CJ

 

 

Myanmar traders are bracing for major financial losses as import permits for goods stranded at the Thai border near expiry, following the junta’s abrupt closure of the Myawaddy crossing last month.

 

Since 18 August, truckloads of Thai consumer goods have been stuck in Mae Sot, unable to cross the Mae Sot–Myawaddy Friendship Bridge No. 2. The closure, ordered by the military government in Naypyidaw, was framed as a crackdown on illegal trade and foreign currency flows. But for traders, the consequences are mounting.

 

Under Thai law, goods left unclaimed for more than a month face confiscation and auction. Most permits are set to expire in the first week of September, with others following shortly after. Traders fear they’ll be forced to buy back their own stock at inflated prices or lose it entirely.

 

Transport costs have surged, and some merchants have resorted to ferrying goods across the Thaung Yin River by boat. Yet this workaround only allows delivery to Myawaddy, with no clearance to move further inland. “Most of the goods are unlicensed, so they can only be moved up to Myawaddy. Even after arriving there, they cannot go further,” explained one trader.

 

While officials have hinted at alternative routes—such as Mae Sai–Tachileik or Ranong–Kawthaung—traders allege that permits are being selectively granted to junta-linked firms. Applicants must now prove foreign export earnings, a hurdle many cannot meet.

 

The disruption extends beyond the border. From late August, large-volume Thai imports by air were banned, and fighting along the Asia Highway has driven up customs fees at both rebel and junta checkpoints. Key routes like Htoe Kaw Koe Road and Highway 1018 are increasingly volatile.

 

Retailers across Myanmar are already feeling the pinch. Prices for everyday Thai goods—noodles, soap, shampoo—have jumped by 5,000 to 6,000 kyats. “Some shops have stopped selling because the cost of restocking is higher than what they can charge customers,” said a Myawaddy shopkeeper.

 

With shortages spreading and costs rising, the pressure is mounting on traders, small businesses, and households alike. For many, the border closure is more than a logistical setback—it’s a blow to livelihoods.

 

-2025-09-02

Anticipate a diplomatic path to work on a peace solution; take Chile as an example, where the army was a fixed given in a democratic revamp of the country's way of governing. 

Then only you can talk about money again; just whining of no licenses to export Thai goods to Myanmar is of no use to nobody. Rather than drying up tears, get the foreign office to talk to Myanmar - but it would require a functioning government and that, unfortunately is missing on both sides. 

Greed, greed, money, greed .............