Hun Manet Orders to Open Cambodian Passport Offices in Foreign Countries
PM Hun Manet speaks during his meeting with over 18,000 workers in Kampong Speu province on Sept. 9. Photo: Prime Minister Hun Manet / Facebook
- By Meng Seavmey
- September 9, 2023 3:00 PM
PHNOM PENH — Prime Minister Hun Manet announced on Sept. 9 that passport offices will be opened in foreign countries to facilitate the procedures for Cambodian citizens to renew their passports. South Korea will be the first country in which a passport office will be opened, he said.
“I have met with workers before, and their problem has been regarding the passport process, which is difficult because the procedures are strict on identification to avoid the illegal use of passports,” the prime minister said as he was addressing 18,000 workers in Kampong Speu province on Sept. 9.
“People have to apply for their passports in person,” Hun Manet said. “We used to dispatch officials for passport procedures for Cambodian workers in Thailand because it is a neighboring country. However, it is quite hard for those in South Korea.” With passport offices in foreign countries, workers will no longer have to fly home to renew their passports, he added.
The prime minister called on Justice Minister Koeut Rith to set up an online service so that workers can request their legal and police records to make it more convenient for the passport procedures.
According to Cambodian government data, as of August 2023, there were more than 1.3 million Cambodian workers in other countries, that is, more than 1.2 million workers in Thailand, more than 50,000 workers in South Korea, and around 20,000 workers in Japan and Malaysia.
