Thank you, Kallyan, for pointing out the corrections!Merci beaucoup!
23 July 2008
By Kang Kallyan
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
The calls for the boycott of Thai products are increasing. The Men Sarun Co. Thai company which sells the Mama brand package noodle from Thailand, is stopping its production in Cambodia.
“We cannot allow Thailand to continue to look down on our people. It you are Khmer or of Khmer blood, forward this SMS to all your Khmer friends all over the world.” This message, along with a call to boycott Thai goods and cultural products “bearing signs in Thai” were sent to numerous Cambodian hand phones in the last few days. On Wednesday 23 July, the Raksmei Kampuchea and the Koh Santepheap newspaper published, among the news articles about Preah Vihear, an anonymous announce calling for an end to the “import, purchase and sale of goods and services from Thailand.” The announcement, accompanied by the national flag and a drawing of the Preah Vihear temple, ends with the following slogan: “When Khmer people are united, Khmer people survive. When Khmer people are divided, Khmer people die.”
At the Olympic market, several merchants observe a sharp decrease in sale of products made in Thailand. Ny, a 37-year-old wholesale merchant, used to sell 200 cases of noodles per day up until last week. Since the crisis, she only sells 60 cases per day. “The sale of the Mama noodles drops in free fall,” she observes. “People absolutely want the Mee Yeung (Our Noodle) brand made the Men Sarun Co. in Cambodia instead. But, the stocks are not enough.”
Consumers’ determination is farfetched, very farfetched: “Some even want Vietnamese products!” Ny added. “But, they hesitate somewhat, they are persuaded that they (Vietnamese products) are bad quality.”
In fact, since last week, theMen Sarun Co. Thai company which produces the Mama noodle, stopped its production in Cambodia. “We may restart the production after the election,” said 36-year-old Khun, a company employee at its marketing department. When asked about the explosion of the demand for the Mee Yueng noodle brand produced by its competitor, Khun said: “It’s logical. People who buy noodles to send to the Cambodian soldiers and to the people in Preah Vihear, they want to prove their patriotism, and they prefer Cambodian-made noodle.”
Nevertheless, a long term boycott of Thai good remains dubious: “People who are used to eat Thai products will not start eating Chinese or Vietnamese foods right away,” said Hong, a 30-year-old merchant near the Olympic market. “Even if the government joins the boycott, consumers would always want to buy Thai products and the merchants would do all they can to get them to sell.”
“We cannot allow Thailand to continue to look down on our people. It you are Khmer or of Khmer blood, forward this SMS to all your Khmer friends all over the world.” This message, along with a call to boycott Thai goods and cultural products “bearing signs in Thai” were sent to numerous Cambodian hand phones in the last few days. On Wednesday 23 July, the Raksmei Kampuchea and the Koh Santepheap newspaper published, among the news articles about Preah Vihear, an anonymous announce calling for an end to the “import, purchase and sale of goods and services from Thailand.” The announcement, accompanied by the national flag and a drawing of the Preah Vihear temple, ends with the following slogan: “When Khmer people are united, Khmer people survive. When Khmer people are divided, Khmer people die.”
At the Olympic market, several merchants observe a sharp decrease in sale of products made in Thailand. Ny, a 37-year-old wholesale merchant, used to sell 200 cases of noodles per day up until last week. Since the crisis, she only sells 60 cases per day. “The sale of the Mama noodles drops in free fall,” she observes. “People absolutely want the Mee Yeung (Our Noodle) brand made the Men Sarun Co. in Cambodia instead. But, the stocks are not enough.”
Consumers’ determination is farfetched, very farfetched: “Some even want Vietnamese products!” Ny added. “But, they hesitate somewhat, they are persuaded that they (Vietnamese products) are bad quality.”
In fact, since last week, the
Nevertheless, a long term boycott of Thai good remains dubious: “People who are used to eat Thai products will not start eating Chinese or Vietnamese foods right away,” said Hong, a 30-year-old merchant near the Olympic market. “Even if the government joins the boycott, consumers would always want to buy Thai products and the merchants would do all they can to get them to sell.”
63 comments:
I saw on TV5 last weekend that the donation to our soldiers in Preah Vihear included Mama noodle. What the hell they were doing! If the Thais saw the broadcast, they would have laughed at us. We all are mostly depending on import products from many different sources such as Malaysia why not stop using Thai product from now on?
This boycott will sooner or later be met with retaliatory measures from the Thai people. Both peoples will lose in the end.
