Commerce Ministry maps measures for Mae Sot Special Border Zone

BANGKOK, Nov 7 – The Cabinet has approved in principle to establish a Mae Sot Special Border Zone as well as a committee working on this project, aiming to enhance cross-border trade and investment under the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) initiative, Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot said on Sunday.

The committee met Friday to discuss and map specifics for setting up a Special Border Zone in the Thai-Myanmar border town of Mae Sot.

Following the Friday’s meeting, the committee named a subcommittee to consider related laws, aiming that the project’s establishment will be in line with rules and regulations as well as advice from agencies concerned, Mr Alongkorn explained.

Initially, the committee also agreed to outline this plan and to study potentials and impacts in aspects of economy, society and environment according to the law in order that the working process will be clearer and more concrete.

The deputy commerce minister added the Mae Sot Special Border Zone or Mae Sot Model would boost foreign investment, production and employment of local labour. More importantly, it would bring Thailand to be a hub bridging ASEAN, Middle East, Europe and Africa together.

According to the Asian Development Bank’s Greater Mekong Subregion East-West Economic Corridor, the project aims to develop a Special Border Zone (SBZ) in Mae Sot in Tak province to provide a well-planned
facility with complete infrastructure to facilitate the import, temporary storage, processing, value adding, and reexport (as well as for sale in the Thai domestic market) of agricultural products and other raw materials
such as wood and precious stones.

This facility can be a focal point for cross-border trade and investment under the EWEC initiative. (MCOT online news)