Commerce Ministry rushes to resolve backlog after Myanmar closes border with Thailand

Jatuporn Buruspat, Thailand's Minister of Commerce, said on Wednesday that Myanmar temporarily closed the border for inspections, as central Myanmar officials conducted checks on goods imports and intensified efforts to crack down on smuggling. As a result, many vehicles and cargo ships are stuck at the checkpoint.

Following inquiries by Thailand's Trade Centre in Yangon, which consulted local private businesses and logistics firms, it is anticipated that the border will reopen around August 21. Additionally, Myanmar will tighten measures against smuggling, including more stringent checks on import licences.

“To resolve the immediate issue of Thai goods being delayed at the border, I have instructed the Department of Foreign Trade to meet with Myanmar’s commercial attaché in Thailand,” Jatuporn said.

“Additionally, all Thai goods entering Myanmar will require an import licence in accordance with Myanmar’s regulations.”

Currently, Thailand and Myanmar have 21 border points across seven provinces, including six permanent checkpoints in Chiang Rai, Tak, Kanchanaburi, and Ranong; 13 trade facilitation checkpoints in Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, and Ranong; one special trade point at Singkhon in Prachuap Khiri Khan; and a temporary tourist border at the Three Pagodas Pass in Kanchanaburi.

For the period of January to June 2025, bilateral trade between Thailand and Myanmar was valued at 105.14 billion baht, marking a 24.91% decrease from the same period in 2024. 

Thailand's exports were worth 63.57 billion baht, a drop of 16.36%, while imports totalled 41.57 billion baht, down 35.07%. The trade balance was positive, with Thailand recording a surplus of 21.99 billion baht.

Breaking it down by customs checkpoints, the Mae Sot border in Tak province had the highest trade value, at 45.37 billion baht (down 9.71%), followed by the Sangkhla Buri checkpoint in Kanchanaburi at 32.40 billion baht (down 33.27%), the Ranong customs at 18.19 billion baht (down 12.23%), and the Mae Sai customs in Chiang Rai at 8.06 billion baht (down 47.13%). The Prachuap Khiri Khan checkpoint had 300 million baht (down 93.94%), while Mae Hong Son customs recorded 698 million baht (up 266.35%). Mae Sariang in Chiang Mai recorded 104 million baht (up 35%).

Bilateral trade has been pressured by Myanmar's increasingly stringent import licence checks, which began in mid-2024. This has had a significant impact on the Mae Sot customs, which accounts for nearly 40% of the total trade value between the two countries, and on the Ranong customs, which consistently represents nearly 20%.

Currently, the closure of the Myawaddy-Mae Sot border has not affected other points, with only Mae Sot and Ranong customs facing disruptions.

Mae Sot directly connects to Myawaddy and Yangon, while Ranong is linked by sea to the Kyaukphyu port in Myanmar, which then distributes goods to Yangon and other major ports. However, if the situation persists, Thai exporters may need to adjust their transport routes and use other checkpoints.

Additionally, Thai businesses are encouraged to seek potential Myanmar partners for export earnings and to obtain import licences, which would help enhance trade stability and reduce risks associated with document approval.