CHANTHABURI — Cambodia has begun banning Thai fruit and vegetables, affecting both workers and farmers.
The situation at the Ban Laem permanent border checkpoint in Thep Nimit sub-district, Pong Nam Ron district, Chanthaburi province, has been tense for several days after the Cambodian government imposed a ban on the import of Thai fruit and vegetables last weekend.
While the Thai authorities opened the gate of the checkpoint on time at 8:00 am, the main gate on the Cambodian side remained closed as usual, so that only the smaller gate could be used by Cambodian workers for entry and exit.
Many Cambodian labourers employed in the Thai agricultural sector stood in long, thick queues in front of the bridge. Meanwhile, some workers, spurred by online rumours that their government might close the border and call them back, packed their belongings and large luggage to return home.
On the Cambodian side of the checkpoint, a Ministry of Labour van had set up a service booth for workers who wanted to return home or feared being deported by Thailand. However, Thai journalists observed that most of the workers did not register at the booth, but instead hurriedly loaded their belongings into the waiting family vehicles.
Chea Khit, a 23-year-old Cambodian worker who has been harvesting longan and other fruits in Thailand for about three years, said she earns about 500 baht per day, or over 1,000 baht on overtime. In comparison, her family in Cambodia farms rice, which generates income only once a year.
She admitted to feeling anxious and remorseful about the possible recall. “I want to continue working in Thailand because the income is better there,” she said, calling on both countries to restore normal border operations and allow workers to cross the border as before.
Pisith Rattawiset, a 37-year-old durian fruit farmer from Nakhon Si Thammarat province, said rumours circulating on Cambodian social media had worried his workers. Of the 30 he employs, more than 10 have already asked to return home.
This labour shortage has severely affected the operation of his nine mangosteen orchards, which are worth about 3 million baht, just as the fruit is ripening at the peak of the season. As a result, the mangosteen fruits are turning black and losing quality.
To make matters worse, the Cambodian ban on imports of Thai produce, especially from Chanthaburi, prevents him from exporting mangosteen. With nowhere to sell and liquidity dwindling, he called on both governments to urgently negotiate a solution, fearing that the situation, if it continues, could affect the entire agricultural economy.
Meanwhile, Thai labourers attempting to enter Cambodia, especially those working in casinos or entertainment venues in Poipet, were warned by officials at the Aranyaprathet border crossing in Sa Kaeo province that they would not be allowed entry. Only those who had important business to conduct and had the appropriate papers were allowed to enter.
Pol. Col. Naphatphong Suphab, superintendent of the Immigration Department in Sa Kaeo, said the Immigration Department had received orders from the Burapha Task Force on Monday night to enforce this measure from 8:00am on 17 June. He also advised Thai nationals currently in Poipet to return to Thailand as soon as possible for their own safety and to protect their property.
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