be a Side Character”
⏳ A History That Never Fades:
Russia isn’t like China, which grew quietly — Russia is an “old superpower.” The former Soviet Union once clashed head-on with the U.S. during the Cold War. Even though it collapsed in 1991, the “superpower spirit” never disappeared.
🧊 The Cold War Never Truly Ended:
After the USSR fell, Russia appeared to step back… But once Putin came to power in 2000, the game changed.
“Putin’s Russia is a wolf that got its fangs back.”
🔥 How Russia Plays the Game:
Russia doesn’t aim to create a new world system like China. Instead, its strategy is: “If I can’t lead the world, then no one else should be able to either.”
🇷🇺 Russia’s Grand Strategy:
Weaponizing energy: Europe, especially Eastern Europe, relies on Russian gas and oil
Fueling political division in Europe and the U.S. (evidence of election interference, etc.)
Expert at proxy wars: Syria, Libya, Africa, Ukraine
📡 On the Soft Power Front:
Expands its narrative via RT (Russia Today) and alternative media outlets
Supports anti-globalist, far-right, and anti-NATO movements
Sells itself as the “alternative to the Western worldview”
🪙 Small Economy, Big Impact:
Russia’s GDP isn’t in the world’s top 5, But it’s rich in energy, minerals, and weapons.
Its role in OPEC+ gives it influence over oil prices
One of the world’s top arms exporters, especially to nations that don’t want to rely on the West
💣 The Ukraine War: A Turning Point for the World
The invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led to severe Western sanctions on Russia. But instead of crumbling, Russia turned its back on Europe and pivoted to Asia.
China, India, the Middle East, and Africa became its new trading partners. While they may not outright support Russia, they don’t openly condemn it either.
🌍 Perspective from the Global South:
Many nations see Russia as a counterbalance to the Western world. When NATO seems too aggressive, Russia acts as a counterweight.
African nations have started buying arms or hiring mercenaries from Russia (e.g., Wagner Group).
Russia may not be the “hero” reshaping the world, but it’s the one saying:
“No one should reshape the world alone.”
📌 If China is “the new alternative,” 📌 Then Russia is “the resistance to having only one choice.”
🇮🇳 India: “An alternative power bloc that doesn’t need to follow anyone” 🕉️ A naturally great nation India doesn’t need to try hard to “appear big” — because it truly is big.
The most populous country in the world (surpassing China)
7th largest land area globally
An ancient civilization with deeply “classical” roots (Not just India, but the source of influence for Buddhism, Hinduism, and South Asian culture)
But what makes India most intriguing is…
“Being a great power that deliberately chooses a middle path.”
⚖️ India doesn’t pick sides — it picks itself
India is not a member of NATO
Not a close ally of China or the U.S.
India is part of BRICS (China, Russia, Brazil, South Africa) Yet at the same time, it cooperates with the QUAD (Japan, U.S., Australia) to counterbalance China
India is exceptionally skilled at “multi-table diplomacy” — like a diplomat who talks to everyone without owing anyone.
🛕 India’s Strengths:
Soft Power is incredibly strong
Bollywood, Yoga, the depth of Indian philosophy
Indian cuisine is found globally (because curry shops are a force!)
Technology is on the rise
World’s largest digital ID system (Aadhaar)
Launches low-cost satellites — and already landed on the moon’s south pole!
A global hub for outsourcing, IT, and software engineers
A democracy where people still have a voice
India hosts the largest democratic elections in the world
Despite some issues, people have real voting power, and politics remains vibrant and open
A growing economy with solid fundamentals
India’s growth relies heavily on its domestic market, unlike China’s export-focused model
A massive and youthful workforce is entering a “demographic bonus” phase
“India doesn’t try to lead the world… But it wants the world to accept that being true to oneself is also a form of power.”
