Thailand asks Myanmar to consider reopening Mae Sot-Myawaddy border checkpoint.

BANGKOK, May 15 - Thailand has requested its neighbor Myanmar to consider reopening the Mae Sot-Myawaddy border checkpoint, which has been closed since last July, in an attempt to boost cross border trade and investment between the two countries, said caretaker Deputy Commerce. Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot.

The request was made earlier this month during an ASEAN Economic Ministers' meeting in Indonesia, Mr Alongkorn said, adding that Thailand also thanked the Myanmar government for reviewing its ban on imports of 15 Thai goods.

Border trade and transport at the Mae Sot-Myawaddy border was suspended after Myanmar officials shut the border at the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge crossing the Moei River and at over 20 cross-border trading ports along the river last July.

It is believed that the Myanmar authorities were unhappy with Thailand's building river bank protection on the Thai side because the construction caused soil and rocks to fall into the river.

On the construction of Tavoy deep seaport which is being built by a Thai firm, the project is expected to complete in 2013, he said. The deep seaport could receive up to 300,000 deadweight tons and would facilitate shipping activities to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. The mega project is designed to assist ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members in production sharing within the region.

The ASEAN membership includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

In 2010, Myanmar ranked 19th for Thailand's key trading partners in the world and sixth among ASEAN members. Two-way trade amounted to about US $ 4.887 billion of which Thai exports to that country were valued at approximately US $ 2.073 billion. Border trade accounted for about 89 per cent of the total trade value.

Thai exports to Myanmar are mainly finished oil products, beverages, automobile and parts, iron and steel, cement, and chemical products. Thailand's key imports from Myanmar are natural gas, timber, minerals, and paper and pulp. (MCOT online news).

-- TNA 2011-05-15

I hope so! It's the closest for my visa run, otherwise it's a 20 hour drive to Mae Sai and back.

''Thailand's key imports from Myanmar are natural gas, timber, minerals, and paper and pulp & Ya Ba''

''Thailand's key imports from Myanmar are natural gas, timber, minerals, and paper and pulp & Ya Ba''

....and workers/labour.

''Thailand's key imports from Myanmar are natural gas, timber, minerals, and paper and pulp & Ya Ba''

....and workers/labour.

Thais don't recognize Burmese as human. Only as an asset, if their spirit can be bent enough to be submissive.