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Cambodia jobseekers weigh debt risk as Thailand border reinforcement disrupts ties
Two-way trade between Cambodia and Thailand fell nearly 40% in the first five months of 2026 to US$1.15 billion, adding pressure on returning workers.
Cambodian jobseekers returning from Thailand are facing uncertainty about employment and ability to service debts after a border conflict, with recent Thailand border reinforcement changing the flow of work across the frontier, according to SCMP Economy.
Vin Lors, 37, previously earned about US$20 a day on construction sites in Bangkok but now makes less in Cambodia after returning to Siem Reap. He registered to receive help through a village chief after hearing the government would help returning migrant workers find jobs, but he said ministry officials never contacted him.
The article links the disruption to the broader economic fallout from the border row, citing impacts on jobs, remittances, trade, and tourism across Cambodia’s west. Thailand has completed a 1.3 km stretch of reinforced border fence as of July 22, while nearly 1 million Cambodian nationals have returned since the conflict began last year.
SCMP Economy also points to trade deterioration, saying official Cambodian preliminary figures show two-way trade fell by almost 40% to US$1.15 billion in the first five months of this year, raising concerns about what happens if economic links do not resume.