Although armed clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border have temporarily paused, their effects continue to weigh heavily on the livelihoods of residents and impact the local economy in Thailand's Surin Province.
The armed conflicts between Cambodian and Thai soldiers erupted on July 24 over a territory dispute, resulting in over 30 fatalities and forcing over 100,000 people to be evacuated. A ceasefire was agreed upon on four days later, but the repercussions of the conflict linger on.
Though the ceasefire agreement offers a sliver of hope, the closed border checkpoints have severely disrupted trade and business connections between the two sides, leading to increasing dismay among locals.
"People in the border area, near our house, take their goods to sell at Chong Chom Market. When faced with a problem like this, it's a dead end. The Cambodians won't have any income and we too, don't have any income. In a situation like this, they probably think the same as me. There's no income. All the vendors are crying," said Wilawan Khaengyuenyong, a local villager in Surin.
Until a lasting resolution is found, many are concerned about the long-term ramifications. Supalak Ganjanakhundee, an advisor to the Thai House of Representatives Military Committee, warned that the economic consequences will prove difficult for Thailand to bear.
"Our economy is on the decline, so we cannot afford any more decline. Now we shut down all border crossing trade. Thailand can't afford any kind of high cost of the war," he said.
Amid the uncertainty, there was a breakthrough on Thursday when Cambodia and Thailand reached a consensus on the details of the ceasefire and signed an agreement at an extraordinary meeting of the General Border Committee held in Malaysia.
Officials from Cambodia and Thailand attended the meeting, while delegates from China, Malaysia, and the United States also participated as third-party observers.
According to a joint statement following the talks hosted at the Malaysian Ministry of Defense in Kuala Lumpur, both sides agreed to a ceasefire involving all types of weapons, pledging to avoid unprovoked firing towards each other's positions or troops, and agreed not to increase forces along the border.
Local traders remain concerned over lingering economic impact of Thai-Cambodia clashes
