Thai Social Media Misinformation Uses Pakistan Flood Video to Mock Cambodia
A misleading video circulating on social media incorrectly attributes footage of flooding in Karachi, Pakistan, to recent storms in Cambodia. The clip, which shows a man being swept away by floodwaters, was posted with captions in Thai that misidentify the location, suggesting it depicts severe flooding in Cambodia. This incident occurred in the wake of heavy rainfall in northwestern Cambodia, where officials reported flooding but indicated that the damage was not extensive.
The video first appeared on September 1, 2025, as part of a Facebook post captioned “Cambodian flood.” The footage depicts a flooded road and a person falling over before being swept away by the current. Another post included a Thai caption that read, “After Cambodian people mocked Thailand, the storm went back to them,” implying a retaliatory sentiment between the two nations. Such posts have proliferated as online tensions escalate, particularly following a ceasefire agreement to end violent border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia.
As the misinformation spread, users from both countries exchanged insults while misattributing disaster footage from other nations. The online conflict intensified, with cyber activists defacing official websites and overwhelming opponents with spam.
To clarify the origins of the video, a reverse image search revealed that it was initially posted on August 20, 2025, by the Instagram account of Dialogue Pakistan, a citizen journalism platform. The caption stated that the video showed a man being swept away by rainwater on Shahrah-e-Faisal, a major road in Karachi. According to a report by AFP, more than 20 people were killed during a recent monsoon spell in Pakistan, which is increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events due to climate change.
Further analysis of the video revealed elements consistent with known imagery from Karachi. A billboard advertising a meal deal from KFC can be seen in the background, which was promoted by the fast-food chain’s Pakistan franchise on August 6. Additionally, Google Street View imagery from Shahrah-e-Faisal taken in April 2021 matches the video’s setting.
This is not the first instance of disinformation regarding flooding in the region. The footage had previously been misrepresented as showing flooding in Jammu City, India, claims that were debunked by fact-checking organizations such as Fact Crescendo and Factly.
In the ongoing narrative of misinformation and rivalry, the dissemination of such false content not only stirs tensions between Thailand and Cambodia but also highlights the broader issue of how social media can propagate misunderstandings and conflicts across borders.
