Cambodia Agrees to Dismantle Coastal Barrier, Safeguarding Trat Trade Route
Thailand and Cambodia moved quickly to defuse a coastal boundary disagreement after Cambodian workers placed a silt-trap extension off Ban Hat Lek, prompting Thai forces along the Khlong Yai stretch to object and reopen negotiations.
Highlights
• Cambodian crews began dismantling a sand-and-rock barrier at Thailand’s request
• The structure threatened to shift the Trat shoreline and redraw maritime limits
• Thai commanders warned of cutting logistics via the Koh Kong bridge if talks stalled
• Officials from both nations reaffirmed the 1995 Joint Maritime Arrangement
Strategic coastline and shifting sands
On Thailand’s eastern flank, the Trat shoreline rests on a perpetually moving muddy coast, molded by monsoon swells and tidal rhythms. Along the high-water mark, even minor sand groynes can tip the land boundary and expand a neighbour’s maritime claim. The recent Cambodian embankment, though billed as a silt-trap device, alarmed Thai planners who feared it would alter erosion patterns and undermine nearby Marine Unit 182 positions.
Local livelihoods on the line
Residents in Laem Ngop and surrounding villages depend on a mosaic of shrimp farms, eco-tourism ventures and fishing boats for income. The single coastal artery carries not only tourists bound for Koh Chang but also fruit exporters shipping durian and longkong to Bangkok markets. Accelerated coastal scour, officials warned, could jeopardise this coastal road, disrupt fruit exports and test community resilience along the border.
Diplomatic toolkit in action
Rather than escalate, officials employed the Chanthaburi–Trat Border Defence Command’s back‐channel to Cambodia’s Third Military Region. Through a direct hotline and references to the ASEAN Good Neighbour Principle, Thai negotiators reminded Phnom Penh of its commitments under the 1995 Joint Maritime Arrangement. When Cambodia agreed to start removing the barrier by 16:00 on December 20, both sides averted any risk of Thailand severing logistics flow across the Koh Kong bridge.
Implications for coastal governance
Though the immediate incident ended peacefully, experts urge clearer frameworks to manage future shoreline projects. Proposals include a bilateral study on coastal engineering impacts, joint maritime boundary protocols and a temporary moratorium on new groynes. With sea-level rise and cheaper land-reclamation techniques on the horizon, the Trat case serves as a reminder that even a simple silt trap can spark broader regional flashpoints if left unchecked.
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