"I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken." (Oliver Cromwell)
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
thailand people never like cambodian,alway want to take our land,,,, why we eat thai product?
we should stop using product of thai from now on.
i agree with 3:43Pm. i saw it too. how stupit those people are!
Dear Kone Khmers all over the world,
Stop buying, using siam product!
Only buy Khmer products. It also encourages to develop our economy.
You don't have to tell me, I have never used cheap stuffs from Thailand. I am in Malaysia.
The boycott of thailandais products is already a first good thing.
The second good measure to be taken by the Khmer royal government is to release all the thais Moslem prisoners detained in the Cambodian prison and accused of terrorism.
These separatist Muslims of the South of thailande are not terrorists but fair thais Muslims who fight for their autonomy and their fundamental rights.
The Cambodian royal government has to support them and help them in their fight for the creation of the future Muslim autonomous state of the South of the thailande.
This clear signal of the change of the geopolitical strategy must be given to this bastard Bhumibol adulyade and its clan of the decay’s politicians.
4:30 PM
Sure!
You're only using that is made in China.
What would happen if the Thai decided to bomb the tmeple as a reprisal?
nothing! it is considered as war collateral damages.
ALL HOTELS, HOUSES, APARTMENTS, CONDOS, AND VILLAS IN CAMBODIA THAT HAVE RESEMBLANCE OR SIMILARITY SHOULD TEAR DOWN AND BUILD NEW ONES. ALL THAI-STYLE BUILDINGS ARE UNACCEPTABLE.
I am a franco-khmer.
No matter what you might think, every single consumer if they boycott thai goods will bring to the hundreds of thouands if not millions of thai goods lost customers.
It will bring pressure from the business thais to make the government top being tupid and bowing to fanatics PAD.
I personall y have thrown away all thai goods in my house.
i will not buy anymore tai goods in the supermarket here. I will only buy products made locally;
I will eat more french food. Is the best cuisine in the world
good bye thailand.
I urge our compatriots to boyvott thai goods, it cn only spur our country to produce its on goods.
My next trip to cambodia s on singapore airlines or eva or malaysia or asiana or korea etc there ae so many choices
I wont recommend to my friends to visit thiland
The thais have shown their true colors.
our enemy.
For media business do not produce Thai movies any more, why you people doing like that by copying from thier TV and translate than selling or rent to Our people.
Khmer People,
If there is no demand for justice,
There will be NO justice!
Let keep on demanding! until there is justice.
Khmer pride / khmer justice
WE WILL NOT USE YOUN PRODUCTS (YOUN PROSTITUTES, YOUN IMMIGRANTS,...)!
WILL AH PSYCHOPATH HUN SEN?
3:43PM
we already had our laugh, don't worry. haha
When Khmer people are divided, Khmer people die.
i hope you all die very soon 'coz
khmers never really united.
Khmers must boycott youn products too including youn prostitutes!
For Cambodge Soir,
If I'm not mistaken, Men Sarun Co doesn't produce Thai Mama instant noodles. The noodles produced by this company called "Mi Yoeung (our noodles)", made from locally grown cassava plant. And it's the first Cambodian-owned noodles factory that has just begun its operations in early July. Mi Yoeung hopes to compete against Cambodia's first factory, the Thai-owned President Foods Cambodia Co, which produces Mama instant noodles, and opened in 2001 Phnom Penh's Dankor district.
I am franco_ khmer too, since 3 year in my head never want go to cambodai by thai air line. and from now on we must to stop forever from Thailan. I am agree thatThai want to lose and mustlose a good customer.
if we want to see khmer develop we must support khmer product, and help our coutry, I hope all the studen who study at outsid and all rich khmer go to help our coutry
good by Thai (Siem= ROBBER)
For crying out loud! Now, I have to boycott my Thai wife. However, for the a small profit, I will put her on Ebay.
I will miss her dearly, but for the sake of my country, I have to let her go.
Also, I will miss the city of BangCocks.
Signed: newly single and looking for Khmer woman.
Even I posted the first comment at 3:43PM I somewhat agree with 4:12PM that benefits would be lost to certain extent on both sides. Our merchants still keep Thai products worth millions of dollars in Cambodia. We have to find a niche to take the advantage in this by asking our merchants to stop importing goods from Thailand and re-direct their import source.
The reporter made a mistake with the names of the companies. Men Sarun, Co. Ltd is the producer of Mee Yeung, not Mama. The producer of Mama in Cambodia is President Food Co., Ltd.
BOYCOTT YUON, SIAM PRODUCTS!
