CHIANG RAI, Oct 14 – Twenty eight Chinese cargo ships left Thailand’s Chiang Saen port on the Mekong River Friday morning for southern China, safeguarded by Chinese security personnel after two cargo ships were attacked last week, a senior Thai custom official said on Friday.
The departures came after an unidentified group of armed men hijacked two Chinese cargo ships Oct 5, north of the Golden Triangle, within the Thai maritime jurisdiction and 13 crew were killed. Chinese captains dared not to navigate the Mekong River back to Yunnan and had docked at Chiang Saen port for more than a week.
The Thai authorities have deployed police and soldiers to patrol the Mekong River in Thai territories.
Surachart Chantawatcharakorn, a Chiang Saen customs officer in Chiang Rai, said there has been no confirmation when Chinese cargo ships will return to Chiang Saen port.
Thai-Chinese trade in Chiang Saen district has halted, costing a loss of bilateral trade via the Chiang Saen Customs House worth more than the Bt2 billion (US$66 million) a month, the Thai customs officer said.
