Trade, eateries suffer from border spat
Jiraphant Asvatanakul, vice-chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the border trade and cross-border trade strategic committee, said there had been immediate effects for goods transiting from third countries to Cambodia.
These products are typically allowed to be in a free zone for up to 30 days, but ongoing conflicts are causing shipment delays. The Thai Customs Department is considering measures to address this issue.
He said the private sector is concerned about certain consumer products Cambodia has imported from China and Vietnam to replace Thai goods.
"If the conflict continues for 2-3 years, Thai businesses may face increased marketing costs to re-enter the Cambodian market," said Mr Jiraphant.
He said the conflict had also affected the tourism sector in border provinces as tourists are opting for alternative destinations.
The private sector still considers the nation's security to be the priority, said Mr Jiraphant.
He said it is too early to assess the losses from this situation as it would depend on the duration of the conflict.
Chanon Koetcharoen, president of the Restaurant Association, said the ongoing violence has damaged the image of Thai tourism and shaken confidence among foreign travellers.
Although the clashes are limited to specific areas, some travellers may not figure out the actual situation and could generalise by applying it to the entire country.
Mr Chanon said restaurants located in the evacuated area are impacted by the clashes as they are not able to operate their premises, while others are seeing diners opt to spend less time away from their homes.
The clashes have displaced people from border areas, with some fleeing to Muang Si Sa Ket, said Thanyatep Kunapornpipatkit, an owner of Craft&Cold Sisaket restaurant.
With the influx of people into the town, some food carts and street vendors may have seen increased sales. However, established restaurants may be seeing a decline as many people are choosing to save money during the crisis.
Mr Thanyatep said the recent clashes have further weakened an already sluggish local economy.
He reported a 20-30% drop in his restaurant's sales last weekend compared with regular periods.
Mr Thanyatep said even if the situation de-escalates and a ceasefire is implemented, businesses may need 1-2 months to recover.
Supanut Charoensatapong, the owner of Ting Ting Bingsu, a dessert café in Surin, said his restaurant's sales have dropped over recent days, even though it is more than 50 kilometres from the Thai-Cambodian border.
He said there are fewer customers coming from other provinces and districts, with the majority now coming from Muang Surin, which is the main town area.
Mr Supanut said if the clashes continue for much longer, his café may come under pressure because it doesn't sell essential meals.
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