BOYCOTT YUON, SIAM PROSTITUTES OR
WOMEN!
STOP VISITNG THEIR AIR COMPANY!
USE ONLY REAL KHMER PRODUCTS OR KHMER COMPANY!
We have korean, japnese,singapore, hong kong, malaysian, indonesian etc investors in cambodia, these countries can provide us with more than adequate varieties og
f food, equipment etc
they also invest to produce and grow food;
these are our business partners and friends.
these are the countries that ill import from us
who needs thailand
who needs to deal with the enemy
who needs that kind of 'friendly neighbor'
I will be damn if Cambodia can't make a good dry noodle!
Buying any products is based on perception! The fact is I never see any Cambodian noodle expert do double blind test or check out the ingredient on the Thaicong products! If any fool check on the Thaicong food products and they will find the MSG is the main ingredient which give their product flavor! It is a fact the whole Cambodian population are addicted to MSG and more MSG and more products are sell in Cambodia!
The other reasons why stupid Cambodian people favor the Thaicong products more than any other product because the Thaicong infomercials are flooding Cambodian Television and radio as result stupid Cambodian people know only Thaicong brand of products! Any product beside the Thaicong products from the Western World make are out of reach for Cambodian people!
Finally most Cambodian people don't have enough information to make the right decision and a lot of time they like to follow each other! And some Cambodian people are plain stupid and they born to be stupid or something!
So here is the hard fact about dry noodle and it can be very dangerous to your health! Dry noodle is not something that you can eat everyday!
check it out!
http://english.pravda.ru/science/health/08-02-2005/7712-noodles-0
i haven't found any khmer products in thailand.so then,there are not any thing for khmer to lose,and so doese for thai to boycott any.
For crying out loud! Now, I have to boycott my youn prostitute wife. However, for the a small profit, I will put her (mee youn) on Ebay.
I will miss her dearly, but for the sake of my country, I have to let her go.
Also, I will miss the city of ah Ho chheam Tmenh city (Ho Chi Minh city).
Signed: newly single and looking for Khmer woman.
yes, let's boycott all thailand export food stuff as well in the USA and all over the world. let them all go to hell for what they've done to damage the relation with cambodia. i guess they need a remedial course in how to respect the international law like treaty, boundary lines, other countries's culture, etiqette, diplomacy, etc... apparently, they failed with all of the above. thailand needs to tast strong medicine from the UN council as well. yes, please boycott all thai made and thai name products, etc... instead, let's turn to other products of the world, anything, except anything from thailand, of course. trust me, they will feel this effect sooner or later, when their business is not making any profit; they will go to hell like the rest of thailand. god bless cambodia.
by the way, boycott is a new phenomenon to cambodia, however, who says we can't catch up with capitalism? god bless cambodia.
11:00 PM
FUNNY, BROTHER!
That makes both us single (again).
Khmer women all the way!
God bless Khmer men and women and children and her country!
I am a franco-khmer
who cares if your mom's fucked by a franco or not
The khmer product that you find near siam country(not in Siam country) is casino. so what the heck let ah siam boycott the casino.
Here is the problem.Some people love to tell people what to do and it's fine after all we are in the same boat and we were invaded , and i won't mention their names because they're neighbors ,but when i went to their houses in khan 7 MERKARA to see if they mean what they said,it turn out just the opposite .They just bought stacks of Thai's noodle in place them in their basements even the hand soap are the Thai's products and also their wives's make up , more than that they have bunches of Thai's movies in the families's room.I came home thinking what the hypocrites those SOB are.
In my opinion, TV5's owner is somewhat apparently influenced by Thais too. I do not know for sure if the TV5's owner is Thai or not. Also if we look at the TV channel numbers in Thailand and then again we look at ones in Cambodia! yeah, you could see we have the same numbers like Channel 5, 9,... and more clearly, in Cambodia, we have TV5 which is known as The Royal Cambodia Armed Force Television channel 5 and in Thailand they have Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel 5. why our Army channel has to be 5 like Thai?
4;40PM. Sorry I didn't make it clear. No I don't use Asian products. I use the products from Europe and US. My family send me a lot of Trey Ngiet, Trey Chha-eu, love it.
I am Kallyann Kang, journaliste at Cambodge soir hebdo
The Men Sarun Company produce the Mee Yeung noodle not the Mama noodle
Please go to http://www.cambodgesoir.info/content.php?itemid=34279&p=
My article wrote about this topic
Thank u
10:51: Sound like you are very high educated in food industry and understand a lot about it. You know what, because you people always think that the other is smarter than you that's why you always lose. I have been in your country at grass root level... To be honest, we can't say who is smarter than who... More or less the same...
