Commerce Ministry to boost border trade between Thailand and Malaysia

SONGKHLA, Nov 27 (TNA) - Commerce officials visited this southern province to discuss solutions to promote border trade with Malaysia. Nuntawan Sakuntanaga, permanent secretary for commerce, said she and other senior commerce officials visited Songkhla on Nov 25 and 26 to discuss the situation of the border trade through the Sadao border pass with local government officials and operators. The Sadao border pass is a major gateway for Thai-Malaysian border trade as the value of border trade there exceeds 300 billion baht annually. Mrs Nuntawan said congestion at the old Sadao border checkpoint prompted the government to build a new Sadao customs facility on a 596-rai land plot. The new border checkpoint will be completed in mid-2019. Then the value of the border trade would increase by 10%, she said. In her meeting with local authorities, they discussed congestion at both Sadao and Padang Besar border checkpoints and some obstacles to the openings of the new customs facilities on both sides of the border. (TNA)