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Yangon to Bangkok Highway Project Kicks Off
The Yangon-Bangkok highway project that will allow people to reach Bangkok Yangon by bus in nine hours has launched with financial assistance from Asia Development Bank, according to the Ministry of Construction.
Currently, it takes 16 hours to travel 570 miles from Thialwa, Yangon to Bangkok by vehicles.
One the new route, it will take four and a half hours to drive from Thilawa to Myawaddy city, the Myanmar-Thailand Border, and another four-and-a-half-hour from Maesot to Thailand. The two sides are in talks on the project, Dr. Kyaw Lin, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Construction, said.
To connect Thilawa Port to Bangkok in nine hours, Myanmar has been building an outer ring road in Yangon to avoid traffic congestion which starts from Htaukkyant to downtown Yangon populated with buses, cars, and other vehicles. Moreover, it also built a new expressway connecting Bago and Kyaikhto as well as other outer ring roads in other cities such as Kyaikhto, Thaton, and Belin.
The Yangon-Bangkok Road will give rise to the new economic corridor for cities east of Yangon such as Thanlyin, Thonegwa, Khayan, Thanatpin, Bago, and Kyaikhto helping them grow.
The economic corridor will boost the trade with Thailand, Myanmar’s second-biggest trade partner in terms of trade volume. The two countries’ trade is around $5.4 billion. Moreover, it will allow other greater Mekong region countries, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, to use Thilawa Port to access the international market generating Myanmar for the use of the port.
Moreover, the new dry ports, economic zones, and storage facilities, if the country manages to build along the road, will boost the country’s economy and generate jobs.
Written by Ko Myo
Source: https://mmbiztoday.com/yangon-to-bangkok-highway-project-kicks-off/