Border trade in the first nine months of 2018 grew 6.14% year-on-year to 1.04 trillion baht, with an export surplus of 133 billion baht, but the negative impact of falling Chinese tourist arrivals is now showing.
Adul Chotinisakorn, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, said on Thursday that overall border trade, including transit trade, consisted of exports worth 585 billion baht, down 0.29%, and imports of 452 billion baht, up 15.80%.
Malaysian border trade was the biggest, valued at 426 billion baht, up 1.36%. It comprised 221 billion baht worth of exports, down 6.65%, and 205 billion baht of imports, up 11.72%.
Border trade with Laos was valued at 159 billion baht, up 5.01%, and comprised 97 billion baht worth of exports, up 0.63%, and 62 billion baht worth of imports, up 12.67%.
With Myanmar, border trade value was 144 billion baht, up 4.94%, comprising exports worth 80 billion baht, down 3.39%, and imports worth 64 billion baht, up 17.58%.
Border trade with Cambodia was estimated at 105 billion baht, up 14.08%, and consisted of 88 billion baht worth of exports, up 19.26%, and 18 billion baht of imports, down 6.20%.
Mr Adul said border trade with Myanmar was affected by flooding in Myanmar and the continuous depreciation of its kyat currency.
However, exports to Malaysia were slowing down due to declining shipments of natural rubber and rubber products. The decline in Chinese tourist arrivals in southern provinces, including Songkhla, was also affecting border trade there, he said.
Border trade with Cambodia was growing well. Mr Adul said that last month exports to Cambodia soared by 34% on the export of beverages.
He continued to believe the value of overall border trade would grow by 15% to 1.5 trillion baht this year, as earlier anticipated.