Extension of ban on Thai imports with new bridge closure

Written by Hseng Khio Fah/ Emily Hobbs

Thursday, 15 July 2010 15:48

Another ban on Thai imports is reported to have been brought into effect with the closure of the
cross border bridge between Shan State East’s Tachilek and Thailand’s Mae Sai on 10 July,
according to traders from the Burmese side.

This follows the closure of the cross border bridge of Mae Sot on 8 July meaning that now two
out of the three Thai-Burma border cross bridges are refusing to let imports from Thailand
through.

“Nothing from Thailand is allowed to cross over the bridge except what can be carried on foot,”
said a trader with a shop in Tachilek, on the Burmese border.

But there has been no exact reasons given by the Burmese authorities for these actions.
Sources on the border say that apparently the Mae Sot Bridge was closed in protest against
Thailand’s construction of a river bank erosion project on the Moei River. The Burmese
authorities claimed that the construction of the project will divert river currents and will erode
embankments on the Burmese side.

Currently there has been no indication as to whether the closure of Mae Sai Bridge is related to
Mae Sot protest. No further explanation has been offered by the Burmese authorities although
some claim that the Mae Sai closure is to safeguard the elections by securing the areas.

Border watchers suggest it is more likely to be related to Thailand’s Prime Minister Abhisit
Vejjajiva’s visit to Burma in this coming early August. Speculation is that the closures have been
planned to put pressure on the Prime Minister to act over the Burmese authority’s concerns
regarding several thorny problems existing between the two countries.

Governor of Tak province, Samart Loifa told a press conference earlier this week that he had
spoken to Mae Sot district Chief Kittisak Tomornsak and other officials to agree how to resolve
the dispute.  He said that the Mae Sot authorities offered no solution and would only discuss
their demand for the removal of Thai workers at the project site. Mr Samart said he was left

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Extension of ban on Thai imports with new bridge closure

Written by Hseng Khio Fah/ Emily Hobbs

Thursday, 15 July 2010 15:48

unclear as to what action the Burmese authorities will take next.

Businesses on both sides are starting to suffer the effect of the closures and are becoming
increasingly worried for their livelihood, according to a resident in Mae Sot.   Also affected are
dozens of laborers who rely on day-to-day work moving goods across the border.

According to the Thai Trade and Commerce Department’s official statistics, exports to Burma
are worth 3 billion Thai Baht ($ 100 million) a month, meaning that the losses sustained during
the period of the closures is already approaching nearly 700m THB ($22 million) to date. 
However, unofficial estimates taking into account revenue from illegal trading put actual losses
at almost double that amount.

It is now been 7 days since the first bridge closure and no date has yet been given for the
re-opening of the border bridges at either Mae Sot or Mae Sai by the Burmese authorities.  

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