Border-crossing rules in Mekong subregion 'need to be standardised'

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Border-crossing rules in Mekong subregion 'need to be standardised'

By PHUWIT LIMVIPHUWAT 
THE NATION

 

Supachai delivers the keynote speech at the 1st International Conference on GMS Logistics Thailand 2018

 

SETTING standards for the crossing of borders is an urgent requirement for logistics in the Mekong sub-region, the former chief of World Trade Organisation (WTO), Supachai Panitchpakdi, said yesterday.

 

Speaking at an international conference on GMS Logistics Thailand, Supachai said six countries in the Mekong basin under the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) cooperation scheme have to amend and adjust their respective laws and regulations to meet the same standard.

 

Established in 1992, GMS comprises countries in the Mekong basin comprising China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The scheme aims to jointly develop infrastructure to facilitate economic development and connectivity in the sub-region. 

 

A computerised border-crossing system within the GMS would be a solution to enhance harmonisation between the countries, Supachai said. 

 

With a computerised cross-border system, the group would be able to identify the movement of trade around the country at a much faster pace as well as help eradicate corrupt practices in the border areas, he said. 

 

Countries should also adopt the trade facilitation agreement of the WTO which was agreed on in February last year, he said. 

 

This should help to bring the basic rules at the borders to a certain standard. As it is an international agreement, it will help determine the specific regulations that need to be standardised, he said. 

 

The GMS is a key economic area in East Asia with a cross-border trade value totalling Bt300 billion in the first six months of the year, said Nichapa Yoswee, senior vice president for business, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau.

 

The GMS is expected to invest around $56 billion, about 85 per cent of its total development budget for 2013-22, in the development of logistics and infrastructure networks, including checkpoints, to better facilitate trade and transport movement along the GMS Economic Corridors, she said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Economy/30353821

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-09-06

[Sydebolle]

Now how very true is that, right on the money. I cross with my (Thai-registered) car into:
- Malaysia, ITP not recognized and all-English plates not accepted. Need to buy a local sticker (black with white numerals assigned so by the Malay authorities which do NOT correspond to the all-English plates of Thailand). 

- Myanmar, ITP not recognized but require all-English plates. Entry only possible with prior approval of the Ministry of Hotel & Tourism in Yangon.
- Laos, ITP required, irrespective of plates being all-English or normal Thai
- Cambodia, nothing recognized; you leave the blue car registration book with the border post and drive around without insurance and technically, illegally. No protection in case of accident or car theft
- Vietnam, nothing recognized, access granted by the Ministries of Transport and Tourism‘s pre-arranged approval
- China, nothing recognized; easiest is a ATA Carnet by the Board of Trade in Bangkok but that is another nightmare to obtain

Thai border points:
- Nongkhai just wants the ITP, TM2, TM3 and TM4 form
- Chiang Khon, Pudu, Thali, Buengkan, Nakorn Phanom and Mukdahan need the ITP and one complete set of copies of passport and blue car registration book plus TM2-4
- Chong Mek needs the ITP and THREE complete sets of copies of passport, blue car registration book and ITP plus TM2-4

Been there, done that; interesting enough I crossed once into Laos with the wrong set of copies (I own more than one vehicle and took the documents and wrong sets of copies along and just took the risk. Got waved through and nobody checked anything. 

Also interesting is the „overtime fee“ between ZERO and 40 Baht, no receipt issued of course and disappearing straight into the drawer. Not, that I have a problem with 40 Baht but it shows how lawless every Tom, Dick and Harry chief of a border post can invent, abolish or ignore (non-)existing rules. 

So much to AEC2015 and the ASEAN brotherhood of bureaucracy 8-) 

[rosst]

It is so ridiculous, and yet these Governments expect us to take them seriously, pathetic really. 

On one hand they posture on the world stage pretending they have standards but the reality is that they have procedures that are optional at best and can be ignored at will. 

Good luck with computerised border crossing and as for getting them to all adopt and agree to a standard, then legislate in each country, I will be six foot under when that happens and it will snow in Bangkok. 

[Jeremy50]

It doesn't bode well for easy border crossings that they brought in Lucifer to give the address. 

[baboon]

"Also interesting is the „overtime fee“ between ZERO and 40 Baht, no receipt issued of course and disappearing straight into the drawer. Not, that I have a problem with 40 Baht but it shows how lawless every Tom, Dick and Harry chief of a border post can invent, abolish or ignore (non-)existing rules."

 

Truer words were never spoken. Standardisation? Forget it. Perhaps one day on paper, but on paper it will remain.