Very unfortunately that Cambodia frequently face war otherwise you poeple would bow to us.
What Thai poeple smart at??? beside materialism... Walk down in shopping malls and look at your poeple... If I would be your people I won't be proud! Put a lot of money to follow the western style fashion, Japanese, Korean... and so on... But hungry stomach!! Come on man... Chasing the education in USA, Euro, Australia bla bla... But don't even have the vision for yourself... Is this smart? Chasing the education abroad just try to show the society that I have studying in this country and that country but come back barely speak the language... What the hell is going on with this poeple??? And you think you poeple smart!!!!
We are not trying to say that you are stupid but let's sit down discuss the issue by not starting scholling at each other... Try to look down at somebody's else and think you are win, that's doesn't work!
Now take this my neighbor: You know who you are clearly when you come to think that you are smarter than us!!! I don't have to mention this...
If I would put the figure, 90% of home use in Cambodia are made in Thailand. Again my neighbor, if you are smart enough! Have you ever try to calculate how many percent of those are actually own by Thai people and most of the value added part/component are really made in Thailand???
Do you really think that P&G, Unilever, Nestle, Coca Cola etc is own 100% by Thai??? Have you ever try to calculate how much money they pack back to USA, Europe...??? It is still benefit the Thai Nation however... But if I would be you, again think you are smart enough... I won't underestimate the situation!!! Call for boycott the product will slowly and surely erod the sale margin...
You probably never been in Cambodia and saying that we don't have choise!!! Smart neighbor take a look back at the crisis about Angkor Wat Temple... Your people try so bad to bring your influence through public tv series back BUT the answer is "NO"... And who is replacing you... The Korean!!! And this time your product... Sit down, wait and see "what will happen?"
I really want to see the bullets fly and bomb drop... Eventhough there will be blood spill and death counted BUT this is will determine the turning point for Cambodia... And thailand will create a complete block for themselves... except with Laos...
Let it all begin!!!
5:23 PM
Are you related to French who kicked Cambodian ass King?
Don't dis-respect khmer!
Thai, u give dis-respect, you ll get dis-respect in return.
Boycott I will, for long term offcourse!
Look around in Siam lately, the Siamese society are full interracial marriage. I think that why they are more educated. The women are not afraid to hold their body back from prospecting males.
How much 4.6KM square at Preah Vihar Temple was? Let’s talk about DOLLARS only, regardless of sovereignty, cultural, and other values.
4.6 km square is 4,600,000 meter squares. If this area was developed it would be one of the hottest tourist destinations. Let’s compare: The hottest land in Cambodia reached $3,000 par 1 meter square. This partial of land will worth US$ 13,800,000,000.00 with this price. Yes, baby, yes, almost US$14 billion. Let‘s continue our dream. If Cambodian Government imposes 1% property tax on this partial, it would generate $138 millions a year. One more thing I want to address: this land is not depleted like under water oil along the Cambodian shore.
Oh! God! Buddha! Jesus! Allah! That is why Thai wants it without shameful action.
Way to go Cambodian!
It's about time we stand up!
How many decades we were abuse by them thieves! A small product like noodle is nothing but good to see Cambodian take action.
Rise up Cambodian!
That is not going to do shit, but more harm. Thailand will sell it to China under Chinese label instead; then China will sell it to Cambodia at higher price. So what is with all of the excitements?
to 5:46AM
chinese may sell at higher price but the profit will go to the chinese, not the thais, and thats exacly what we want!
China has many (countless) of its own brands. Why would we buy from the Thais? Tom Yam is suck!
6:21pm & 10:00 pm,
You are killing me, I can’t stop laughing.
Khmer, USA
China has can never have enough foods, 6:12.
6:10, that show how much you know about business. Thailand will get the same price from China as it will get from Cambodia; hence, it makes no difference to them.
Yeah, and soon you can't stop crying either, 6:26.
Hey guyS ! keep eating and buying Thai food and ALSO keep preaching BOYCOTT too, that what i called WIN WIN ATTITUDE.
thai food as they call it aren't the only food in the world. cambodia should refocus our culture on our national food again. i way i see it was that khmer food had been somewhat forgotten if not completely exinct. thanks to the many many years of civil conflict that displaced the khmer people as khmer food takes times to prepare. i think khmer people need to have pride again in our khmer food. in fact a lot of khmer food were stolen by thailand, as a result many people in the world only think of khmer food as "similar" to thai food when in actuality, thai people stole or adopted khmer food and made it their which i'm not surprise, like most things thai were khmer in origin, anyway. i think it is so because partly cambodia is to blame for not having pride in our food. the way to have pride in something is to think in term of competition, then khmer will have pride again. trust me. god bless.
