Narinjara News, 21 February 2023

The Myanmar-Thailand border trade No. 1 bridge, which has beenclosed for almost 3 years, was reopened on the morning of February 20.Th ebridge has been closed since the end of March 2020 due to the Covid-19pandemic.

U Moe Gyo, chairman of the Joint Action Committee on BurmeseAffairs (JACBA), said that the reopening of the bridge would open up the wayfor border trade, and make it convenient for local businessmen.

“ Both in Thailand and Myanmar, it is convenient for bigmerchants and businessmen, as well as the local communities, who transportgoods by cars and motorcycles,” he said.

The No.1 bridge connects Tachileik town in eastern Shan stateand Mae Sai town in Chiang Rai province, Thailand, and is only used by people,motorcycles and small vehicles, while No. 2 bridge is used only for trucks topass through.

Due to the political instability in Myanmar since the outbreakof the Covid-19 epidemic, there have been many discussions between theauthorities of the two countries in order to reopen the bridge, but the Myanmarauthorities have repeatedly rejected it.

Residents with households in Tachileik town will be allowed tostay in Mae Sai town for a week with a Border Pass through the reopened No. 1Bridge. Similarly the Myawaddy-Mae Sot Bridge, which was closed for nearly 3years, was reopened on January 12, which is a key point in Myanmar-Thailandborder trade.