Thailand’s Department of Foreign Trade has sounded the alarm over the devastating collapse in bilateral trade with Cambodia after all border checkpoints were shut in July, with trade values sinking by 97.5% in a single month.
Figures from the Commerce Ministry reveal that the suspension of border crossings dragged Thai-Cambodian trade into the red, with values falling to just 376 million baht in July.
By contrast, overall border and transit trade for the month rose 5% to 166.025 billion baht, though the government has revised down its annual growth forecast for border trade from 3% to 2%.
Director-General Arada Fuangtong shed light on the dramatic downturn: “The situation at the Thai-Cambodia border, which saw measures to suspend the passage of all types of vehicles from late June 2025, culminated in clashes between both sides from 24-28 July 2025. This necessitated the closure of all 18 border crossing points.”
The impact was immediate and severe, with bilateral trade plunging nearly 100%. Exports fell to 370 million baht (down 97%) and imports shrank to just 6 million baht (down 99.8%), driving a 20% contraction in border trade for July.
Yet beyond the Cambodian disruption, the wider picture offered some resilience. Border and transit trade that month reached 166.025 billion baht, comprising exports of 92.216 billion baht (up 5.9%) and imports of 73.810 billion baht (up 3.9%), resulting in a trade surplus of 18.406 billion baht.
For the first seven months of 2025, border and transit trade rose 11% to 1.188 trillion baht. Exports climbed to 688.477 billion baht (up 10.7%) while imports increased to 499.793 billion baht (up 11.3%), producing a healthy trade surplus of 188.683 billion baht.
Trade with Thailand’s four neighbouring countries totalled 66.220 billion baht in July, down 20%. Exports stood at 35.702 billion baht (down 29.5%) while imports reached 30.518 billion baht (down 5%), leaving a surplus of 5.184 billion baht.
Malaysia remained Thailand’s largest border trading partner at 26.261 billion baht (down 13.1%), followed by Laos at 22.451 billion baht (up 2.3%), Myanmar at 17.133 billion baht (up 8.7%), and Cambodia at only 376 million baht (down 97.5%).
Key export commodities included diesel fuel worth 1.971 billion baht, other refined petroleum products at 1.141 billion baht, and computers and related equipment at 1.029 billion baht.
From January to July 2025, border trade totalled 572.281 billion baht, a slight decline of 0.8%. Exports slipped 3.5% to 343.950 billion baht, while imports rose 3.7% to 228.331 billion baht.
Meanwhile, transit trade to third countries surged. In July alone it reached 99.805 billion baht, up 32.5%, with exports of 56.514 billion baht (up 55%) and imports of 43.291 billion baht (up 11.3%).
China dominated as Thailand’s top transit trade partner, with 62.984 billion baht (up 44%). Singapore followed with 12.788 billion baht (up 50.1%), while Vietnam trailed at 6.342 billion baht (down 15.1%).
