Anutin Charnvirakul, Thai Prime Minister and Interior Minister, stated that the border with Cambodia will remain closed until some ‘key concerns’ are met.
The Thai premier made his remarks on Saturday during the “Talk with PM Anutin‘’ programme.
Anutin said there was no timeline for reopening the border and no indication that bilateral relations would return to their previous level soon.
He cited unresolved land and maritime boundary issues, transnational scam operations and the safety of Thai citizens.
The border had been closed for some time and the government must prioritise Thailand’s interests, he added, stating that key concerns included tackling illegal imports, addressing concerns over agricultural trade, combatting cross-border criminal networks and ensuring national security.
He said the government would not allow political considerations to outweigh the country’s interests.
He added that economic indicators had improved since the closure and public sentiment remained supportive of the measure.
Anutin said stated that dialogue with Cambodia remained possible, but several steps had to be completed before relations could be restored to their previous level.
