This is the shocking moment a Cambodian opposition MP was shot dead in a suspected assassination in Thailand - where his rival is best friends with the country's de facto leader.

Lim Kimya, 74, of dual French and Cambodian nationality, had been a fierce critic of Khmer dictator Hun Sen before he was gunned down in broad daylight by alleged hitman Ekkalak Paenoi, 41, in Bangkok on January 7.

The politician was alighting from the coach with his French wife and a Cambodian relative when he was reportedly attacked by the motorcycle-riding suspect.

CCTV footage shows gunshots ringing out near the Wat Bowonniwet Vihara temple, shocking passers-by. Medics tried to revive Lim, who suffered two gunshots to his ribcage and shoulder, but he died at the scene.

The drama unfolded in Thailand where controversial convict Thaksin Shinawatra is effectively leading the country following a banana republic style election coup last May. Former Man City owner Thaksin was visited by Hun Sen - who lost an eye fighting the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s - in Bangkok in February 2024, declaring themselves close friends.

A police spokesman from the Chana Songkhram district station said today: ‘The Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Ekkalak Paenoi on charges of premeditated murder and carrying a firearm in public without permission.'

Authorities said Ekkalak was a former marine with the Royal Thai Navy. He was said to have fled on a red Honda Wave 100 motorcycle.

Lim Kimya is an opposition member of Cambodia's parliament. He was part of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) which opposed then-premier Hun Sen.

Political persecution was rampant under Hun Sen's rule, with opposition parties, activists, and journalists often targeted through arrests, legal charges, and intimidation. He was succeeded by his son Hun Manet, but still serves as Senate President of Cambodia.

Despite the political crackdown, Lim chose to remain in Cambodia and did not use his French citizenship to flee abroad.

Lim's shooting comes as Hun Sen called for a new law to declare as terrorists anyone who threatens the current Prime Minister's reign.