NationThailand-May 13
In the past, Thailand, as a neighboring country, continuously engaged in dialogue with the Myanmar government and provided assistance in developing infrastructure, both financially and in an advisory capacity. However, these projects have been delayed due to the ongoing conflict. Peeramet Wutthithornnetirak, director of the Neighboring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency (NEDA), told The Nation that the assistance provided by Thailand to Myanmar must be delayed and reevaluated. Due to security concerns, consultants involved in studying projects for approval cannot access the project areas to monitor progress. Projects that have previously been approved must undergo a review of their budget and timeline for implementation. This is because costs may have changed since the initial approval. It is therefore necessary to wait for the situation in Myanmar to stabilise and return to normal before resuming discussions on earlier joint projects. In the past, the NEDA provided assistance to Myanmar through 7 projects, totaling 2.4 billion baht. This assistance includes financial aid of 2.3 billion baht and advisory support totaling 67 million baht. Ongoing assistance projects include: upgrading the electricity system in Yangon; economic corridor development under the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Phase 3; contracting for the design of the construction details of a 66 kV power transmission line from Myawaddy Substation; study of improvement of two-lane roads connecting the special economic zone of Dawei to the Thai-Myanmar border. Projects that have been completed include: Thailand-Myanmar Road Link Project: construction of a road connecting Thailand and Myanmar from Myawaddy to Tenasserim Range foothills, spanning 17.35 kilometers. Read more at:
