Poipet International Border Gate between Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey and Thailand's Sa Kaeo. (Photo: Khmer Times) Phnom Penh (VNA) – Cambodia and Thailand havediscussed the possibility to reopen international border gates to lift theeconomic deadlock caused by travel restriction measures to curb the COVID-19spread.
The discussion took place in Bangkok on June 30 afternoonbetween Cambodian Ambassador to Thailand Ouk Sorphorn and Chairman ofThailand-Cambodia Business Council Chanitr Charnchainarong.
Ambassador Ouk Sophorn said that both sides will propose thegovernments of the two countries first reopen the Poipet-Khlong Luekinternational border gate between Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province and Thailand’sSa Kaeo province with limited number of entries per day.
This move will make it easier for Cambodian touristsseeking medical services in Thailand and Thai businessmen who aim to enterCambodia for business and investment, he said.
The two sides also planned to request the reopening ofother international border checkpoints in order to promote bilateral tourismand trade flows and restore the economy of the two countries, he added.
Book Laychy, director of Banteay Meanchey’s commercedepartment, said that some Cambodian agriculture products are stuckbecause Thailand allows export and import products only in Oddor Meancheyprovince and the Poipet-Khlong Luk International Checkpoint to open for normalgoods while the remaining borders are closed.
He said the Cambodian authorities and Thai counterparts will haveanother meeting on July 10.
Thailandreopenedits land border checkpointswith all neighbouring countries on July 1 to resumecross-border cargo transport and trading. The opening of 37 checkpoints on the borderswith Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia is part of the Phase-5 easing of Thailand’s lockdown measures against thepandemic, which also includes permission for some groups of foreignersto enter the country by air.
Data from the Thai Ministry of Commerce shows that theThailand-Cambodia trade reached 3.1 billion USD in the first four months ofthis year, up 18.3 percent from a year earlier./.