The government is building a bridge that will permanently link Chanthaburi with Pailin province in Cambodia at a cost of about 15 million baht.
Speaking at the Ban Pakkad border checkpoint in Pong Nam Rong district after inspecting the site of the new bridge yesterday, Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the bridge would boost cross-border trade and tourism between the two countries.
He was joined by his Cambodian counterpart, Sar Sokha, at the site. The bridge, which will be known as the new Chanthaburi-Pailin Friendship Bridge, will replace the temporary steel bridge that currently links the provinces.
The concrete bridge will be about 40 metres long, with a three-metre-wide walkway on each side of the vehicular lane.
The bridge, which costs about 15 million baht to build, is expected to significantly improve logistics and trade between Thailand and Cambodia.
Construction is set to begin next year, Mr Anutin said.
Mr Anutin, who is also a deputy prime minister, said that the project will not only facilitate travel but also enhance trade and tourism, which will boost economic growth on both sides of the border.
As of yesterday, Thai and Cambodian officials have drawn up a draft of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the project, which is expected to be presented to the Thai cabinet for approval soon.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has already endorsed the initiative in principle, and the bridge will be built with funding from the central budget.
Chanthaburi has five key border trading points with Cambodia -- two major checkpoints at Ban Laem and Ban Pakkad and three local crossings for border trade.
In the 2024 fiscal year, the total value of cross-border trade in Chanthaburi came to 26 billion baht, with Ban Pakkad checkpoint accounting for 6.12 billion baht.