Monday, 18 August 2025

Coca-Cola drops Cambodian rapper from list of brand ambassadors

Multinational distances itself from VannDa's comments on border conflict

VannDa, left, as brand ambassador of Coca-Cola Cambodia, and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen.
VannDa, left, as brand ambassador of Coca-Cola Cambodia, and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen.

Coca-Cola is reported to have cancelled its brand-ambassador contract with Cambodian rap star VannDa over social media comments he made about the Thai–Cambodian border conflict. 

The posts are thought to have violated contractual terms by creating a negative image and fuelling tensions. One widely cited remark included the phrase “Thailand fired first”.

The issue was highlighted by the Facebook page The Wild Chronicles Group, which noted that Coca-Cola Cambodia had deleted images of VannDa from its official page and terminated his endorsement deal.

The move sparked outrage online in Cambodia, where netizens flooded Coca-Cola Cambodia’s page with angry comments and calls for a boycott of the company’s products.

On Monday, Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen posted a message on Facebook urging citizens to calm down and think carefully. He said Coca-Cola was a US brand providing jobs for Cambodians. If a boycott forced the company to pull out of Cambodia, the country itself would ultimately suffer.

Hun Sen also addressed VannDa directly, expressing hope the rapper would understand and show resilience for the greater good, describing him as a symbol of the spirit of sacrifice for the nation.

Coca-Cola has not publically confirmed it has severed links with the Cambodian rapper.


Bangkok Post

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This is one of the implications of the leaked audio of Ah Roleuy Hun Sen.