Thailand fetched 1.4 trillion baht in 2018 from all cross-border trade, including transit trade, up 6% from the year before, but the figure fell short of the target.
The figure fell short of the 1.5-trillion-baht target set by the Commerce Ministry.
Adul Chotinisakorn, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, has cited the ongoing US-China trade row, natural disasters and foreign exchange fluctuations as factors hampering trade.
Of the cross-border total, border exports represented 778.29 billion baht, down 0.8% year-on-year, and border imports were worth 614.33 billion baht, up 14.9%, resulting in a trade surplus of 163.95 billion baht.
Thailand's border trade with all four neighbours rose 4% last year to 1.12 trillion baht, with exports making up 650.9 billion baht, down 0.5%, and imports worth 473.76 billion, up 11%.
Malaysia was the biggest partner for border trade, with two-way border trade amounting to 571.92 million baht, up 1.3%, followed by Laos (213.61 million baht, up 3.2%), Myanmar (193.32 million baht, up 4.9%) and Cambodia (145.79 million baht, up 16.4%).
The department said transit trade with Singapore, Vietnam and southern China rose healthily last year, with value totalling 267.95 billion baht, up 12.7%. Exports rose 1.9% to 127.38 billion baht, while imports surged 30.2% to 140.57 billion baht.
Transit trade to southern China fetched the highest value, 103.45 billion baht, followed by Singapore (86.19 billion baht) and Vietnam (78.31 billion baht).
Transit trade consists of businesses connected with the passage of goods through a country to their destination.
The Commerce Ministry has set a target to increase the country's overall border trade to 1.6 trillion baht this year.
The growth target will be supported by trade talks with neighbouring countries to reduce obstacles to border trade, as well as the government-initiated Young Entrepreneur Network Development Programme.