New Thai - Myanmar Border Checkpoint Opened

[george]

New Thai-Myanmar border checkpoint promotes trade and tourism

MAE HONG SON: -- Caretaker Thai Interior Minister Kongsak Wanthana on Thursday opened a new border checkpoint between Thailand and Myanmar, to promote trade and tourism between the two countries.

The minister said the border checkpoint located in Ban Mae Sam Leab in Sob Mei district of this northern province would help strengthen relations and economic cooperation between Thailand and its neighbour to the west.

Air Chief Marshal Kongsak said it would also promote His Majesty the King's self-sufficiency scheme as well as globalised economy.

He said the ministry has given citizenship to more than 20,000 migrants and hoped they would behave as Thais and be grateful to their nation.

The minister later chaired a ceremony to celebrate the Songkran Water Festival, in which people from both countries participated.

Marshal Kongsak also visited some royal development projects under the patronage of His Majesty the King at Tung Kong Muu. His 2-day visit to Mae Hong Son ends Friday.

--TNA 2006-04-13

[srisatch]

Now why would anyone want to open that border crossing/checkpoint...I Wonder!?

[PeaceBlondie]

That appears to be in the SW Mae Hong Son province, southwest of Mae Sariang, on highway 1149.

Go to: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=63515

and click on the underlined link for the "Chiang Mai-MHS Loop" map. It is around page 8 of the pdf.

Does it connect to a road in Myanmar that goes anywhere significant?

[Kerryd]

Does it connect to a road in Myanmar that goes anywhere significant?

Well, only if you consider Burma's new capital Pyinmana, is almost due west (and slightly north) of Mae Hong Son, to be significant !

"Pyinmana has been given a new name, Naypyidaw Myodaw, or Royal Capital, though the country has no king."

[PeaceBlondie]

Does it connect to a road in Myanmar that goes anywhere significant?

Well, only if you consider Burma's new capital Pyinmana, is almost due west (and slightly north) of Mae Hong Son, to be significant !

"Pyinmana has been given a new name, Naypyidaw Myodaw, or Royal Capital, though the country has no king."

Thanks; maybe that explains it. After all, when you're in Rome, all roads lead to Rome. So, the supermodern national capital megalopolis that was recently hacked out of the jungle like some SE Asian version of Brasilia, or Belmopan in Belize, will blossom and need roads in every direction.

But didn't we imagine that the paranoia of the generals in the Burmese junta wanted to get far away from Yangoon? Isn't Pyinmana in the wrong corner of Myanmar? Do they want a road between Pyinmana and Mae Hong Son so that the rest of the Shan and Karen people will leave more easily? Don't armies drive tanks down roads? Will the junta think the new bridge into Myanmar is for Thai tanks?

Tanks again.

[Johpa]

Probably just a timber checkpoint built for Chawalit's business partners. I doubt ex-pats would be welcome for visa runs. There use to be another similar obscure small border crossing a few klicks up the road past Thaton that would sometimes be open for local traffic and sometimes not.

I must say that the forest lands west of the highway linking Mae Sot, Mae Sariang, Khun Yuam, and Mae Hong Song offer some of the most beautiful forest roads around. The area was never a major destination for the trekkers as there was not much ethnic diversity as other areas, being mostly Shan and Karen. Many years ago I explored the region with one of my Karen relatives and had an exceptionally good time apart from having to deal with the dregs of the Thai bureaucracy who had been banished/punished by relocation to the Khun Yuam Amphoe district offices for lord knows what misdeeds.

[PeaceBlondie]

I know what you mean, about agency officers being relegated to the boondocks. The immigration officers in Chiapas, Mexico, who were assigned to roadside, illegal INTERIOR checkpoints, were usually the dregs, or guys who couldn't play politics. I'll never forget the guy who looked up "Mennonites" the night before, in his Encarta encyclopedia. When we arrived, he asked us, "Do you know who Conrad Grebel is?" We only knew one Mexican national in the whole state. Weird.

[Kerryd]

Thanks; maybe that explains it. After all, when you're in Rome, all roads lead to Rome.

That holds true in Thailand as well, as all roads lead to Bangkok (did they get that idea from Rome ?)

But didn't we imagine that the paranoia of the generals in the Burmese junta wanted to get far away from Yangoon? Isn't Pyinmana in the wrong corner of Myanmar? Do they want a road between Pyinmana and Mae Hong Son so that the rest of the Shan and Karen people will leave more easily? Don't armies drive tanks down roads? Will the junta think the new bridge into Myanmar is for Thai tanks?

Looking at the map, I don't think they could go any further north, as they would run into problems with the Wa and Shan state "armies" and drug syndicates.

Maybe the junta maybe has future plans to escape an invasion and ask for asylum in Thailand (assuming Thailand isn't involved in the invasion) ? If it was me, I would rather be in Thailand, spending the loot I had amassed, than in Bangladesh or Bhutan.

[Maejo Man]

New Thai-Myanmar border checkpoint promotes trade and tourism

MAE HONG SON: -- Caretaker Thai Interior Minister Kongsak Wanthana on Thursday opened a new border checkpoint between Thailand and Myanmar, to promote trade and tourism between the two countries.

--TNA 2006-04-13

What sort or tourism? Thai or foreign? Having scanned several maps, there seems to be a complete lack of infrastructure on the Myanmar side. i.e. NO roads or anything of note.

Has anyone (GT Rider) been there yet? If so what were their obsevarions? Is it classed as an official border crossing? i.e. With Thai immigration, or just another one of those sleepy border posts?