Hand-cart porters block Thai border bridge

[geovalin]

Hundreds of Cambodian hand-cart porters protested yesterday by dumping fish onto a joint border bridge linking Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province with Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province, causing extensive traffic delays.    Vich Oun, chief of the Poipet International Border Checkpoint, confirmed with Khmer Times yesterday that the protest was in response to the increasing cost of transporting goods into Thailand. 
 

“Thai customs officials required Cambodian porters to pay only 350 baht [$10] to 400 baht per hand cart transporting fish into Thailand,” he said. “But yesterday they claimed it increased to 1,500 baht, almost four times higher, saying the new fee was in accordance with Thai laws.
 

“The Cambodian porters got angry with Thai customs officials and blocked the Thai-Cambodia Relationship Bridge, causing an almost three-hour delay.”       Mr. Oun said the protesters demanded that Thai customs officials ensure the fee would return to the earlier price.

 

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