Thai checkpoint resumes for trade

Goods transportation at a Battambang checkpoint shared border with Thailand Sa Kaeo province has now resumed operations.

In the light of COVID-19 the border closed, but it has resumed in the last two weeks with time restriction, according to Battambang provincial governor Nguon Ratanak.

Although the border has just reopened, Ratanak said restriction will remain in place, leaving it opens from 7am to midnight. “They export pigs to Cambodia and we export agriculture products to Thailand,” he said.

Another international checkpoint shared between Cambodia’s Battambang province and Thailand’s Chonburi province is still open for goods transportation as normal. However it is not open to people..

The international border checkpoint in Battambang’s Sampov Luon district, connecting Thailand’s

Sakeo province is an import border gate for trade between the countries. The Federation of Cassava in Battambang President Ny Khon said recently that up to 1 million tonnes of cassava are exported through the border every season.

He noted cassava from Kompong Thom province is also transported through the border to enter Thailand.

The Bangkok Post recently reported a figure from the Thai Foreign Trade Department as showing that Cambodia’s cross-border trade with Thailand fell to $1.5 million in the first quarter as the corona-virus hit the global economy and led to the closure of dozens of checkpoints.

Keerati Rushchano, director general of the department, said outstanding performance was seen in exports to Cambodia, which saw continued growth of 14.3 percent in the first three months of the year despite the potentially deadly virus.

According to data from Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce the bilateral trade between the Kingdoms in the first three months was valued at $2.5 billion, a 31 percent hike over same period last year.

During the period, Cambodia’s total exports to Thailand reached $612 million, a 115 percent increase, while Cambodia imported from Thailand $1,891 million of goods, a 17 percent increase over the corresponding period last year.

Source - Khmer Times

Cross-border trade with Thailand estimated at just $1.5 million for first quarter

#Cambodia’s cross border trade with Thailand fell to $1.5 million in the first quarter as the coronavirus hit the global economy and led to closure of dozens of checkpoints.

The Thai Foreign Trade Department said the country’s overall cross-border trade, including transit trade, totalled 264.97 billion baht in the first three months, with Malaysia still the biggest partner for Thailand’s border trade.

Transit trade involves the passage of goods through more than one country.

Of the total figures, exports from Thailand totalled 187.56 billion baht, down 5.4% from the first three months of last year, with imports also shrinking 12.6% to 77.40 billion baht, resulting in a trade surplus of 110.15 billion baht.

Thailand’s border trade with four neighboring countries amounted to 195.66 billion baht, down 7.4% from the same period last year.

Of the total, two-way trade with Malaysia totalled 56.47 billion baht, followed by trade with Laos (42.68 billion baht), Cambodia (48.33 billion baht) and Myanmar (48.16 billion baht).

Cambodia had the lowest cross border trade with Thailand after Malaysia the biggest partner for border trade, followed by Laos, Myanmar.

Malaysia remained the biggest partner for border trade, with two-way trade reaching 476.15 billion baht, down 8.7%, followed by Laos (181.80 billion baht), Myanmar (180.73 billion baht) and Cambodia (146.41 billion baht) for the first 11 months of 2019.

Transit trade with Singapore, Vietnam and southern China dropped 2.2% in the first quarter, totalling 61.86 billion baht.

Transit trade to southern China recovered to fetch the greatest value after China reopened, with value rising to 28.62 billion baht, up 4.9%, followed by Singapore (19.70 billion baht) and Vietnam (13.53 billion baht).

Keerati Rushchano, director-general of the department, said outstanding performance was seen in exports to Cambodia, which saw continued growth of 14.3% in the first three months despite the deadly virus.

Higher shipments were led by non-alcoholic drinks, automobiles and parts, and livestock.

Shipments to Laos also registered an increase of 2.4% in the period, especially for computers, non-alcoholic drinks and fresh fruits.

