Thread: Thailand postpones goods exhibition in Phnom Penh indefinitely

Thailand postpones goods exhibition in Phnom Penh indefinitely
วันเสาร์ ที่ 05 ก.พ. 2554



BANGKOK, Feb 5 -- As fresh fighting at the disputed Thai-Cambodian border erupted, the Thai Commerce Minister Pornthiva Nakasai has decided to postpone a Thai goods exhibition scheduled to be held in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh for an indefinite period, a spokesman for the ministry said.

The spokesman said Ms Pornthiva had ordered the four-day exhibition--which was scheduled to start on February 17--to be postponed due to security concerns following deadly fighting at the disputed border which began on Friday.

The postponement of the exhibition, aimed at strengthening economic, trade and investment between the two neighbouring countries, has already forced some Thai manufacturers who were supposed to attend the fair to cancel their participation.

Both Thai and Cambodian troops on Friday afternoon exchanged gunfire and artillery near the disputed 11th century Preah Vihear temple. Fresh clashes continued early Saturday.

Meanwhile, Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) deputy chairman Niyom Waiyaratchapanich said it had to see in detail why the border clashes broke out.

The TCC did not want to see the fighting escalate. Although Cambodia and Thailand had a misunderstanding in some cases, bilateral trade continued as usual.

He said the private sector believed both countries did not want checkpoints to be closed because it could adversely affect bilateral trade.

In the past, he conceded, the border conflicts had impacted tourism and investment rather than trade.

Mr Niyom said the investment in Cambodia by Thai people had declined to the 9th rank from the 3rd-4th positions due to the political and border conflicts.

Previously, more than 200,000 Thai people had travelled to Cambodia annually. Now, the number has been reduced to around 2,000.

Thai-Cambodian trade totaled 50 billion baht in value last year. Of this, 47 billion baht are of exports to Cambodia and the remaining Bt3 billion are that of imports.

“It is a pity the investment in Cambodia by Thailand continues to decline while that by China and Vietnam is on the rise. So, the private sector wants both neighboring countries to turn to negotiations to end their conflicts quickly,” Mr Niyom said.

mcot.net

No cancellation of Thai trade exhibition in Cambodia despite border dispute: Thai official
February 09, 2011

Thai's plan to hold the annual Thailand Trade Fair 2011 in Phnom Penh of Cambodia from next week will continue despite several times of military clashes between the two countries over the border disputed areas near the 11th century temple in recent weeks, said a Thai trade chief to Cambodia on Wednesday.

"No any cancellation to the plan--it's still on schedule on Feb. 17-20 at the Diamond Island's convention hall in Phnom Penh," Jiranan Wongmongkol, director of the Thai embassy's Foreign Trade Promotion Office in Phnom Penh, told Xinhua.

She said that the exhibition, in cooperation with Cambodian Ministry of Commerce, will be participated by about 150 Thai companies and about 25 Cambodian companies.

"Our Thai business people believed Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's remark on Monday that the two countries' border dispute will not spread to cooperation in other fields,"she said.

On Monday, Hun Sen announced that Cambodia still continue cooperation with Thailand on all fields ranging from trades, cultures, tourism, economics and so on.

"We don't let the dispute at the area of about 10 km along the border near Preah Vihear Temple become as the dispute throughout the border of 800 km between the two countries,"said the prime minister.

Cambodia and Thailand have had border conflict just a week after Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was enlisted as World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.

The conflict is due to Thai claim of the ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub next to the temple, triggering a military build-up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in the deaths of troops on both sides.

Source:Xinhua

english.people.com.cnand once again the right hand is ignorant of the left .

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Cambodia-Thai Trade Exhibition to go ahead despite conflict: Cambodian PM
February 15, 2011

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday said that the Cambodia-Thailand Trade Exhibition to be held on Feb. 17-20 will go ahead as scheduled despite military confrontation at the border disputed area near the 11th century temple between the two countries' troops.

"Trades with Thailand are still normal,"he said during opening the construction of a 144 km road in Banteay Meanchey province.

He said that a Thai deputy prime minister will come to Phnom Penh to open the expo.

"We have to continue cooperation on all other sectors with Thailand, the area that has disputed, we resolve at that area and contain it from spreading further,"he said, adding "we have a policy to turn all Cambodian borders with neighboring countries to be a border of peace, friendship and cooperation."

Jiranan Wongmongkol, director of the Thai embassy's Foreign Trade Promotion Office in Phnom Penh, confirmed Tuesday that Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Trairong Suwankiri, will make a one-day visit to Phnom Penh to attend the exhibition on Feb. 17 and he is also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Hun Sen.

