Thailand’s Anti-Fake News Center has rejected online claims circulating in Cambodia that the epic folk tale Khun Chang Khun Phaen is of Khmer origin, saying there is no historical or academic evidence to support such assertions.
The center said it had verified the matter with the Fine Arts Department under the Ministry of Culture, which confirmed that Khun Chang Khun Phaen is rooted in Thai culture and has been part of Thai literary and oral traditions since before the Rattanakosin period.
Officials said the epic originated as an oral folk narrative, performed in verse recitations known as sepha, and had already been widely known in Thai society during the late Ayutthaya period.
The story later became one of Thailand’s most popular literary works in the 18th and 19th centuries before being systematically compiled, edited and published in written form during the Rattanakosin era.
The oldest known printed version dates back to 1917, when it was published by the Vajiranana National Library after scholarly review. The work was later revised and republished by the Royal Society of Thailand and the Fine Arts Department, which are responsible for preserving Thailand’s cultural heritage.
The Fine Arts Department said there is no historical evidence that Khun Chang Khun Phaen originated in Cambodia or existed there in written or oral form before it became established in Thailand.
Authorities said the clarification was issued to counter misinformation online and to protect the integrity of Thailand’s cultural heritage.