23 Dec 

Thailand will temporarily shut down border trade through Mawtaung-Singkhon starting from 24 December, according to an official statement of Prachuap Khiri Khan, the western province of Thailand.

“The emergency meeting of COVID-19 prevention and control committee (Prachuap Khiri Khan Province) decided on 21 December to halt border trade to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Samut Sakhong province which is adjacent to Prachuap Khiri Khan province. Thailand directly imports fishery products of Myeik District, Myanmar through Singkhon-Mawtaung border. Thailand’s main cold storages and fish auction market are located in Maha Chai area of Samut Sakhong. The trucks are daily entering this area. As Prachuap Khiri Khan has the highest risk for contracting the virus, the province will block the border,” said U Aung Kyi Myint, liaison officer of Prachuap-Myeik sister cities.

To contain the spread of COVID-19 in Myeik district, Myanmar and in Samut Sakhong Province, Prachuap Khiri Khan province will temporarily cut out all the interactions and ban the border trade amid the crisis, as per the outcome of an emergency meeting held on 21 December.

As the traders have already made an advance payment, the shutdown will start only from noon on 24 December. Therefore, they are urged to process the trading by noon on 24 December.

“Mawtaung-Singkhon is temporary border access during the pandemic. Only dried goods and some fishery products are allowed. The border crossing has been closed down since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Myanmar on 21 March 2020,” U Aung Kyi Myint continued. The closure of Singkhon border will hurt Myeik fishery production. Catching squid businesses in Myeik Archaeology might come to a halt, he added. 

Myint Oo (Myeik) (Translated by Ei Myat Mon)