Monday, April 25, 2011

[Thai] Losses in trade, tourism in four days of border clashes estimated at Bt300-500 million: UTCC

BANGKOK, April 25 (MCOT online news) – The Thai-Cambodian border clashes during the past four days have caused approximately Bt300-500 million (US$10-17 million) in losses in border trade and tourism, Thanawat Palavichai, director of the Economic and Business Forecast Centre at the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), said on Monday.

The fighting, which erupted in Surin province on April 22, has mainly affected trade and tourism along the borders of Si Sa Ket and Surin with Cambodia. The effects, expected to be short-lived, have caused an estimated Bt50-100 million ($1.7-3.3 million) in daily losses. However, the continued border skirmishes have not hurt the Thai economy overall, Mr Thanawat explained.

Thai-Cambodian border trade is valued at some Bt60 billion (about $2 billion) annually. Most border trade is conducted across the borders of Sa Kaeo and Trat, where about Bt40 billion (over $1.3 billion) changes hands annually, while trade and tourism in Surin and Si Sa Ket earned much less, at an estimated Bt2.4 billion ($80 million) in annual revenue.


Although economic activities along the border in Trat and Sa Kaeo continue as usual, Mr Thanawat ventured that the fresh border clashes may cause a psychological impact on people of the two countries due to worries about the situation.

Meanwhile, Thai and international tourists are likely to postpone or redirect their trips to Angkor Wat in Siem Riep, Cambodia’s main tourist attraction.

If the border tension escalates and the border crossings in Surin, Sa Si Ket, Sa Kaeo and Trat are closed, around Bt100-200 million ($3.3-6.6 million) will be lost daily, with overall losses of Bt1 billion ($33 million), the UTCC academic predicted.

Cambodia imports commodities from Thailand worth Bt50 billion ($1.7 billion) annually, while Thai imports from Cambodia are valued at Bt5 billion (around $167 million)

Meanwhile, the Surin Chamber of Commerce said that the border clashes resulted in closure of the Chong Jom border crossing which caused a Bt15-20 million ($500,000- 670,000) daily loss and called for the governments of the two countries to end the violence soon.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

What is looses to the Thai is again to the Viet 100 times. Hun Sen and his boos Dung plot the whole lots.

Anonymous said...

This is a matter of national security not about small money brain like Hun Sen regime. Thai don't care about this money as long as they can get Cambodia. Thai has far alot more money from other source than just sell a few things to khmer.

Only Hun Sen regime is so cheap and make Cambodia even cheaper by talking about this small money like that.

It is a matter of national security not $1 or $2 like Hun Sen

Anonymous said...

Var Kim Hong does recognize that Cambodia, if compared to the colonial Service Geographique de l’Indochine scale map 1/100,000 and the 1985 delimitation treaty, will loses 9,000 hectares; and compared to U.S Army Mapping Service scale map 1/50,000 with the 1985 Treaty, would lose about 7,900 hectares to Vietnam. This statement was confirmed by Var Kim Hong to Mr. Touch Bora Esq through a telephone conversation on 30 August 2002 at 4:30 p.m. (Sydney time), which Mr. Touch Bora Esq wrote in his letter dated on 9 September 2002 sent to Sam Dach Ta Noroudom Sihanouk concerning over border affairs.
In fact, the loss is absolutely more than the 1000 square kilometers stated by MP Sam Rainsy in his statement, if we add the size of the historical water of 30000 square kilometers awarded to Vietnam under the 1982 Agreement which has been into affect and now already become under the full control of Vietnam. And this would not be the last if the equidistance principle be used to delimit the maritime boundary, Cambodia will lose an additional area of sea and seabed measuring at least 860 square nautical miles from the Brevie Line to the north, analyzed by Mr. Touch Bora Esq or another 10000 square kilometers confirmed by Mr. Sean Pengse, the President of the Cambodian Border Committee Worldwide, which exclusively include another Koh Poula Wai to Vietnam added to the previous lost islands- Koh Tral (Dao Phu Quoc) and Koh Poulo Panjang (Dao Thu Chu).

This is why sVar Kim Hong said in front of Students´s Movement for Democracy (SMD), and Sam Dach Ta Norodom Sihanouk on 22 Janaury 2000 during our audience with him concerning the border resolution with Vietnam that; “If we want peace, we must sacrifice our flesh to the tiger.” The truth is discovered now that, “Sacrifice the flesh to tiger actually means cutting our land to the Viet.” This word was clearly spoken out from his mouth and there were Sam Dach Ta as witness and 31 members.

We must condemn this Var Kim Hong for his role in helping the traitorous regime of Hun Sen.

Smart Khmer Girl Ms. Rattana Keo,

Anonymous said...

Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten

By Ms. Rattana Keo

Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 10,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?

Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 10,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?

Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 10,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?

The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer everyday.

Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 10,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?

Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?

Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,

Anonymous said...

គឺមិនមែនតែ សៀមខូចខាតសេដ្ធកិច្ចទេ សូម្បីខ្មែរ
ក៏ត្រូវបាត់បង់ដែរ ព្រោះទេសចរចូលតាមច្រកសៀម
ទើបចូលស្រុកខ្មែរ។
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ត្បូង ឯខ្មែរវិញមានវិបត្តិខាងធ្វើបាបប្រជាពលរដ្ធគ្រប់
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