▁and ▁Northern ▁Kh mer ▁in ▁English . ▁F ew ▁Northern ▁K hm ers ▁are ▁able ▁to ▁read ▁or ▁write ▁their ▁native ▁language , ▁since ▁teaching ▁in ▁public ▁schools ▁is ▁exclus ively ▁in ▁Th ai . ▁ ▁This ▁Th ai ▁language ▁instruction ▁has ▁resulted ▁in ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁younger ▁generation ▁being ▁more ▁comfortable ▁using ▁Th ai ▁as ▁a ▁medium ▁of ▁communication . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁Sm al ley ▁reported ▁renew ed ▁interest ▁in ▁Kh mer ▁language ▁and ▁culture ▁had ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁two - fold ▁increase ▁in ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁Northern ▁Kh mer ▁since ▁ 1 9 5 8 . ▁However , ▁usage ▁of ▁Kh mer ▁has ▁subsequently ▁decl ined . ▁ ▁Conf lict ▁Although ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁anywhere ▁near ▁the ▁scale ▁of ▁the ▁protest s ▁of ▁the ▁Kh mer ▁K rom ▁in ▁the ▁M ek ong ▁D elta ▁Vietnam , ▁some ▁Northern ▁K hm ers ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁Is an ▁region ▁have ▁demanded ▁more ▁rights ▁and ▁opp ose ▁Th a ification ▁of ▁the ▁Kh mer ▁Sur in . ▁Also , ▁the ▁occas ional ▁host ilities ▁between ▁Th ailand ▁and ▁Camb odia ▁have ▁made ▁their ▁relations ▁sometimes ▁difficult . ▁ ▁Notable ▁Th ai - K hm ers ▁ ▁Su v ad h ana ▁— ▁Princess ▁Cons ort ▁to ▁the ▁King ▁V aj ira v ud h ▁of ▁S iam . ▁( K h mer ▁descent ▁from ▁Batt amb ang ) ▁ ▁K hu ang ▁Ab hai w ong se ▁— ▁ 4 th ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁of ▁Th ailand . ▁