Mae Sot-Myawaddy border expected to reopen next week: Thai minister

BANGKOK: -- Thai Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot on Thursday said he sees the Mae Sot-Myawaddy border reopening early next week, following the negotiations just completed with Myanmar officials.

Heading the Thai delegation, Mr Alongkorn said the results of the talks with the Myanmar government to reopen the border at the Mae Sot-Myawaddy Bridge in Thailand's Tak province have been submitted to Myanmar's higher leaders for consideration.

Following discussions early this week, Myanmar officials were satisfied with the conclusion and coordinated with their agencies on the border reopening matter, the deputy minister added.

In a related development, the Thai-Myanmar Township Border Committee (TBC) will meet tomorrow in Myawaddy. The issue of the border reopening will be raised and discussed with Myanmar’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister U Maung Myint.

Mr Alongkorn and his team on Monday crossed the Friendship Bridge to meet Myanmar officials and to discuss the ongoing border closure which has already lasted for over two weeks.

Trade and transport at the Mae Sot-Myawaddy border has been frozen since Myanmar shut the border crossing at the bridge across the Moei River and over 20 cross-border trading ports along the river on July 12.

The neighbouring country’s action is believed to be a protest against a river embankment construction project which it claimed diverted some river currents which might erode their side of the river after having no response from Thailand to its letter asking the Thai ambassador to Myanmar to discuss the issue.

On Wednesday the minister said that the Thai Cabinet would discuss adjusting working processes of the Thai-Myanmar TBC at local and national level in order ease border problems more quickly and decisively to avoid smaller irritations being blown out of proportion and escalating into conflict in the future.

The border closure caused damage of about Bt88 million (US$2.7 million) per day, according to Mr Alongkorn.

Exports in the first nine months of the fiscal year across the Mae Sot-Myawaddy border were valued at Bt25 billion (about $780,000) or a 45 per cent growth. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-07-29

Political post removed - if you wish to discuses politics of Burma/Thailand please do so in forums other than visa as it makes finding information that much harder for readers. This forum is primarily to pass/share current information on visa issues. Thanks

Does anyone know if this crossing has reopened?

'The Nation' reporting that there has been a bomb blast in Myawaddy resulting in at least 2 deaths.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/Two-killed-in-a-bomb-blast-in-Burma-30135417.html