BANGKOK, 22 April 2013 The commerce affairs office in northeastern Surin has reported robust trade along the Thai-Cambodian border despite unresolved Phra Viharn temple dispute.
Mr. Sitthiporn Bangkeaw from the Office of Commerce Affairs Surin revealed that even though the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s public hearings in the Phra Viharn case were on for most of last week, trade situation along Thailand’s border with Cambodia has been bright and active.
He stated cross-border trade via the Chong Jom checkpoint in Kap Choeng District continued to expand, with accumulated value peaked beyond a billion baht’s mark for the first time to stand at 1.06 billion baht.
Mr. Sitthiporn noted that the outlook of the Thai-Cambodian trade looks set to be brighter as uninterrupted peace along the border has boosted confidence of residents of both neighbors.
He added that such favorable circumstances have helped drive up Thai exports of fuel and consumer goods while its imports of farm products, particularly tapioca, also went up.
The Office of Commerce Affairs Surin stated that, with the ASEAN Economic Community shaping up, the Thai business sector has been preparing themselves more and making more joint investment.
Official statistics showed Thai exports via the Chong Jom checkpoint in 2012 totaled over 888 million baht while imports amounted 173 million baht.