The type of food your consume is not much of a problem, so long you got plenty supplies of it. We're talking fighting inflation that will hurt the poor. Can you produce enough to keep the inflation from eating people alive day after day? Many countries can't if they boycott their major importer countries.
To dear LAO Mong Hay 4:12 PM:
I don't think you are really Dr. LAO Mong Hay or not, professor at Torronto University, Canada because you don't care much how to presure Thai for their taking back army from Cambodia in name of you are a khmer people.
I think that boycotte Thai product it is the best way to presure to Bangkok's Goverment with the diplomacy and legal launching for their soldier withdrawal from Cambodia territory.
This way is most popular in the civilized country to presure other country follow their mind or their policy such as Chiness people boycotte the Frence product during the France support the Tibetan movement in China, after they boycotted, The France has changed their supporting for Tibetan, and American people boycotted the Frence product during The France has protested the US's incursion in Iraq and so on.
Cambodia can make bussiness with other country such as China, Viet nam, Korea and Japan and Singapor.. etc because Cambodia is a imported country and our exported product is not Thailand, our textile industry is exported to EU and USA and Canada. So the inflation will happen very short at the first but later on the inflation will drop down...Anyway this way make your country will be more painful because your country need the market, if does not have market where they sell thier product???
I think you might never forget the 2003 event, why Thai try to calmdown with Cambodia after their embassy was burned at 30th Jan. 2003 in Phnom Penh? because of their economy in Cambodia.
From Ramy, Chungnam University, South Korea.
9:17, It will be effective for the US, EU, or Canada, to boycott Thailand goods, but what is the little dot on the planet like Cambodia can do to a world leading rice exporter like Thailand?
Excellent point Ramy! I thought "Dr.Lao Mong Hai" if that's really him, point was unfair and seemed a little ignorance of the issue between Thai and Cambodia.
What do you think that Siamland is a big country?
Is Siamland comparable to Australia, Canada, US, Brasil...?
Why you do that 6:21? Why not pimp her out?
This way you have instant flow income.
Why you do that 11:00? Why not pimp her out?
This way you have instant flow income.
10:30, the AU, CAN, US, and Brasil,... . Did not boycott Thai's product. Did they?
Dr LAO is a very intelligent man that's why he's a doctor and the rest are a bunch of loony.
My brothers and sisters, please do your part to boycott Thailand goods.
We need to spread the message to all Khmer living in Cambodia as well as Khmer around the world. This is the best weapon we can use against the Siam. Siam had been bullying us long enough; therefore, please take action by picking up that phone or sendig that e-mail now!
Houston, Texas
I suggest that Western men should boycott the Thai "ladyboiz" in Bang-cock next!
As for my Thai wife, I boycotted her pussy all week now.
Boros Khmer USA
It's sad to read this and i really cant stand reading the whole comments because I AM THAI.What depress me the most is not most of you try to boycott our goods.To be honest, I dont give a shit about that. But your hatred againts us is what i do care. I am not here as Thai representative but i am sure that many Thais ppl are not as bad as you think. Atleast me , my familes , my friends ..none of us ever insult you or look down on you and your country. Indeed. My father even used to work Cambodia in a TV station. I dont know if some of you ever met some bad Thais but there are always bad ppl around the world , aren't there ? Please dont judge all of us like that. Atleast for me , I always think that you are our neighbour and i hope the situation is getting better soon....
It's shameful and disgracing that certain Thai or Siamese people have the nerve to come into this website and word their concerns regarding the ills and falsification of their people as "good" neighbors when in fact they are aggressors and their shameful behaviors speak for themselves. First of all, to even call Preah Vihear theirs is just amusing and shameful. The international community knows well that it belongs to Cambodia and her people. The history of Cambodia and Thailand, especially the treatment of Thais or the Siamese on Khmers leaves a bitter taste and it only justifies Khmer feeling towards Thais. They should really recollect themselves and focus on what is real and practical, such as those as the bombings and killings of their people in the south and the civil breakdown in their country, especially with the different parties. Our reaction towards Thais are just the effect of their treatment on Khmers. If they want our feelings to change, they need to first change their policy and ideology of Khmers being inferior toward them. Every civilization comes to a rise and fall. EVERY CIVILIZATION.
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