Myanmar upgrades Prachuap pass

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.

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