New Cambodia-Thai Border Gate

KHMER TIMES
CHEA VANNAK

Cambodia and Thailand flags together. Both countries depend on border gates for their overland trade. Reuters

Terminal facilities, a road connecting to National Road 5 and a bridge linking Stung Bot in Cambodia with Ban Nong Ian in Thailand will begin construction next year.

The entirety of the bridge, including Cambodia’s side, will be constructed by Thailand, according to Va Sim Soriya, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation.

An agreement on the construction of the bridge – from Stung Bot in Banteay Meanchey province to Ban Nong Ian in Sa Kaeo province – was inked on Friday in Thailand between Cambodia’s Transport Minister Sun Chanthol and his Thai counterpart Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, said Mr. Sim Soriya.

He added that the terminal and administration facilities as well as a road from the border gate to National Road 5 would be built by Cambodia using a concessional loan from Thailand.

Declining to reveal details of the bridge, Mr. Soriya said the construction would finish within a year and it would become another international border gate.

He added that the concessional loan for building facilities and road construction was $58 million, $30 million of which Thailand will provide in the first stage.

“The bridge is short in length and it needs less time to construct, but there will be settlements that take time,” Mr. Soriya said, referring to compensation that will be paid out to residents affected by the construction.

“Once finished, it will become another international border gate.”

An agreement to connect Stung Bot and Ban Nong Ian came after the prime ministers of both countries signed a memorandum of understanding in December last year.

Construction of the new border gate comes after rail lines between the two countries are scheduled to be connected by the end of this year.

However, Mr. Soriya said the government does not have plans to build a railway connecting the existing rail line to the Stung Bot border gate.

Mey Kalyan, senior advisor of the Supreme National Economic Council, said it would further facilitate the transportation of goods and flow of investment between the two countries.

“Opening more border checkpoints with neighboring countries will help improve transportation and lower transportation costs, especially with Thailand since most Cambodians use many Thai products,” he said.

“The price of those products will be reduced by facilitating transportation and having easy border gate access.”

In addition to facilitating the transport of goods and agricultural products, it will encourage investors from Thailand and others investing in Thailand to come to Cambodia, Mr. Kalyan said, adding that Cambodia needs to improve its investment climate.