Thailand’s government has pledged to accelerate talks with neighboring countries to reopen as many border checkpoints as possible, to boost cross-border trade, following robust growth during the first seven months.
According to Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanavisit, the Foreign Trade Department is teaming up with the private sector and the governors of border provinces, including Chiang Rai, Loei, Nong Khai, Nakhon Phanom and Mukdahan, to continue negotiations with neighboring countries.
Pak Sang checkpoint in Ubon Ratchathani province is expected to be reopened soon, after a meeting with Laos on July 30th, while responsible agencies and the private sector are also pushing for the reopening of the Buketa and Tak Bai border checkpoints in Narathiwat province.
The Commerce Ministry reports that the country’s overall cross-border trade, including transit trade, reached 971 billion baht between January and July, a growth of 31% over the same period last year. For border trade, Laos became the biggest partner by value. (NNT)
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