"We have already prepared for the exhibition--everything is on schedule," she said.

english.people.com.cn

Cambodia to postpone Thai expo slated for next week in Phnom Penh
May 14, 2011

Cambodia decided to postpone the Thai expo planned for next week in Phnom Penh, saying it is not the right time to hold such an expo.

"Due to recent restrictions on border trade by Thai military region 2, I am of the opinion that this is not the right time to promote Thai products in Cambodia," Cambodian Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh said in a letter to Thai embassy in Phnom Penh on Friday.

Cambodia's decision is a response to the 2nd Thai Army command' s order on Tuesday to halt a further exports of fuel and other products into Cambodia, claiming the Cambodian military may need them to support their troops in operations against Thai forces along the disputed border.

"The export ban will last until the border situation really returns to normal," the Bangkok Post online reported, citing the order letter of the 2nd Army command.

On Wednesday, Thailand announced that it would organize the second largest scale expo of Thai products in Phnom Penh from May 19-22.

"We cannot guarantee the reaction of Cambodian visitors to such exhibitions after Thai's behavior," Cham Prasidh said.

"Therefore, I have issued instructions to the Department of Trade Promotion under the Ministry of Commerce to contact the organizers of the Thai exhibition 2011 to postpone the said event until more favorable time comes," added the minister.

Jiranan Wongmongkol, director of the Thai embassy's Foreign Trade Promotion Office in Phnom Penh, which is the event organizer, said Friday that the embassy has received the letter and agreed to cancel the event.

"We have no choice, we have to postpone the event," she said. "We don't know when it will be re-arranged."

Cambodia and Thailand has border dispute just a week after Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was listed as World Heritage site on July 7, 2008. Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 sq km of scrub next to the temple.

Since then, both sides have built up military forces along the border, and periodic clashes between the two countries' soldiers have resulted in the deaths of troops on both sides.

The latest flare-up occurred from April 22 until May 3 at the 13th century Ta Moan temple and Ta Krabei temple in Oddar Meanchey province, leaving 19 people, on both sides, killed and nearly 100, 000 civilians evacuated for safe shelters.

english.people.com.cn

Safety fears for Thai fair
Tom Brennan
Monday, 16 May 2011


Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh

THE Minister of Commerce has postponed a major Thai trade exhibition planned for this week in Phnom Penh, claiming the exhibition’s safety could not be guaranteed.

In a letter addressed to the Charge d’Affaires of the Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh, Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh said the ministry would contact the Thai organisers to postpone the event until a “more favourable time comes”.

Highlighting restrictions on border trade imposed by Thai Military Region 2, he said: “I am of the opinion that this is not the right time to promote Thai products in Cambodia. We cannot guarantee the reaction of Cambodian visitors to such exhibition after such bad behaviour.”

The Thai 2nd Army Command had banned exports of fuel and other products it said the Cambodian military may need to support their troops in operations against Thai forces, according to The Bangkok Post. The order was intended for customs officials at the Chong Chom checkpoint, the Thai side of the O’Smach border crossing in Oddar Meancheay province, the report said.

Jiranan Wongmongkol, commercial counsellor based at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, said yesterday she would “follow government policy” when asked about the Ministry of Commerce letter, dated May 13, to postpone the 2nd Thailand Trade Exhibition 2011.

She maintained that bilateral trade continued as normal.

Earlier this month, she said plans to hold the trade fair, scheduled for May 19 to 22 at Phnom Penh’s Diamond Island Exhibition Centre, were on track despite the resumption of violence on the border in April.

Carlyle Thayer, politics professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia, said the temporary loss of the exhibition was unlikely to have a major impact on Thailand and that it was “more symbolic than real”.

But if the Kingdom was trying to use economic means to hurt its neighbour, that plan may backfire, he said.

“If this thing escalates, Cambodia will lose more” because of its large trade deficit with Thailand, Thayer said, adding it was one of the “needling activities” both countries have employed throughout the recent conflict.

Cambodian Centre for Human Rights President Ou Virak said he believes an escalation becomes increasingly possible the longer the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand lasts, with trade becoming more likely to be used as a weapon.

“The potential for a further escalation of this conflict, and spilling into an economic one, is real. The economic impact will be huge,” he said.

Ou Virak said the Thai army’s decision to block fuel exports was “unfortunate”, given that Thai and Cambodian small-business owners are most likely to be hurt – and not the Cambodian Royal Armed Forces.

“The skirmishes are now claiming more victims – this time the business owners, workers and consumers,” he said.

Thai Foreign Ministry Spokesman Thani Thongpakdi could not be reached for comment.

phnompenhpost.com