Phnom Penh Sees Nearly 50 Percent Drop in Alcohol Advertisement Boards

On Nov 2, 2026

PHNOM PENH — Nearly half of the alcohol advertisement boards in Phnom Penh have been taken down since mid-2024 as part of the government’s efforts to curb alcohol promotion in public spaces.

At the launch of Phase II of the “Goodwill Campaign” on October 28, Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said the number of alcohol advertisement boards in Phnom Penh’s public spaces fell from 1,026 in July 2024 to 521 in early 2026.

Neth Pheaktra, who also chairs the Alcohol Control Working Group, said the Cambodia Association of Media Advertising Agencies has 17 member companies operating across the country and has installed a total of 6,207 advertisement boards. Of these, 1,028, or 17 percent, promote alcoholic drinks.

Information Minister Neth Pheaktra speaks at the launch of “Goodwill Campaign” Phase II on October 28. Photo: Ministry of Information

As of early 2026, Phnom Penh had 3,889 billboards and large-format posters, including 507 alcohol advertisements, accounting for 13 percent of the total. This was down from 620 alcohol advertisement boards in 2025. Some of the boards have been replaced with advertisements for drinking water.

Despite the decline, the information minister expressed concern about the content and format of the remaining advertisements. Neth Pheaktra said ongoing efforts include assessing billboard locations, educational messages, and font sizes, as well as checking whether promotional content still uses messages that encourage alcohol consumption.

Under the new phase of the campaign, the Alcohol Control Working Group pledged to strengthen further order, professionalism, transparency and accountability among advertising companies, particularly in their promotion of alcoholic drinks and related marketing practices.

The Ministry of Information and the Association of Media Advertising Agencies signed a memorandum of understanding in April 2025 to strengthen controls on alcohol advertising by reducing advertisements in public spaces and along roads, improving their appearance, and enhancing public safety and order.

The initiative forms part of broader efforts to protect public health, particularly by reducing the visibility and promotion of alcoholic beverages in public spaces.