THE opening of four Thai-Myanmar cross-border checkpoints last month
has received a warm welcome from tour operators on both sides.
Myanmar’s Ministry of Immigration and Population announced that
Tachileik-Mae Sai, Myawaddy-Mae Sot, Kawthoung-Ranong and Htee
Khee-Sunron have been made international entry and exit points.
Calling the change a positive sign, Phyu Phyu Mar, managing director
of Seven Star Tours, said: “(The border openings) will increase the
number of tourist arrivals through Thailand. We travel consultants can
even design different border packages between Myanmar and Thailand. I
hope we can see more visitors coming through these border checkpoints in
the peak season beginning October.
Ko Aung Naing, managing director of EPG Travel Yangon, commented that
the change would be good for Myanmar’s tourism. “I am waiting to see
when Three Pagoda Pass (also on the Thai-Myanmar border) will be opened,
which is a nice border area for tourism activities.”
At the same time, Thai tour operators expect Thailand to also
reap the benefits from the opening of the border crossings. Andre van
der Marck, general manager of Khiri Travel Thailand, remarked: “This
will further establish Thailand as the hub for the Greater Mekong area
than it already is.”
“Mae Sot as a border town will open up…Sukothai in Thailand will
benefit from it, as well as the Mon and Kayin states in Myanmar. The
openings will create a unique experience to travel overland from
one country to the other, and absorbing all the local colour rather than
just sitting on a plane for an hour.
“The young at heart, adventurous and early adopters (will make most
use of the new travel options) to have a unique experience in combining
two great countries in a unique way. The Dutch market and some niche US
consultants will start to use it for sure.”
According to van der Marck, Khiri has already prepared programmes
utilising the new border crossings and sent them out to its group
adventure consultants to “great feedback”.
source: TTG Asia
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