17-07-2025
Cambodia row hits seaside market
More than three weeks into the implementation of strict border control measures, Had Lek town's once-bustling seaside market has been reduced to a ghost town, with only one shop left open among dozens that previously lined the coastal strip.
Traders, tour operators and business owners say they are bearing the brunt of prolonged security restrictions, with no clear sign of relief in sight.
The measures, imposed by the Chanthaburi-Trat Border Protection Command on June 24, were aimed at tightening control at the Thai-Cambodian border, banning cross-border trade, tourism and goods transport. Although there has since been a partial relaxation, allowing Cambodian citizens to cross using border passes, the local economy has yet to recover.
A visit to the area revealed shuttered shops stretching along the waterfront. Only one store remained open -- a small family-run shop owned by 64-year-old Pirom Thongkham.
"There are no tourists, no customers. Some days, I make nothing at all. But this is my space, and I'll keep it open," he said, standing beside shelves stacked with unsold snacks and household goods. "The silence is painful, but I understand that national security must come first. I only hope things improve soon."
The market, which previously housed over 50 traders, now has fewer than 10 stalls operating, with nearly 90% of vendors gone. Even the local 7-Eleven has temporarily closed, with owner Somchai Kimsroi citing uncertainty and plummeting demand.
"Supplies can't reach customers in Koh Kong [in Cambodia] anymore. We used to send Thai goods to Cambodia daily -- now nothing gets through," said Mr Somchai, who also runs a wholesale business supplying essential items to Cambodian retailers. "Even locals here aren't shopping. It's best to close, for now."
Across the border in Koh Kong, the impact is equally severe. Pornchai Limploypipat, head of guest services at Koh Kong Resort and a cross-border trader, said shelves in Cambodian markets are now bare of popular Thai products, such as instant noodles and snacks.
Vendors are resorting to imports from Vietnam, but these are less popular and of lower quality, he said.
"Demand remains for Thai goods, but there's no supply," Mr Pornchai said. "It's not just snacks -- even fuel and construction materials are running low."
The economic ripple effect of the border closure is now being felt beyond the market stalls.
Suriyan Vichitlekarn, Executive Director of the Mekong Institute, said the standoff between Thailand and Cambodia at the border has begun to undermine investor confidence.
"The border economy is incredibly sensitive," he noted. "Delays in resolving the standoff could drive Cambodian traders towards alternative markets like Vietnam -- and once that shift happens, regaining ground becomes difficult."
Mr Suriyan added that while tensions at the leadership level may have flared online, diplomatic and economic cooperation between Thailand and Cambodia continues under regional frameworks, such as Asean and the Mekong subregion.
"This is not the first time we've had cross-border friction. We've always found a way back to dialogue," he said. "But border communities can't wait indefinitely."
Back in Had Lek, Mr Pirom keeps sweeping the entrance to his shop each morning, waiting.
"I was a child during the war. I remember hiding in bomb shelters, praying for peace. I don't want to go back to that," he said.
