KANCHANABURI, April 1 (TNA) – A new Thai-Myanmar border
crossing to be opened in Kanchanaburi Province this year will boost
cross-border trade by 15 percent, says a senior commerce official of Thailand.
Adul Chotinisakorn, Director-general of the Foreign Trade
Department, Commerce Ministry, made the remark during his visit to the border
crossing point in Pu Nam Ron town, opposite Myanmar’s Htee Ki, Tanintharyi
Region.
The Ban Pu Nam Ron – Htee Ki Border Checkpoint is Thailand’s
most direct to the Dawei Special Economic Zone Project in Southern
Myanmar. To upgrade the checkpoint to an
international border checkpoint, Thailand has built a large trade post near the
border line.
Mr Adul said that upon completion, expected by year’s end,
the trade post would increase border trade value from last year by 15 percent.
The two countries hope the upgrade and expansion of the
border checkpoint will contribute to border area development and enhance
economic opportunities.
Last year, Thailand-Myanmar border trade via crossings in
Kanchanaburi totaled about Bt75 billion, Mr Adul said.
The Commerce Ministry
recently reported that the total value of Thailand’s cross-border trade
increased 0.92 per cent year on year to Bt219.48 billion in the first two
months of this year.
It sets the target of border trade at Bt1.6 trillion this
year, a 15-per cent growth from 2018. (TNA)
