Transport Co, the state-owned public interprovincial bus service provider, plans to expand its routes to link Myanmar and India.
Managing director Jirasak Yaowatchasakul said the plan was part of the company’s bid to expand to Asean, especially Myanmar, where tourism was booming, according to a Manager Online report.
The planned route will link Thailand with Myanmar and India -- from Mae Sot in Tak province to Myawaddy and India’s border town of Morey.
Vietnam is also on the company’s radar, with the planned route running from Hue to Danang.
In the South, it hopes to operate from southern provinces to Malaysia and perhaps to Singapore.
“New services will need to be approved by third countries. Safety will be a major factor in the consideration as some countries have minority groups. We’re now discussing the plans with the Land Transport Department before sending them to the Foreign Ministry and the Transport Ministry for approval,” he said.
Some 15%, or 187 million baht, of the company’s 3.7-billion-baht revenue comes from services linked with neighbouring countries, with Laos being the largest market.
Transport Co now has 15 routes linking to neighbouring countries, 13 of which are connected to Laos.