After facing a slump for almost three years, economic activity in several border provinces is getting back on track, especially in Trat — which is a major tourist destination and a gateway to Cambodia.
Travellers use the Ban Hat Lek border checkpoint in Trat’s Khlong Yai district to reach Cambodia’s Koh Kong province which is also famous for natural and cultural attractions as well as outdoor activities.
Provincial authorities organised a Thai-Cambodian friendship cycle tour in late July this year to deepen the relationship between the countries in mutual tourism destinations with more than 500 participants.
In addition to tourism, border trade in the area has also flourished.
Before the pandemic, annual border trade had risen to between 30 billion and 40 billion baht. Now that the virus curbs have been rolled back, the outlook for trade with the neighbouring country is bright and Thai businesses are being urged to prepare for massive opportunities.
Cambodia’s economic growth and infrastructure development over the past 10 years have been remarkable. Development in Koh Kong province has made a leap following the launch of the Koh Kong Industrial Estate.
Inaugurated on Dec 17, 2012 and operated by Koh Kong SEZ under the LYP Group, the industrial estate has attracted more than 5 billion baht from four foreign companies including KKN Apparel of Thailand.
Located about 45 kilometres from Khlong Yai district, the aim is to attract foreign direct investment and create jobs for Cambodians. Currently about 12,000 workers are employed.Impressive growth
Thitidej Tongpatara, vice-president of Koh Kong SEZ, said Cambodian people have high purchasing power due to the economic growth spurred by foreign investments including Chinese investors who pour money into sectors such as hotel and property development.
Minimum wages in Koh Kong are US$192 per month, or 7,100 baht, but together with living allowances and overtime payments, Cambodian workers should be paid $258-$259 or 9,583 baht per month.
The young workforce is looking for jobs in Koh Kong because of the better wages and new job openings, he added.
With a stable source of income and the strengthening of the dollar, Cambodian people have more spending power and demand for Thai products is expected to increase in tandem. This can deliver a positive effect for the economy, he said.
“People in Koh Kong cross the border to Thailand more since the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. They come here to travel, shop, see doctors and a lot more. Some go shopping for brand-name products at a mall in Chanthaburi. Local businesses are back to life,” he said.
Also, facilities at Ban Hat Lek border checkpoint were improved and paperwork handling streamlined to handle demand for travel and the movement of goods, he said.
Koh Kong has also invested in the development of public utilities, infrastructure and transport links over the past several years, he said. It now has its own local power supply, instead of depending on imports from Thailand.
Work is underway to connect Road No.48, which has been in use for a long time, to Road No.4, which has been upgraded as an expressway linking Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.
More piers are being developed for passenger and fishing vessels while an airport construction project is in the preparation stage.
The Dara Sakor project, with Chinese enterprises as investors, is underway. The investments have made a positive contribution to the socio-economic development of Koh Kong, he said.
Mr Thitidej said he also hoped Thai-Cambodian talks on the development of energy resources in the oil-rich overlapping claims area in the Gulf of Thailand will make progress and both countries will find ways to cooperate.source:Bangkok Post
