Cross-border trade yet to rebound despite Thai-Myanmar border bridge reopening

Thai PBS North reported that border trade in Thailand’s Tak Province has fallen by more than half compared with levels recorded three to four years ago. The number of cargo trucks crossing the border has also declined sharply.

According to the report, Thai exporters seeking permits to ship goods into Myanmar must travel to Yangon to apply for export licenses, and approval processes often take a considerable amount of time. It added that Thai government policies aimed at cracking down on telecom scam operations based along the border have also significantly impacted legitimate border trade and economic activity.

Thai exports such as generators, telecommunications equipment, and fuel are among the items restricted under those policies. Shipments of these goods into Myanmar have been prohibited under the pretext of preventing their use by illegal operations.

On the Myanmar side, businesses can apply for import and export licenses for border trade. However, approvals routinely take so long that many traders have turned instead to smuggling routes, according to members of the Myawaddy-Mae Sot border trading community.

“You can apply for a license, but the wait is incredibly long. That’s why almost everyone ends up relying on illegal trade routes instead,” a trader based in Myawaddy said.

The Thai government introduced the restrictions in June 2024 as part of its campaign against telecom scam syndicates operating along the border. In addition to cutting electricity, internet, and telecommunications services to several key towns on the Myanmar side of the border, the Thai government also banned exports of generators, fuel, and telecommunications equipment.

As a result, Chinese products and goods from other countries have increasingly replaced Thai imports in the Myanmar market, Thai business operators said.

According to Thai PBS North, Thai businesses have called on the government to resolve the prolonged restrictions on Thai exports and review the policies that continue to hamper cross-border trade.

At present, the main products permitted for export to Thailand through Myawaddy are agricultural goods including corn, avocados, betel nuts, turmeric, and onions.

Myanmar’s military regime has also approved import licenses, allowing Thai goods worth 620 million THB to be brought into the country. According to a June 1 statement from the junta’s Ministry of Commerce, most of the imports consist of food products, consumer goods, and industrial raw materials.

The Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge No. 2, a key gateway for border trade between Myawaddy and Mae Sot, reopened on May 28, 2026, after being closed for about 10 months due to security concerns.