The number of Cambodian workers employed in the restaurant sector is low, while there are no signs that they are returning to their home country, according to the Thai Restaurant Association.
Restaurant operators in major tourism cities, such as Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Phuket, typically employ about 40% Thai workers and 60% foreign workers, said Thaniwan Kulmongkol, president of the Thai Restaurant Association.
On the other hand, in second-tier cities, restaurant operators are more likely to hire locals.
Myanmar and Laos are the leading source countries for restaurant labour, and there is a smaller number of Cambodians in this sector.
"Cambodian workers are more likely to work in manufacturing or agriculture than in the food and hospitality businesses," Mrs Thaniwan said.
She added that Cambodian workers in the restaurant industry are mainly employed in tourism areas near the Thai-Cambodian border.
She estimated that Cambodians account for fewer than 10% of the total workforce in the sector.
Regarding reports of Cambodian workers being urged to return to home, Mrs Thaniwan said the association's survey of restaurants in the eastern region showed no signs of such a trend and Cambodians are continuing to work as usual.
Mrs Thaniwan emphasised that there is a difference between the reality of daily operations and what has been reported in the news, noting that some reports may have a hidden agenda.
Even if there were any worker relocations during this period, she believes the impact on the restaurant industry would be minimal, especially since the sector is currently in the low season.
However, if there were a drop in Cambodian workers during Thailand's peak tourist season, it could worsen the existing labour constraints in the restaurant industry in tourism areas, she added.
Mrs Thaniwan explained that the current overview of labour in the Thai restaurant industry that, earlier this year, reported that many restaurants anticipated a surge in demand, was based on the government's target to attract around 40 million foreign visitors this year.
Therefore, operators hired a substantial number of workers in preparation for this expected demand.
However, the country's tourism industry faces headwinds such as safety concerns among Chinese nationals after Chinese actor Wang Xing was kidnapped near the Thai border, resulting in a drop in travel to Thailand.