AKP Phnom Penh, May 30, 2026 --

Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet has clarified that his admission to the United States Military Academy at West Point was through a scholarship slot allocated directly to Cambodia by the United States, dismissing claims that he studied there under a quota assigned to the Thai military.

In a statement released on May 30, Samdech Thipadei said the clarification was made in response to recurring comments by some Thai citizens alleging that he had attended West Point through a quota allocated to Thailand.

The Prime Minister explained that the United States, as a global power, has sufficient capacity to provide scholarships to any country directly, without the need for it to take a quota from one country (Thailand) and give it to a candidate from another country (Cambodia).

He further noted that any country that receives an allocation of slot (quota) to send candidates to West Point does not have the rights to transfer that allocation to another country. The United States is the only one country which holds exclusive authority to choose which country(ies) to allocate slot/quota and how many slots per year.

Samdech Thipadei also pointed out that his degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point clearly identifies him as a cadet from Cambodia not from any other country.

According to the Prime Minister, requirements for foreign cadets to study at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point is to receive a nomination from the Ministry of National Defence of their own country, along with an endorsement from the U.S. Embassy in that country.

He explained that in 1995 he received a nomination from Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence and an endorsement from the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia, confirming that his admission was under a quota allocated to Cambodia.

“If I had used a Thai military quota to study there, then I would certainly have received a nomination from Thailand’s Ministry of Defence and an endorsement from the U.S. Embassy in Thailand,” he stated.

Samdech Thipadei added that anyone wishing to verify the matter could seek confirmation from Thailand’s Ministry of Defence, the U.S. Embassy in Thailand, or the United States Military Academy at West Point.

He expressed hope that the clarification would finally put an end to the misunderstanding regarding his admission to the prestigious U.S. military academy.
 

By C. Nika