Officials consider opening more Thai-Myanmar border passes in North
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Representatives of the Foreign Ministry and the third Army Region met yesterday in Chiang Rai province to discuss the possibility of opening border passes in the province.
Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul said local residents had told the ministry’s Bua Kaew mobile team recently that they were in need of more passes on the Thai-Myanmar border because these would help boost cross-border trade and communication.
Local authorities in Chiang Rai want the passes to be opened at Pangtong in Fang district and Santondu in Mae Ai district.
He added that while local residents had said that border trade would increase if the passes were opened, the Army argued that this would facilitate the smuggling of drugs in and out of the country.
The ministry was told that the Pangtong pass has been closed on and off for more than a decade but the drug trade problem in the area has continued to rise. Hence, blaming the pass was not correct.
The ministry will speak to the Army about the possibility of opening more Thai-Lao border passes today.
