Cambodian Pailin Border Pass Closes; Goods Stranded on Both Sides

15 March 2011 -- Kampuchea Thmey in Cambodian language
Report by Ritthy

Traders dealing in all kinds of goods and fruits across the border pass in Pailin Province were surprised yesterday, 14 March 2011, because all the goods and fruits were barred from crossing the border.

Traders initially thought that this could be due to tension regarding the issue of troops along the border. In the end, however, they knew that the measure to close the border pass was because the Thai side wanting to create problems and cause hardship to Cambodian traders.

Y Chhien, governor of Pailin province, told Kampuchea Thmey that the pass was indeed closed, but only for goods and fruits, and that the Thai side initiated this move. He said that the Thai side had created problems along the border through the method of increasing three times the taxation for all kinds of goods and fruits. And to be commensurate, Cambodia has also barred the imports to Cambodia of all kinds of fruits from the Thai side.

Y Chhien also said that negotiation for solutions was now under way between the border relation authorities of the Cambodian province of Pailin and[the Thai province of Chanthaburi. This meeting was immediately held at the border but a positive result was not yet known, while goods and fruits were stranded on both sides of the border.

Y Chhien said that the types of Cambodian goods banned by the Thai side through the 3-fold increase of taxation, included corn, mango, lemon, chilly ...  and so on.

Y Chhien believed that the ongoing negotiation we were involved would soon lead to a solution enabling traders on both sides to resume their normal activities. Custom officials at the border told Kampuchea Thmey that it was quite a surprise that the Thai authorities started to create problems and confusion at this border pass. The custom officials said that banning goods consisting of all kinds of fruits was not dangerous for Cambodia. The Thai traders themselves are harder hit than the Cambodians. Now all kinds of fruits to be imported from Thailand are stranded in the Thai territory because the Cambodian authorities have banned their import.

Thailand seemed to think that this game was played to put pressure on Cambodian citizens. In the end, however, it is the Thai traders who were angry and were staging demonstrations against the authorities in Chanthaburi province, especially the Thai leadership at this border pass.

The officials said that exported Cambodian agricultural products are less than goods imported from Thailand.