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A special manufacturing & duty free area in Mae Sot (border trade of 30 billion baht last year) to make business connections with the new Myanmar.

The Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge that connects Maesot with Myawaddy on the Myanmar side of the Moei river (Source: Wikipedia).

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Regional Economic Development

Mae Sot trade zone gets the nod

Cabinet okays B51bn of projects in lower North
22 Jan 2013
Patsara Jikkham

The Maesot area next to the Thai-Myanmar border (Source: Wikipedia).

The cabinet has approved a proposal to develop Mae Sot district in Tak province into a special economic zone on the Thai-Myanmar border...

...The Council of State will finalise the regulations governing the project. The zone will initially be set up in tambons Mae Pa and Tha Sai Luad, covering an area of more than 5,600 rai, next to the Moei River, which separates Thailand and Myanmar.

A second friendship bridge will be constructed on the river to ease congestion on the existing bridge.

An industrial estate will be also be set up...

Transport infrastructure, shipment and distribution centres, duty-free areas, bonded warehouses, one-stop service facilities, single service inspection and customs checkpoints will be part of the special economic zone.

...Mae Sot has strong potential for economic development as the area is a key location for Thai-Myanmar border trade.

A study also found that a special economic zone would benefit labour-intensive trades such as textile and garments industries, vegetable and fruit canning factories, and timber processing and furniture-making businesses.

Mae Sot's border trade value was recorded at 30 billion baht last year, the highest in the northern region.

Mobile cabinet meeting in Uttaradit yesterday where special projects for the lower north region were approved (Photo: Bangkok Post).

However, the government might need to revoke the protected forest status of some areas to allow development to go ahead...

... the cabinet meeting also approved in principle other development projects in Mae Sot.

These include a tunnel, railways, a four-lane Tak-Mae Sot highway, an airport and industrial estates.

The cabinet also approved 111 projects worth about 51 billion baht in the lower northern provinces of Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Tak, Phetchabun and Phitsanulok... 

(Source: Bangkok Post, Local News, Mae Sot trade zone gets the nod, Cabinet okays B51bn of projects in lower North, 22 Jan 2013, Patsara Jikkham, link) 


Regional Economic Development Vocabulary

regional economic development - "regional economic development aims at creating more employment and a rising standard of living in the region" by causing expansion of profitable business activity in the region, the creation of new businesses and expansion of existing businesses, in a way that expands the total number of jobs and results in a rising average wage" (See Wikipedia and Understanding Society)

economic development - "the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area....can involve ...development of human capital, .... infrastructure, regional competitiveness, environmental sustainability, social inclusion, health, safety, literacy..... Economic development differs from economic growth. Whereas economic development is a policy intervention endeavor with aims of economic and social well-being of people, economic growth is a phenomenon of market productivity and rise in GDP. Consequently, as economist Amartya Sen points out: "economic growth is one aspect of the process of economic development.'" (See Wikipedia)

development (noun) - economic development
development projects - economic development projects

develop (verb) - develop economically
develop Mae Sot district in Tak province into a special economic zone on the Thai-Myanmar border...

Mae Sot - the biggest town on the western Thai-Myanmar border, next to Karen state in Myanmar  แม่สอด (See Wikipedia & Thai-language Wikipedia)

zone - a special area (where some activity is allowed or not allowed) ] โซน, เขต, พื้นที่,  บริเวณ
special economic zone

trade - the buying and selling of goods การค้าขาย
trade zone - a special area for buying and selling goods (and also for producing goods in factories)

proposal - a plan or suggestion for a group to consider ข้อเสนอ
approve - allow, permit, authorize, say "yes" someone can do something or do a project อนุมัติ

approve a proposal
the cabinet has approved a proposal

principle - a basic belief, theory, or rule that has a major influence on the way in which something is done หลักการ
approve in principle - say that you agree with the idea and want to have it happen (but not 100% sure yet)

okay - say "yes" that someone can do something, approve, allow, permit
cabinet okays B51bn of projects in lower North

gets the nod - get permission to do something or start a project
Mae Sot trade zone gets the nod

border - the official line separating two areas, regions or countries เขตแดน อาณาเขต
the Thai-Myanmar border...

