Thai border trade plunges 23.6% in August, Cambodia collapses 99.9%
Thailand’s border trade fell 23.6% in August to 63.9 billion baht, with Cambodia trade nearly collapsing by 99.9% to just 10 million baht, according to the Department of Foreign Trade (DFT).
Arada Fuangtong, director-general of the DFT, said combined border and transit trade in August 2025 totalled 150.13 billion baht, down 3.1% from a year earlier. Exports stood at 75.05 billion baht, while imports rose 12.2% to 75.07 billion baht, resulting in a trade deficit of 18 million baht for the month.
In the first eight months of 2025, combined border and transit trade amounted to 1.33 trillion baht, up 9.2% year-on-year. Exports rose 7.6% to 763.53 billion baht, while imports increased 11.4% to 574.86 billion baht, leaving Thailand with a surplus of 188.66 billion baht.
Border trade with four neighbouring countries in August was valued at 63.93 billion baht, down 23.6%. Exports fell 30.1% to 33.95 billion baht and imports declined 14.5% to 29.98 billion baht, leaving a surplus of 3.96 billion baht.
Malaysia remained Thailand’s largest border trading partner at 26.96 billion baht (down 5.7%), followed by Laos at 23.13 billion baht (down 0.1%), Myanmar at 13.82 billion baht (down 20.8%) and Cambodia at 10 million baht (down 99.9%).
Key border exports in August included diesel (2.05 billion baht), computers and parts (1.35 billion baht), and other refined oil products (1.11 billion baht). Over the first eight months, border trade totalled 636.21 billion baht, down 3.6%, with exports down 6.7% to 377.90 billion baht and imports up 1.2% to 258.31 billion baht.
Transit trade to third countries in August rose 20.9% to 86.19 billion baht, comprising exports of 41.10 billion baht (up 4.3%) and imports of 45.08 billion baht (up 41.5%). China was the largest market at 41.18 billion baht (up 12.9%), followed by Singapore at 14.27 billion baht (up 56.0%) and Vietnam at 8.36 billion baht (up 27.8%).
Major transit exports in August were hard disk drives (7.13 billion baht), fresh durian (7.09 billion baht) and computers and parts (2.33 billion baht).
For January–August 2025, transit trade grew 24.2% to 702.18 billion baht, with exports up 26.5% to 385.63 billion baht and imports up 21.4% to 316.55 billion baht.
