A raft of additional labourers is needed as construction of the Thai-Myanmar Special Economic Zone in Mae Sot kicks off this week, Tak province, project leaders say.
Heavy machinery breaks ground on the second Friendship Bridge linking Thailand and Myanmar in Mae Sot on Sunday. (Post Today photo)
Following Sunday's groundbreaking ceremony for a second Friendship bridge linking Mae Sot with Myawaddy, Jyirot Puprasut, construction director for the SEZ project, told the Democratic Voice of Burma that a large number of workers still need to be recruited.
Tak deputy governor Suthar Hsaiwanit told DVB it still has not been determined with Myanmar workers building the SEZ will be granted temporary visas or be required to return to Myanmar each night.
He did confirm, however, that foreign labourers would be given Thai health insurance.
The SEZ will include not only the second Friendship Bridge, supermarkets, hotels, and offices for international businesses. Thailand is giving tax waivers to businesses and factories in the zone for the first four or five years of operation.
Construction costs for the bridge alone have been budgeted at 640 million baht, to be borne by the Thai side. It is scheduled to be completed in 2017.