regulations - rules made by the government to control how some activity is done; official rules that control the way things are done กฎระเบียบ ระเบียบ ข้อบังคับ   ระเบียบปฏิบัติ
the regulations governing the project

finalise - add the final details to something (so that it is complete and finished)
finalise the regulations
the Council of State will finalise the regulations governing the project.

initially - at first; at the beginning ในเบื้องต้น ในระยะต้น

The zone will initially be set up in tambons Mae Pa and Tha Sai Luad, covering an area of more than 5,600 rai, next to the Moei River, which separates Thailand and Myanmar.

ease - to make or become less severe, difficult, unpleasant, painful, etc ทำให้ง่าย บรรเทา
congestion - a situation in which a place is crowded with people or vehicles แน่นขนัดไปด้วยรถหรือคน
ease congestion - make a a road or area less crowded with people (less traffic jams, can move around more easily) 

a second friendship bridge will be constructed on the river to ease congestion on the existing bridge.

industrial estate - industrial park, a special area for factories with special infrastructure such as electricity, waste disposal and transportation facilities (See Wikipedia)

set up an industrial estate
an industrial estate will be also be set up...

infrastructure - the high-cost facilities that everyone in the economy shares (water, roads, electricity, trains) สาธารณูปโภค
transport infrastructure

distribution - giving or delivering things to many people การจำหน่ายออกไป
shipment and distribution centres

duty - a tax on goods imported into a country
duty-free - without duties (no taxes on goods coming into a country) 
duty-free areas - areas where taxes on goods brought into the country do not have to be paid  

warehouse - a large building for storing goods
bonded warehouses - a place to keep imported goods until the buyer pays any necessary import taxes

facilities - the buildings, equipment and services provided for a particular purpose สิ่งอำนวยความสะดวก
one-stop service facilities

inspection - the act of looking closely at something or someone and to check that everything is as it should be; examination การตรวจสอบอย่างละเอียด
single service inspection

customs - the government control, inspection, and taxation of goods coming into a country กรมศุลกากร ด่านศุลกากร
checkpoint - a place on a road or border to check people and things passing through ด่าน, ด่านตรวจ
customs checkpoints - a place along the border to check goods coming into the country

Transport infrastructure, shipment and distribution centres, duty-free areas, bonded warehouses, one-stop service facilities, single service inspection and customs checkpoints will be part of the special economic zone.

potential - the possibility of success ที่มีศักยภาพ ที่เป็นไปได้
strong potential for economic development

key - important คนสำคัญ
key location - an important place

border trade - the buying and selling of goods and services across the border of two countries
Thai-Myanmar border trade

...Mae Sot has strong potential for economic development as the area is a key location for Thai-Myanmar border trade.

intensive - 1. using a lot of something; 2. involving a lot of effort, energy, or attention
labour-intensive - manufacturing and the production that relies more on human labour than on machines (more labour than capital input) 

trade - a type of business or work (example: the trade of plumbing or carpentry)
labour-intensive trades - kinds of work or businesses that use a lot of worker time and less machines and technology

garments - clothing
garments industries

timber - wood used for building houses or for making furniture ไม้ซุง
timber processing

benefit - to help someone มีประโยชน์ต่อ   to get help or an advantage from something ผลประโยชน์
a special economic zone would benefit labour-intensive trades

a special economic zone would benefit labour-intensive trades such as textile and garments industries, vegetable and fruit canning factories, and timber processing and furniture-making businesses

status - official or legal position สถานะ สถานภาพ the category or classification of a person, thing, or organization
protected forest status

revoke - take away; cancel, officially end something; to official say that something is no longer legal ยกเลิก เพิกถอน
revoke the protected forest status

the government might need to revoke the protected forest status of some areas to allow development to go ahead...

meeting - when a group of people come together to discuss issues and make decisions การประชุม
cabinet meeting

... the cabinet meeting also approved in principle other development projects in Mae Sot.

tunnel
railways
four-lane highway
These include a tunnel, railways, a four-lane Tak-Mae Sot highway, an airport and industrial estates