First phase of Thai-Cambodian border fence finished, Navy to start second

The first phase of a fence along the Thai-Cambodian border in Ban Laem, Pong Nam Ron district of Chanthaburi province has been completed, said the Thai Navy.

According to Rear Admiral Parach Rattanachaipan, a Thai Navy spokesman, the 1.3-kilometre section is 3.6 metres high. It was built using concrete topped with razor wire.

A secure steel door has been installed at the border marker to enable international inspectors to verify that the fence was built on Thai soil. Construction was financed by a fund established by the Chulabhorn Foundation.

A road runs parallel to the fence. It was funded by the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), the border patrol police and residents of Chanthaburi province to facilitate patrols by frontline troops and provide local residents with access to farmland near the border.

Rear Admiral Parach said the new barrier would also help prevent the smuggling of contraband, adding that the RTN would now begin construction of the second phase, between kilometre markers 54 and 58, a distance of just over 8km.

He explained that the fence is a physical manifestation of Thailand’s determination to end border conflicts with Cambodia and human and contraband trafficking.