Singkhon Border Crossing For Visa Runs Delayed - Thais Only

[webfact]

Permanent Thai-Myanmar checkpoint officially opens in Prachuap Khiri Khan
By Digital Media

PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN, May 9 – Senior Thai and Myanmar officials opened the Singkhon-Mudong permanent checkpoint in this province, paving the way for boosting mutual border trade.

Prachuap Khiri Khan governor Weera Sriwatthanatrakul attended the official opening of the new border crossing Wednesday.

Seafood from Myanmar was imported to Thailand on the first day of the checkpoint opening.

Myeik’s deputy chairman of chamber of commerce and industry said Myanmar is connected to the Andaman Sea and Thailand’s Prachuap Khiri Khan is adjacent to the Gulf of Thailand.

Several groups from Prachuap Khiri Khan have recently visited Myeik for business talks, so relations of both countries have become stronger.

Following the permanent checkpoint opening, mutual trade will definitely increase. The province plans to set up an industrial estate near this checkpoint, so he invited Thai businesspeople to invest in Myanmar.

He said that goods from Myeik are normally transported to Thailand from Kaw Thaung to Ranong province. The new permanent checkpoint will facilitate transportation from Myeik to Prachuap Khiri Khan using a
shorter distance of 200 kilometres or a four-hour drive. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-05-09

[webfact]

Myanmar upgrades Prachuap pass

PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN - Myanmar on Wednesday unilaterally upgraded its Mortong border checkpoint with Thailand to the status of a permanent pass, with Bangkok dragging its feet and still to officially announce the promised change.

The frontier crossing links the Myanmar township with Singkhorn checkpoint in Muang district of Prachuap Khiri Khan.

Prachuap governor Veera Sriwattanatrakul said at the ceremony to open the Myanmar border office that Thailand had not officially announced a matching upgrade from temporary to permanent checkpoint because of unsettled border demarcation issues in the area.

Thai and Myanmar officials were due to survey the border from May 27-30, he said.

The upgrading of the Myanmar checkpoint allows Thais holding a passport or a border pass to travel on Myanmar vehicles to Mergui, a key town on the Andaman coast in the Tanintharyi Region 200 kilometres from the Thai border.

Tun Tun Win, vice chairman of the Chamber of Trade and Industry of Mergui, said a permanent crossing would stimulate economic ties between Thailand and Mergui.

The main trade route with Thailand from Mergui is through Kawthaung to Ranong of Thailand.

He expected more trade through Prachuap Khiri Khan once Thailand announces a matching upgrade and the road from Myanmar to the border has been improved.

The main imports from Mergui are seafood products.

Myanmar plans to set up an industrial estate near the Singkhorn pass, Tun Tun Win said.

Mergui is also called Myeik.

Thailand and Myanmar plan to open two other permanent checkpoints - at Three Pagodas Pass and Ban Nam Pu Ron, both in Kanchanaburi.


-- Phuket News 2013-05-09

[Mario2008]

I am sorry,

I do not understand, the border crossing is only open to Thai Passportholders?

And Burmese. But indeed, it is not open for other nationals yet.

[george]

I am sorry,

I do not understand, the border crossing is only open to Thai Passportholders?

Yes, Thais only for the time being. When Thaivisa talked to Immigration last Friday, we were told the border crossing indeed should be opened for foreigners. This is now postponed.

[Thai at Heart]

The most telling thing in this, is that the imported seafood from Burma into Thailand???????

[NomadJoe]

If they don't want foreign nationals other than Thai's entering there, can't they just do like they to at the Ranong/Kawthoung border where they stamp your visa in and out at the same moment on the Burmese side, (actually the Burmese tout does it). Then you are allowed only to visit the town with 5km of the immigration office even though your passport says you aren't there.

[Lung666]

At the moment this border is simply upgraded to an official -mainly trade- border (think ASEAN 2015), which means there is proper customs house on thai side (before it was "grey zone"). The Burmese are not (yet) set up to deal with farang, there's no substantial administration on their side. I know as I've been inside there and don't just take news from some vague Pukhet gazette. Oh, and the road to Myeik is in poor condition and is getting repaired by the Thais as we speak...

ps. That pass is called the Maw Daung pass, the town on the Burmese side (several KM after the border that is) is also called Maw Daung, the thai pronounce as BOO-DONG. Those with a little knowledge about thai history also know that this pass has been of major importance in the past (ancient wars with Burmese, Japan & WWII, ...).

[NomadJoe]

... there's no substantial administration on their side....

Since when do they need that? A couple couple guys, a rubber stamp, and a desktop computer circa 1997 running Windows XP with a Pentium 4 and a webcam to snap pics is all that is on the Myanmar side across from Ranong.

[lopburi3]

Post removed for language.

[asiamint]

I am sorry,

I do not understand, the border crossing is only open to Thai Passportholders?

