As borders shut, Cambodian families struggle to survive in frontier city Poipet

In the Cambodian frontier city of Poipet, many families who depended on cross-border trade with Thailand to earn a living are facing destitution as land crossings remain closed and Covid-19 shuts down much of the global economy.

While Poipet sits less than five kilometres from Thailand’s Rong Kluea Market, it has long represented a vastly different world of comparative economic opportunity for those in the Cambodian border city.
But today, Poipet residents are lamenting the loss of the cross-border economy that once supported their community, which over the last eight months has collapsed into widespread unemployment, halted migration and food insecurity.

Inevitably, reentering Cambodia from Thailand comes with both legal and physical risks, with arrest, detention and fees all inevitable if caught making the crossing by authorities.

Those that worked in the casinos, almost 10,000 have no jobs now. Only some security guards are left working at the casinos. The city of Poipet has become very quiet.

This article was written by CHRISTINE REDMOND

To read the full article, please click on the following link: https://southeastasiaglobe.com/covid-19-cambodias-border-city-poipet/