National Shippers’ Council urges Bangkok to adopt proactive diplomacy and cost relief measures; SMEs hit hard by forced switch from land to sea routes.
The Thai National Shippers’ Council (TNSC) has sounded the alarm, expressing profound concern that escalating border tensions are directly undermining business confidence and the competitiveness of the nation’s export sector.
Thanakorn Kasetsuwan, chairman of the TNSC, revealed that the growing instability on the Thai-Cambodian border is forcing numerous exporters to abandon established land routes.
To mitigate security risks and avoid delays, many firms are now compelled to switch to far costlier sea freight or undertake significantly longer inland haulage journeys.
“These diversions have led to a substantial increase in logistics costs and extended transit times, severely hurting the competitiveness of Thai exporters,” Thanakorn stated.
He noted that the impact is particularly acute for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) due to their sensitivity to rising costs and constrained liquidity.
Economic and Festive Impact
The TNSC is closely monitoring the situation, especially the risk of further confrontation, which could exacerbate the nation’s slow and fragile economic recovery.
The Council warns that if the current tension persists, it will not only hurt trade routes and logistics but also dampen investor and consumer confidence.
This is a critical concern, as the year-end period is traditionally a season for economic activity to pick up.