Yes, Thais only for the time being. When Thaivisa talked to Immigration last Friday, we were told the border crossing indeed should be opened for foreigners. This is now postponed.

personally George i think the guys down at immigration have a right laugh doing this, they are a complete joke next time instead of calling the source immigration, call it the 'Pinch of salt oufit said', nothing they say can be taken as fact

No expected date to open? if they don't have an expected date to open this was all bull crap from the beginning.

they have beem importing seafood, flowers, orchards for donkey years at that border post, nothing has changed

[belg]

do they mean, now truckloads can come in with prime myanmar heroine ?

[kannot]

Suspect the delays on the Thai side will be due to who gets what money from where........ie corruption.

[Dork]

This kind of thing doesn't bode well for cooperation between AEC member countries does it?

Build a new Border crossing, have a grand opening attended by local dignitaries, press releases etc.

But can't agree on actually opening it.

[zaZa9]

I see the Thais delaying any action on this for as long as possible.

Not only have they been dragging their heels about the check point , they have now found a possible border dispute...

Mr Seafood and the 'Fishermans Co-op' on the Thai side cant be happy either.

This is really only 'news' for most TV readers when a farang can actually cross the border there and go through to Myiek.

[Tomtomtom69]

Clearly if Thais are allowed through to Myeik, the areas between the border and Myeik can't be dangerous anymore, otherwise they would only allow locals to pass through (and when I say locals I'm referring to local Burmese residents of these areas).

This brings me to the question as to why they would allow Thais overland access to Myeik but not allow other nationalities - the only Thais likely to make the trip (and it says they have to use Myanmar vehicles for travel) would be traders, your average Thai tourist wouldn't likely be permitted to travel to Myeik and then from there backpack up to Yangon, Mandalay etc. so this upgrade means little for anyone until or unless they allow everyone to pass. In fact, even for Thai traders being forced to change vehicles at the border would make many reluctant to travel as this increases costs and creates a lot of inconvenience.

Indeed, the few Thais (out of the many Thais) I know that would even be interested in traveling to Myanmar (most Thais I know dislike Myanmar and think it is a backward country - they wouldn't travel there even if someone paid them) wouldn't want to travel overland on an uncomfortable Burmese bus or pickup where nobody speaks Thai or even much English. Such "adventurous" travel is something that young westerners and perhaps younger Japanese/independent Chinese travelers are more likely to be interested in attempting but the Burmese authorities don't realize the potential income they could make from allowing this.

I don't understand their reluctance, a country like Myanmar really can only become rich if they embark on mass tourism - the country has so much to offer tourism-wise and it's people are literally the most backward and poorest in Asia but this is all due to strange and unnecessary government policies created by the Myanmar government over the last few decades. While Laos and Cambodia have accelerated ahead, Myanmar continues to be left in the dust, in spite of some progress in recent months.

Edited May 10, 2013 by Tomtomtom69

[Tomtomtom69]

do they mean, now truckloads can come in with prime myanmar heroine ?

Not exactly - heroin comes from sub-tropical, mountainous Shan State, not from tropical Thanintharyi (Tenasserim) division.

[Tomtomtom69]

If they don't want foreign nationals other than Thai's entering there, can't they just do like they to at the Ranong/Kawthoung border where they stamp your visa in and out at the same moment on the Burmese side, (actually the Burmese tout does it). Then you are allowed only to visit the town with 5km of the immigration office even though your passport says you aren't there.

Actually your passport does say you are there - you get a proper arrival and exit stamp.

[NBD]

That's a shame. Anything but Poipet would be welcome for me!

Any idea when Three Pagodas will be opening?

[NomadJoe]

If they don't want foreign nationals other than Thai's entering there, can't they just do like they to at the Ranong/Kawthoung border where they stamp your visa in and out at the same moment on the Burmese side, (actually the Burmese tout does it). Then you are allowed only to visit the town with 5km of the immigration office even though your passport says you aren't there.

Actually your passport does say you are there - you get a proper arrival and exit stamp.

It says you were there...and have left.

[Lakegeneve]

I am sorry,

I do not understand, the border crossing is only open to Thai Passportholders?

Yes, Thais only for the time being. When Thaivisa talked to Immigration last Friday, we were told the border crossing indeed should be opened for foreigners. This is now postponed.

George, I am wondering if there is any substantive update regarding this crossing? Have the Burmese installed the required equipment ? Is there a sense of when this may become a fully fledged border crossing for others? Late this year, early next?

[ukrules]

Has anyone heard any update about this border crossing recently ?

[Kan Win]

Has anyone heard any update about this border crossing recently ?

No, however, the one in Kanchanaburi has opened.

Link below:-

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/636531-new-border-crossings/

Hope this helps you all in and around your province.

Win

[NCC1701A]

Anyone know if this border crossing can process Americans yet?

Sent from my GT-S7270 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[ubonjoe]

Anyone know if this border crossing can process Americans yet?

Sent from my GT-S7270 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

It is only open for Thais. But the one mentioned in the post before yours is the closest for you.