Fence construction along Chanthaburi–Trat border reaches third stage
Thailand says border fence construction in Chanthaburi and Trat has entered its third stage after JBC approval to survey and mark the Thai–Cambodian boundary.
The construction of a border fence along the Thai–Cambodian boundary in Chanthaburi and Trat has progressed to the third of five stages, according to the Thai side of the Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC).
Progress reaches technical survey stage
The project, overseen by the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defence Command under the Royal Thai Navy, advanced to the third stage after Prasat Prasatwinijchai, Thailand’s JBC chief, and his Cambodian counterpart signed an endorsement of the Technical Instruction (TI) for fence construction.
The signing marked the completion of the second stage and allows both sides to begin the next phase — surveying the borderline and erecting temporary boundary markers.
Five stages of border fence construction
According to the Thai JBC, the fence construction follows five official stages:
1. Certification of boundary line
The JBC issued a document confirming that boundary markers Nos. 52–59 represent the agreed border line, allowing a fence to be built along it. A technical sub-committee was also established to oversee the construction process.
2. Revision of technical instruction
The existing TI, prepared by the Royal Survey Department and the joint Thai–Cambodian survey team, was amended to clearly state that the survey aims to define the fence line along the recognised boundary.
3. Borderline survey and temporary markers
In this stage, the Thai–Cambodian survey team will use satellite-based tools — including GPS/GNSS equipment — to ensure a precise, straight line between markers Nos. 52 and 59. Temporary markers will be placed every 50 to 100 metres.
The team will also deploy drones to capture aerial images for mapping purposes. These will be used to create detailed field charts showing the positions of permanent markers and temporary reference points, based on an agreed map scale.
The survey results and maps will be submitted to the Joint Technical Sub-Committee (JTSC) and the JBC for endorsement. Once approved, the boundary line will be officially confirmed by both countries and used as the basis for fence construction.
The Thai JBC side estimated that this stage will take 10–15 days, depending on terrain conditions.
4. Drafting of memorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the border fence construction will be jointly drafted by the Defence Ministry, Royal Thai Navy, JBC, and Interior Ministry, based on findings from the first three stages.
The MoU will reaffirm that the fence construction aligns with the 1907 border accord and the 2000 MoU between Thailand and Cambodia.
5. Construction of the fence
In the final stage, a joint Thai–Cambodian construction unit will build the fence along the border in Chanthaburi and Trat under the supervision of the Chanthaburi–Trat Border Defence Command.
