Cabinet nods to development of border checkpoint, adds flights to/from Russia



BANGKOK, 17 February 2016 (NNT) – The Cabinet has set aside a budget for the development of the Aranyaprathet border checkpoint in Sa Kaeo province while giving the green light to the adjustment of the flight schedule between Thailand and Russia.

Government Spokesperson Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd stated that the Cabinet on Tuesday agreed to the Finance Ministry’s proposal to allocate approximately 114 million baht from the central budget for the improvement of the customs checkpoint at the Aranyaprathet border pass.

The budget is to be spent particularly on upgrading the system for the examination of goods, vehicles and cargoes going in and out of the Kingdom. The development plan is aimed to enhance the checkpoint’s capacity in line with the expansion of the local special economic zone and the opening of the ASEAN Economic Community.

Furthermore, Maj Gen Sansern added that the Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding between Thailand and Russia to make flight adjustments on certain routes.

Flight frequency between the two countries was increased from 42 flights to 70 flights per week, with the number of flights from Russia to Phuket doubled from 14 a week to 28. Flights to Chiang Mai were also diverted to Krabi while flights to Irkutsk, Russia were redirected to Novosibirsk.


-- NNT 2016-02-17

customs upgrading the system for the examination of goods, vehicles and cargoes going in and out of the Kingdom

This is a questionable expendicture and may cause trade friction with Thailand's ASEAN partners.

One of the four pillars of the ASEAN Economic Community is a Single Market and Production Base. The region prescribed by the ASSEAN+1 as a whole must become a single market and production base to produce and commercialize goods and services anywhere in ASEAN. In other words to create an economic integration of the ASEAN +1 into a unitary trade community like the EU.

Two of the five core principles of ASEAN single market and production base are free flow of goods and services.¹

This upgrading seems to be counterproductive from an ASEAN Community perspective.

¹http://aseanup.com/benefits-asean-economic-community-aec/

Like the EU, ASEAN can expect a lot of problems that will take many years to figure out. Even now, most people think that the open borders are a big mistake ! As for free flow of goods, I'm quite sure , especially in Asia, that they will still need border controls !

More flights to Russia , the only airline with affordable prices to europe .... just one of the worst too and a crappy airport in Moskou.

Since Russians are boycotting Turkey for their sunshine holidays ,Putin now brings the Russians for the time being again to Thailand that is why the extra flights