The Royal Thai Armed Forces have released details of a planned security fence along the border with Cambodia, following deadly armed clashes that have further strained relations between the two countries.
The blueprint was presented to Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Krom Phra Srisavangavadhana by Army Chief Gen Pana Klaoplodthuk. He and other military leaders, including Chief of the Defence Forces Gen Ukris Boontanondha, were granted an audience on Thursday.
According to the plan, the fence will stand 3.5 metres high, with the lower section built from prestressed concrete and the upper part made of galvanised steel grating topped with barbed wire. The structure is designed to resist attempts to breach it, either by force, climbing, or tunnelling, according to information posted on the Hataitip Fund Facebook page.
While the post did not disclose the total construction cost, some media outlets – including the FM91 Traffic Police website – estimated the expense at around 7.36 million baht per kilometre for the fence alone, or up to 8.6 million baht if a dirt road for security patrols is added.
The overall funding source for the project has not been fully revealed, though the princess’s Hataitip Fund is expected to play a key role. ‘The Hataitip Fund will be a main mechanism to mobilise contributions from all Thais to accelerate safety and security along the border,’ the account stated.
The Thai-Cambodian land border stretches 798 kilometres. The initial phase of the project will cover 8.4 kilometres between border markers 52 and 59 in Pong Nam Ron district of Chanthaburi province, where demarcation has been completed.
The move followed the approval of the armed forces-backed project by the National Security Council on Oct 2.