Cambodia and Thailand agreed to consider reopening border crossings shut since June before a five-day conflict flared in late July, with both sides taking a hit to land trade. With bans still in place on Thai fuel, electricity and farm goods, and key crossings sealed, the economic strain is already weighing on farmers and foreign investors reliant on cross-border supply chains.
At a Sept. 10 meeting of the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) in Koh Kong province, both sides appeared to stress the need to restore normalcy.
The talks came amid pressure from investors, including Japanese automakers, who depend on cross border logistics, as the two governments weighed reopening checkpoints for essential goods.
Since the June 23 closure of 18 land crossings – initiated by Thailand after tit-for-tat escalations between the neighbors – no checkpoint has reopened for trade.
Thailand’s exports to Cambodia fell about 17% in June, nearly 48% in July and 33% in August compared with May, the month of a single clash that ignited tensions, according to Cambodia’s General Department of Customs and Excise.
The Thai government reported a 97% drop in border trade in July, with a total value of just $11 million, Nikkei Asia reported.
Thai products have also faced boycotts in Cambodia since tensions flared, with brands such as Thai energy company PTT increasingly targeted.
PTT stations in Cambodia have reportedly started sourcing petroleum from Vietnamese suppliers, and some station owners have rebranded outlets as “Peace Petroleum Cambodia” to ease anti-Thai sentiment.
It remains unclear how soon the shutdowns will end. Prime Minister Hun Manet voiced only broad support for the GBC meeting’s “positive outcomes,” while Thai military leaders framed any reopening strictly as a step for “goods transport” and warned it could be rolled back if there is domestic opposition.
Since tensions flared, nearly one million Cambodian migrant workers have returned from Thailand, according to Cambodia’s Ministry of Labor. The exodus has hit Thai businesses and fueled uncertainty at home, where hundreds of thousands are now seeking work in a largely informal economy.
Farmers and traders on both sides are pushing for relief, but political caution lingers.
Sret Sarem, 44, a resident of Svay Chek district in Banteay Meanchey province, welcomed talk of reopening the border but remained uncertain if the crossing would be accessible before his cassava crop is harvested.
“This month, my cassava is growing. If they reopen, it will be good because Thailand will buy some,” he said.
El Chhinh, president of the Cassava Farmers Association, said Cambodia has mostly exported cassava to Vietnam to fill the Thai market gap since the closures. He hopes reopening the border will allow exports to flow back into Thailand, benefiting farmers, though he does not expect immediate demand as Thailand has started sourcing from its own producers.
Cambodian government spokesperson Pen Bona declined to provide further details on potential phased reopenings, referring reporters to the GBC statement.
A Ministry of Commerce spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment on trade trends.
Thai authorities meanwhile have said they will begin a phased reopening along Chanthaburi and Trat provinces, which border Cambodia’s Pailin, Battambang, Pursat and Koh Kong provinces.
The recovery will be coordinated with Thailand’s Customs and Commerce Ministries and industries to resume economic activity under safety measures, Thai media reported.
Thailand’s acting defense minister, Nattaphon Narkphanit, told local media that new crossings will remain limited to certain vehicles, gradually increasing from two to three trips per day to 20–30. He did not specify whether cargo vehicles will be allowed and said the reopening push came at the request of business stakeholders, not the governments of Thailand or Cambodia.
