The small town of Poipet, located on the Thailand-Cambodia border, has come to a standstill since the latest round of conflict broke out in early December, disrupting the supply of essential daily necessities and leaving local businesses facing uncertainty about their future.
The Poipet crossing, the largest land border gateway between the two Southeast Asian countries, is now quiet, with only military and police forces present.
On December 13, Cambodia's Ministry of Interior announced the suspension of all border crossings with Thailand, accusing the Thai side of causing civilian casualties and damaging residential areas and infrastructure in "indiscriminate attacks."
On Monday, in a market at the Thai side of the Poipet crossing, the streets were deserted, and shops were closed with their doors locked and chairs upside down on tables.
Amid escalating clashes and fierce exchanges of fire along the border, the local government issued an evacuation order on December 8.
Among those affected is textile trader Saeyang, who returned to his store after fleeing to Bangkok for a week due to the conflict. He expressed his homesickness and a desire to clean up his shop, but noted that business was no longer viable, leaving him no choices but to go to Bangkok.
"This incident has a significant impact [on us]. Now that all the border crossings and markets have been closed, it's completely impossible to do business. If the conflicts and exchanges of fire along the border continue, I will have to move to another place to do business. I might go to Bangkok and work there," he said.
The conflict's spillover has engulfed the entire border service sector, with hotels, which formerly relied on one-day cross-border tours, among the first hit.
"My hotel is located in Aranyaprathet in Sa Kaeo Province in the border area. Both our employees and guests must leave, which led to a 90-percent reduction in revenue, leaving the hotel with basically no income," said Cham, a hotel manager.
In response to the unrest, the Thai military has imposed a strict curfew in four border counties of Sa Kaeo, prohibiting outdoor activities from 19:00 to 05:00 daily.
At a nearby convenience store, shelves that typically stocked fresh produce, including milk, fruits, and vegetables, were completely empty.
A clerk explained that deliveries had been suspended because night-time operations were not permitted, and it was difficult to preserve fresh goods. The store's operating hours have also been reduced to 07:00 to 16:00.
The economic toll of the Thai-Cambodian conflict is starkly evident in data from Thailand's Ministry of Commerce. From January to May this year, monthly cross-border trade averaged a steady 16 billion Thai baht (approximately 507.83 million U.S. dollars). After clashes erupted in July, trade collapsed to mere 11 million baht per month, less than one-thousandth of its prior level. Notably, Thailand's imports from Cambodia dropped to zero in September, data showed.
According to reports from both countries on Tuesday, the latest round of border clashes has resulted in the deaths of 17 Thai soldiers and 15 Cambodian civilians.
The conflict reignited on December 7, with the two sides accusing each other of firing first.
Border town grinds to halt amid ongoing Thailand-Cambodia border clashes
