Minister of Information Neth Pheaktra has defended Sihanoukville against what he described as unfair media stigmatisation, criticising a Financial Times report on the stranded cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey for overlooking the humanitarian assistance Cambodia provided to its passengers and crew.
In a letter to the Financial Times entitled “A Cambodian city unfairly stigmatised”, Pheaktra said the newspaper’s article, “Epic Odyssey cruise turns into a tragedy”, overlooked the assistance Cambodia provided to passengers and crew and unfairly stigmatised a city that stepped in following the American cruise company’s financial difficulties.
The people and authorities of Sihanoukville went out of their way to assist the 200 stranded passengers by swiftly issuing tourist visas, arranging local accommodation, facilitating onward travel and providing free guides. Rather than acknowledging this hospitality, the article branded the city a “scam town”, Pheaktra said.
Cambodia demonstrated the same humanitarian spirit in February 2020 by welcoming the cruise ship Westerdam after several ports turned it away over fears of Covid-19. The move prompted the World Health Organization to praise Cambodia as “a small country with a big heart”.
“Online scams are a global challenge that Cambodia is committed to addressing through cross-border co-operation. Since July 2025, we have shut down 86 large-scale online scam compounds nationwide and placed them under government control,” he said.
A total of 529 cases have reached the courts, with 5,778 people currently detained in prison as investigations continue into criminal networks, money laundering and alleged abuses linked to scam operations.
Cambodian authorities have identified 97 organised criminal networks involved in online scams and money laundering through legitimate businesses, as well as around 100 additional networks overseas. These networks involve foreign nationals from nearly 40 countries, including China, Indonesia, Vietnam, India and Thailand.
“In September, we hosted the International Conference on Combating Online Scams to strengthen international cooperation. We regret that the FT chose not to attend or give the government an opportunity to comment on this story. The FT is right to scrutinise our law enforcement efforts,” Pheaktra said.
“However, it is unfair to define an entire city by the actions of criminals we are actively pursuing, while overlooking the kindness its citizens showed to stranded travellers.”
The Odyssey, a 24,344-gross-tonne vessel with eight decks and capacity for up to 650 residents, was marketed as a way to live at sea while travelling around the world, with stops at more than 425 destinations in 147 countries and over 100 islands.
Cabin prices ranged from $59,000 to $439,000, in addition to monthly fees.
The vessel left Belfast on October 3, 2024, to begin what the company described as a continuous world voyage.
However, it became stranded in Cambodia for more than a week after its operators ran out of money, leaving its 200 passengers to disembark in the Kingdom.
