(Phnom Penh): The Hon. Thoam Bun Sron passed away peacefully on 28 January 2026 in Australia, aged 83. A small private service to honour his life will be held in Canberra.

He devoted his life to public service, diplomacy, and scholarship in service to Cambodia and its people.

From 1972, he served at the Royal Cambodian Embassy in Canberra as Counsellor and later as Chargé d’affaires until the change of regime in 1975. After seeking refuge in Australia, he embraced his new home, raised his family, and remained deeply committed to Cambodia through ongoing involvement in negotiation and peacekeeping efforts.

In 1981, he completed his Master’s thesis at the Australian National University, Cambodia in the Mid-Nineteenth Century: A Quest for Survival, 1840–1863, widely recognised as an important scholarly contribution to the study of Khmer identity.

After returning to Cambodia in 1993, he served in senior national roles, including Adviser to the First Prime Minister, a five-year term as Governor of Sihanoukville Province, and later nine years as a Member of the Senate, until his retirement in 2013.

He is remembered as a diplomat, statesman, and scholar of integrity and intellect, respected for his character, humility, and lifelong commitment to learning and public service.

Above all, he is deeply loved and missed, remembered by family and friends as a gentle and warm-hearted man of quiet strength, a thoughtful philosopher and spiritual man grounded in Buddhist wisdom.

The centre of his world and heart was his beloved wife who was his anchor, constant companion and soulmate. He was a loving father and father-in-law, devoted to his family, and known for his cheeky, gentle humour. He leaves a legacy of kindness, dignity, and humanity.
=FRESH NEWS