Thailand, Cambodia to open new checkpoint

PHUKET - Thai and Cambodian officials on Friday ended a two-day-meeting held in the island resort town of Phuket on the Andaman Sea with an agreement to open a new checkpoint in eastern Trat province.

Caretaker Interior Minister, Air Chief Marshal Kongsak Wanthana, who led Thai officials in the third meeting of the Thai-Cambodian joint border committee, said the discussion was conducted in a friendly atmosphere.

Both nations agreed to a plan to open a new border checkpoint in Ban Bor Rai of Trat province, opposite Cambodia's Battambang province.

The joint committee also vowed to extend their cooperation to prevent and suppress cross-border crimes and improve their collaboration among local government officials to increase efficiency to tackle shared problems.

At present, local commercial travellers and workers from both sides of the border have been allowed to travel further into the neighbouring countries when crossing at the Klong Leuk-Poipet permanent checkpoint, he said.

Residents of Sa Kaeo province of Thailand could now travel further to Siem Riep and Banteay Meanchey from the checkpoint while Cambodians could come as far as Prachin Buri province.

The Thai interior minister said both countries also agreed to strictly comply with their agreement on cross-border travelling signed nine years ago which promised to facilitate every citizen who wished to cross their border.

The meeting also agreed that a special border pass would be issued to those who regularly cross the border.

Bureaucratic procedures limiting the transport of goods across the border between both sides would be simplified, making it easier and more convenient to conduct commerce, the Thai interior minister said.

The two sides also discussed plans and cultural activities to jointly celebrate their 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations later this year. (TNA)