Bangkok: “Sirikanlaya” is confident that cutting public utilities will soften Cambodia’s stance. Sirikanya Tansakul, MP for the party list and deputy leader of the Prachachon Party, expressed her views on the ongoing trade situation at the Thai-Cambodian border, emphasizing that the Cambodian side currently holds control over the situation. She assured that if the border closure becomes a reality, Thailand possesses sufficient resources and financial capacity to withstand the impact.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Sirikanya highlighted the importance of the Thai government demonstrating its commitment to supporting local business operators affected by the potential border closure. By showing willingness to mitigate the impacts, the government can reduce opposition and complaints from the affected areas. She also pointed out the possibility of temporarily relaxing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to address the shortage of foreign workers, which could benefit industries such as fruit warehouses and orchards.
On the topic of economic stimulation, Ms. Sirikanya mentioned that while the 157 billion baht budget might appear substantial, nearly 60 billion baht remains in the central budget. She indicated that the disbursement figures from the Budget Bureau are pending, but it is evident that a significant portion of the budget approved by the parliament has not yet been fully spent. This financial capacity gives Thailand an advantage over Cambodia, where the economic impact of a border closure would be greater.
Furthermore, Ms. Sirikanya discussed the recent policy shift by Samdech Hun Sen, who moved from rejecting all Thai products to only limiting the ban to vegetables and fruits. She believes that public opposition, particularly from the Cambodian side, could lead to a softening of the stance if the closure severely impacts livelihoods.
When questioned about negotiation strategies with Cambodia, Ms. Sirikanya stressed that economic factors such as border trade and the sharing of public utilities like the internet and electricity could be leveraged to influence Cambodia’s position without resorting to military action.