Outgoing Thai ambassador Cherdkiat Atthakor(left) and Hun Sen, acting head of state, shake hands during their meeting on September 3 in Phnom Penh. SHS
Outgoing Thai ambassador Cherdkiat Atthakor has noted the growth of trade between Cambodia and Thailand. He made the remarks during a September 3 meeting with Hun Sen, acting head of state, at the Senate Palace in Phnom Penh.
“The two countries have close ties and trade between the two countries has expanded significantly,” Cherdkiat was quoted as saying, in a same-day social media by Hun Sen.
The outgoing ambassador hoped that in the future, relations in all fields between the two countries would grow even more, according to the post.
He was quoted as saying that Thailand has become the sixth largest investor in Cambodia and that Thai tourists were now the largest group of international visitors to Cambodia. He hoped that his countrymen would continue to visit Cambodia, especially Siem Reap province.
The post stated that during his nearly two-year tenure, Cherdkiat had worked to strengthen relations based on mutual understanding and trust for the benefit of the two Kingdoms and peoples. The two countries became strategic partners in February, during Prime Minister Hun Manet's visit to Thailand.
During the meeting, Hun Sen acknowledged that Thailand has become an important investment partner. He highlighted the increase in trade volume between the two countries and noted that Cambodian farmers along the border have the opportunity to sell their agricultural products to Thailand.
On September 2, Cherdkiat met with Sun Chanthol, first vice-president of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), at the CDC office in Phnom Penh.
During the meeting, Cherdkiat highlighted the importance of boosting Thai investment in Cambodia by removing trade and investment barriers, enhancing the ease of doing business in Cambodia and developing infrastructure that fosters stronger connections between the two countries, according to the Thai embassy.
“Ambassador Cherdkiat emphasised Cambodia's immense economic potential and the need for closer cooperation.
“He also underscored the significance of transportation infrastructure, particularly rail connections, to reduce logistics costs and strengthen regional supply chains,” the embassy said, in a September 2 social media post.
According to a report by the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia (GDCE), in the first seven months of 2024, trade volume between Cambodia and Thailand exceeded $2.4 billion, an increase of 8.6%. Of this, exports exceeded $499 million, down 6.4%, while imports from Thailand totalled more than $1.9 billion, up 13.4% from the same period in 2023.
