After the Cambodian coup of 1970 , the Khmer social structure changed drastically . All royal and noble titles were revoked by the Khmer Republic . Later , many Cambodian nobles died in the Cambodian genocide . In present-day , '' Oknha '' is the highest title bestowed on civilians ( no royalty ) by the Cambodian king . The word means " nobleman " or " lord " , it 's only an honorary title . Since 20 March 2017 , anyone hoping to be bestowed with the title must make contributions of $ 500,000 or more to the government . There are three levels of '' Oknha '' : '' Lok Oknha '' ( ) , '' Neak Oknha '' ( ) and '' Oknha ''
Cambodian genocide
Cambodian genocide
Oknha