Phnom Penh: Those controversial Vietnamese “Nam Vang Noodles” are no longer on the shelves in the US. The Ministry of Commerce has confirmed that the Cambodian Embassy in Washington has contacted the distributor, who has agreed to take the product off the market. “Nam Vang” is Vietnamese for Phnom Penh. To make matters worse, the noodles’ packaging bears an image of Angkor Wat, and while they’re no longer commercially available, the search for their manufacturer continues.

It all started with a photo posted on social media. A picture of the “Nam Vang Noodle” product, being sold in the US, proudly displaying Angkor Wat and the name “Phnom Penh” in Vietnamese. Only trouble is – the noodles are not made in Cambodia. The Cambodian government says it has no record at all of providing authorization for the brand.

Ministry of Commerce spokesperson, Seang Thai, says they’ve managed to identify the distributor, but the hunt for whoever actually made them goes on. Based on the name “Nam Vang” it is presumed that manufacturer is in Vietnam, but the current Covid-19 situation is hampering the investigation. The ministry has reiterated that the use of the brand name “Phnom Penh” and the image of “Angkor Wat”, without the permission of Cambodian authorities, is a violation of Cambodian law, international agreements and treaties.