Nong khai: “Jatuporn” discusses border trade and cross-border trade, sets a target value of 2 trillion baht by 2027. Chatuporn-Chantawich’ visited Nong Khai to discuss border trade and cross-border trade, and to open a border trade fair to stimulate the economy. It is expected that border trade and cross-border trade will exceed 2 trillion baht by 2027, and to urgently issue measures to help fruit entrepreneurs from the incident on the Thai-Cambodian border.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Chatuporn Buruspat, Minister of Commerce, along with Mr. Chantavit Tantasith, Deputy Minister of Commerce, led the ministry’s executives to visit Nong Khai Province to monitor the progress of border and cross-border trade. Mr. Chatuporn discussed the progress of important infrastructure projects, such as the construction of the 2nd Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge (Nong Khai-Vientiane) and the 5th (Bung Kan-Borikhamxay), the development of the Natha Intermodal Center and the Container Depot (CY) in Nong Khai Province, and listened to proposals from the private sector.
Mr. Chatuporn also presided over the opening ceremony of the Nong Khai Border Trade Fair, held from July 3-8, 2025, under the concept of ‘Building Relations, Creating Opportunities, Connecting the Economy on Both Sides’. The fair included activities like a seminar on ‘Keeping Up with AI, Helping Trade Quickly and Not Out of Trend’, business matching negotiations between Thai and ASEAN entrepreneurs, exhibitions, and a meeting to follow up on logistics and infrastructure progress.
The Minister of Commerce stated that the Ministry of Commerce aims to push the value of Thailand’s border and transit trade to 2 trillion baht by 2027. Most recently, in the first 5 months of 2025, Thailand-Laos border trade had the highest value among all border trade in Thailand, at 382,899 million baht, an increase of 12.96% from the same period last year. Thailand had a trade surplus of 24,778 million baht, while trade through Nong Khai Province alone was worth 62,226 million baht, an increase of 19.60%.
Mr. Chatuporn also mentioned the situation of Thai-Cambodian border trade that has affected fruit entrepreneurs and farmers, saying that the Ministry of Commerce has accelerated measures to help, such as linking and distributing surplus fruits such as longan, mangosteen, and durian to new markets, organizing border trade fairs, campaigning for fruit consumption ‘Thai Fruits Festival 2025’, setting up sales points nationwide, and providing free fruit delivery services via Thailand Post.