“Overall cross-border trade remains inactive, as the pandemic scatters throughout the world and seriously hits the global economy,” Mr Keerati said. Bangkok Post

Source - Khmer Times

#Cambodia - Tourism caravan reaches final destination

The caravan entered Cambodia from Laos through the border gate in Steung Treng province.

 A caravan of 33 vehicles organised to promote tourism sites in China, Laos and Cambodia reached its final destination on Saturday.

 The convoy departed Kunming, in China’s Yunnan province, on Nov 16, crossing Laos before arriving in Cambodia on Nov 25.

The convoy crossed into Cambodia through the border gate at Stung Treng province. It then travelled to Phnom Penh, Kandal and Kampong Thom before reaching its final destination, Siem Reap. From Kunming to Siem Reap, the convoy traveled about 6,000 kilometers.

The official name of the caravan is the “Lancang-Mekong Culture and Tourism Exchange and Historical Cities Caravan Tour from China, Laos and Cambodia”.

The convoy’s goal was to promote tourism sites visited along the way as well as cultural and tourism exchanges within the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Framework.

The convoy was organized as part of the ‘2019 China-Cambodia Culture and Tourism Year.’

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the end of the caravan in Siem Reap on Saturday, Hor Sarun, undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Tourism, said the convoy helped promote Cambodia’s tourism potential.

“The caravan provided an opportunity to have cultural exchanges and promote tourism by visiting important sites along the Mekong-Lancang river, which is an important historical area,” Mr Sarun said.

 

Shi Ling, deputy director-general of Yunnan’s Department of Culture and Tourism, asked Cambodians to consider traveling to Yunnan province during their next vacation.

Source - Khmer Times

#Cambodia - Thailand’s Big C to build ‘supercentre’ in Poipet city

Big C, a grocery and general merchandising retailer headquartered in Bangkok, will invest $6.8 million to build a store in Banteay Meanchey’s Poipet city, in the border with Thailand.

The ‘supercentre’, approved by the Council for Development of Cambodia (CDC) on Feb 20, will be located in Spean I village and, according to the company, will create more than 1,200 jobs.

Oum Reatrey, deputy governor of Banteay Meanchey province, told Khmer Times he did not have prior knowledge of the project but said it will help promote trade between the two countries.

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In October, the government also greenlighted the construction of an airport in Poipet city to tackle the rising number of tourists to the country. The project is expected to cost from $40 to $50 million and it will occupy 100 hectares.

Cambodian and Thai leaders have pledged to reach $15 billion in bilateral trade by 2020. During the first nine months of last year, trade exchanges between the two countries were worth $7 billion, exceeding figures for the entire year of 2017.

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Source - Khmer Times

Hun Sen calls Lao to withdraw its forces from #Cambodia territory

Addressing at the official nomination ceremony of the President of the Royal Academy of Cambodia held at the Peace Palace, Prime Minister Hun Sen said Lao forces have to withdraw from Cambodia’s land.

Cambodia’s sides called Lao’s counterparts at different level several times to respond this territory dispute, but Lao seemed ignoring this, therefore Hun Sen put the ultimatum.

According to Hun Sen, a group of Lao forces mobilized to Cambodia’s territory by boats in April to prevent the Cambodia to build the road along the border in O’ Alay and O’ Ta Ngav in Stung Treng, northeastern province border to Attapeu - a province of Lao. After this Lao forces are mobilizing, they haven’t normalized those areas until today.

“If necessary, I will flight to talk this with my Lao counterpart, but Laos have to withdraw from Cambodia’s territory, Cambodia doesn’t want war, but Cambodia has to protect our territory," he stated.

In the context of this issue, Hun Sen used to written a letter to his Lao’s counterpart since Aug. 2, 2017.

Cambodia and Lao have shared common border some 540 kilometers.

 Last information received from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hun Sen will lead a high level delegation to Vientiane on Saturday.

 his article appeared on the Rasmei Kampuchea Daily newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post