Tak - The Mae Sot district border checkpoint will be expanded to accommodate an expected rise in trade and travel at the Thai-Myanmar border when the Asian Economic Community comes into effect next year.
Pol Gen Pongnakorn Nakornsantiphap, Tak’s immigration superintendent who is in charge of the Mae Sot border checkpoint, said the operation is among the eight largest border posts in western Thailand.
Pol Gen Pongnakorn said a large number labourers and goods were inspected on a daily basis and it was considered the busiest border crossing between Thailand and Myanmar.
He said that while over the past year there have been improvements to the checkpoint and its facilities to provide a better service to travellers and traders, the post’s operation and capacity were restricted and there was still room for improvement.
Part of the plans for the checkpoint cover an expansion of the office’s capabilities and size, Pol Gen Pongnakorn said, and that after discussing the issue with border patrol police, an eight-rai plot of land near the original post had been allocated.
A budget of 300,000 baht was earmarked for drafting the design of the project, which is expected to be completed within the next two months. A proposal for an infrastructure and building budget of 132 million baht will be submitted at a later date.
“Now, border checkpoints at the North and the East are well developed. The one to the West needs to improve in order to measure up to the same standards,” Pol Gen Pongnakorn said.
Pol Gen Pongnakorn recently led senior police officers on a visit to the Myanmar immigrant checkpoint at Yangon International Airport, where they discussed ways to promote cooperation with their Myanmar counterparts. The officers also inspected checkpoints and facilities in Hanthawaddy and Nay Pyi Taw. Such visits also allow Thai police to better understand the Myanmar way of life in order to adjust their attitude towards Myanmar labourers who have come to Thailand.
“We have to be open-minded in order to fully understand our neighbours whose culture and customs are beautiful. All people should be treated with regard for human dignity, even though they are blue-collar workers,” he said.
He said the border checkpoint’s job is to maintain the nation’s peace and security, and this can be improved by forging closer ties between Thailand and its neighbouring countries.