AMID a move to open a permanent checkpoint with Cambodia at Trat the ranger regiment based in this border province pointed out that a Cambodian casino has encroached into a Thai watershed area with a protest letter already sent to the neighbouring country, Naewna said this evening (August 5).
The boundary problem between the two countries was raised during a visit by Senate Foreign Affairs Committee’s second deputy chairman Gen. Surapong Suwannath and his team to this province to study the turning of the temporary border crossing at Ban Tha Sen, opened only a few days a week, into a permanent one.
However senior officers at the 513th Marine Corps Ranger Regiment outpost told Surapong that there is boundary conflict between the two countries at 17 points in Laem Klat subdistrict. The regiment had sent a protest letter and held talks with their Cambodian counterparts about encroaching buildings and some had been partially demolished.
The big problem is a Cambodian casino which encroaches into Thai territory and the government has also sent a protest letter on this issue.
The regiment is of the opinion that the first step should be to further relax tha temporary border crossing and turn it into a permanent one in future.
The Senate team studied many dimensions of turning the temporary border crossing into a permanent one including trade and tourism benefits for Thailand as it could be linked to a Special Economic Zone in this province.
Regarding the unclear boundary problem Surapong said while this has been resolved at some points by local authorities the big issues would have to be tackled at the government-to-government level.
The Senate team also inspected the area where the Cambodian casino encroached into Thai territory.
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The Senate team being briefed about the Cambodian casino encroaching on Thai territory. Photos: Naewna
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