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Feb Border Trade Down 9.7%, Cambodia at Zero, Overall Slowdown

Feb Border Trade Down 9.7%, Cambodia at Zero, Overall Slowdown

Prachachat•Economy•8h ago

Reader Briefing

Thailand's border and cross-border trade experienced a significant 9.7% decline in February 2026, largely driven by a 28.2% drop in trade with four neighboring countries and zero trade with Cambodia.

  • •Border and cross-border trade for February 2026 amounted to 139,442 million baht, a 9.7% decrease.
  • •Trade with four neighboring countries saw a 28.2% decline, with trade with Cambodia reaching zero.
  • •The overall trade for the first two months of 2026 (January-February) showed a slight increase of 0.3%.
  • •Geopolitical events in the Middle East and internal issues in neighboring countries are cited as reasons for the slowdown.

Overview

  • •In February 2026, border and cross-border trade recorded a value of 139,442 million baht.
  • •This represented a 9.7% decrease compared to the previous period.
  • •Exports for February 2026 were 75,648 million baht, down 12.1%, and imports were 63,794 million baht, down 6.7%.
  • •Trade with four neighboring countries in February 2026 decreased by 28.2% to 62,145 million baht.
  • •Trade with Cambodia was recorded at 0, a 100% decrease.
  • •For the first two months of 2026 (January-February), total border and cross-border trade was 300,577 million baht, an increase of 0.3%.
  • •The dip is attributed to situations in neighboring countries impacting border trade, including fighting in Myanmar and the closure of border crossings in Cambodia.
  • •The ongoing conflict in Iran is also expected to lead to higher energy and transportation costs globally, potentially impacting future trade.

Full article content is available on the original source.

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Source: Prachachat (Original)

Key Quotes

Arada Feungtong
"Although cross-border trade to third countries continued to expand well at 13.9%, border trade contracted sharply by 28.2% due to situations in neighboring countries affecting Thailand's border trade."
แม้ว่าการค้าผ่านแดนไปประเทศที่สาม จะยังคงขยายตัวได้ดีถึง 13.9% แต่การค้าชายแดนหดตัวสูงถึง 28.2% จากสถานการณ์ในประเทศเพื่อนบ้าน ที่ส่งผลกระทบต่อการค้าชายแดนของไทย
Arada Feungtong
"Resulting in an overall contraction of 9.7% in border and cross-border trade."
ส่งผลให้การค้าชายแดนและผ่านแดนในภาพรวมหดตัว 9.7%

Key Entities

Organization

Department of Foreign Trade(กรมการค้าต่างประเทศ)ℹ️
The government body that reported the figures for border and cross-border trade in February 2026.
Ministry of Commerce(กระทรวงพาณิชย์)ℹ️
The ministry under which the Department of Foreign Trade operates.

Person

Arada Feungtong(นางอารดา เฟื่องทอง)
Director-General of the Department of Foreign Trade, who provided an analysis of the trade figures.

Place

Cambodia(กัมพูชา)ℹ️
A neighboring country with which Thailand's border trade reached zero in February 2026.
Malaysia(มาเลเซีย)ℹ️
A neighboring country engaged in border trade with Thailand, which had the highest value among the four neighboring countries in February 2026.
Lao PDR(สปป.ลาว)ℹ️
A neighboring country whose border trade with Thailand decreased by 14.9% in February 2026 due to inflation and a weak currency.
Myanmar(เมียนมา)ℹ️
A neighboring country whose border trade with Thailand decreased by 21.1% in February 2026 due to fighting along the border and trade measures.
China(จีน)ℹ️
A third country to which Thailand engages in cross-border trade, with the highest value in February 2026.
Singapore(สิงคโปร์)ℹ️
A third country to which Thailand engages in cross-border trade, showing significant growth in February 2026.
Vietnam(เวียดนาม)ℹ️
A third country to which Thailand engages in cross-border trade, showing significant growth in February 2026.
Iran(อิหร่าน)ℹ️
A country experiencing conflict, which is expected to impact global energy and economic factors affecting Thailand's trade.