Meet Matt Hunt, the French journalist who exposed Michael Alfaro's deception in Thailand

The controversy surrounding Michael Alfaro, who claimed to be a journalist from the White House, has escalated. Alfaro, who was on the ground in the Nong Chan area, Khok Sung District, Sa Kaeo Province, on August 15, 2025, falsely accused the Thai military of encroaching on Cambodian territory and obstructing Cambodian citizens' free movement.

Initially, Thai media and relevant government agencies revealed the truth about Michael Alfaro, showing that he was not a White House journalist but a lobbyist instead. This was further corroborated by Matt Hunt, a journalist for France24, the French government-backed news outlet. Hunt exposed Alfaro's deceit in a video, making it clear to the world that Alfaro and his associates were scammers.

In the video, Hunt said:

"We need to talk about credibility. Michael Alfaro, Gary Franchi, and The Next News Network (NNN), which Gary Franchi runs, can clearly be described as 'scammers.' Everything they’ve reported is pure nonsense, as these people are utterly untrustworthy.

The Next News Network (NNN) is not even a real news organisation; it's just a YouTube channel that uses social media to spread content. Furthermore, NNN doesn’t even have a website, and scholars have classified it as a fake news outlet. In reality, they are a group that spreads hatred. They highlight frightening situations along the Thai-Cambodian border, but they twist the narrative for their own personal gain."Hunt concluded, "If their goal is to work for a president who claims to be the leader of peace, especially since Cambodia has nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, then they should be promoting true peace. Instead, they are creating short-lived media hype. Ultimately, they will leave this behind, without caring about the consequences for Cambodia or Thailand, or the suffering of the people they’ve exploited for their own propaganda."

About Matt Hunt

Matt Hunt is a journalist for France24 based in Thailand.

France24 is a French government-funded media outlet.

Education: Journalism, University of Florida

YouTube: @writingbymatt

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mhunt89

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