On July 14, 2025, Prime Minister Hun Manet announced that the Cambodian army will begin implementing the mandatory military service regime in 2026.
He mentioned rising tensions with Thailand as a reason to activate the long-delayed mandatory military service law.
"This confrontation is a lesson for us and an opportunity for us to review, evaluate and set military reform goals," Hun Manet said at the event at the Royal Veterans Training Center in Kampong Chhnang Province, central Cambodia.
"From 2026, the mandatory military service law will be implemented," Prime Minister Hun Manet said.
In 2006, the Cambodian National Assembly passed a law requiring all Cambodian citizens aged 18 to 30 to serve in the army for 18 months. However, this law has never been implemented.
