GREAT excitement here in our Thai office, as we learned that the Thai-Burmese land border crossing in Tak Province at Myawaddy will be reopened this week.
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Have we been there?? 🤣 Oh yes.
In fact, my Thai daughter and I last passed through this very border checkpoint on 21st March 2020, coming back into Thailand. As they were poised to officially close the border to prevent the spread of Covid. Yes, I had a high fever. 🤒 Yes, we managed to have such a pleasant conversation with the guard in Thai that he "forgot" to test my temperature, which was 39.7C on a sweltering 43C day. 🤧 Covid was brand-spanking NEW then and no, we didn't have a 😷 and no, there were no tests at that point, other than when admitted to hospital. As we both KNEW there was NO WAY we were going to spend 2 weeks in Tak, which is a very quiet back-water town 6 hours south of our home here in Chiang Mai, and it was before all the stay at home rules came into play. So I simply took a cold-flu tablet and some herbs, we traveled safely back into Thailand and I recovered a week or so later after a hefty flu-cold-covid-whatever infection. My daughter did not catch whatever I had.
Yes, the border crossing closed on 23rd March 2020 and has remained CLOSED since then!!
Now they don't like you to snap pics at border crossings and there are many vulnerable, undocumented people wandering there whose lives would be irreparably damaged by the publication of an identifying photo. The lady in the yellow had legal papers and happily consented to my picture while she waited for a Doctor's appointment (I bought her a cool drink)... the hooded image speaks for itself.
If you grasp the location of this significant border crossing, you will realize how devastating its closure for more than 2 years has been to the local economies on both sides of the border.
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We were returning from the coastal Burmese town of Hpa-An, where we were beginning negotiations for organic growing communities with Karen State. Karen State remains an active conflict zone in the 73 year plus Burmese Civil War. Only last week, a bomb went off under the bridge on the Burmese side, so no, it's not the safest border crossing in the world.
Car bomb rocks Myawaddy, putting Mae Sot on security alert
That said, it IS the only land-entry point for the southern part of Burma and some of the most astoundingly wild and beautiful places.
Miss Then-15 at dawn at the summit of Mt Zwekabin in Western Karen State, Eastern Burma.
I'm EXCITED today about this border crossing re-opening and our social-enterprise business being able to re-start the organic growing negotiations with indigenous Karen communities in and around Hpa-An.
Waiting to see what the Covid regs will be for entering Burma and re-entering Thailand and will be posting more about that when it's clear after 1st June (when Covid regulations are expected to be de-escalated again).
How do you GET to the Myawaddy Border Crossing?
We drove our truck down from Chiang Mai to Mae Sot (about 5 hours), and then across the last bit to Myawaddy (about another 60km). Some serious hills there so make sure your radiator is topped up and your brakes in optimum condition. We checked with staff at the border and were able to leave our truck happily parked in the street leading to the Friendship Bridge, which is relatively safe and under camera surveillance. Alternatively there are buses from Chiang Mai, and connecting mini-vans from Mae Sot to the Friendship Bridge at Myawaddy. You can also take public buses from Tak or Kamphaeng Phet for under $3.
Looking forward to both Thailand and Burma crawling up off their economic knees after 2 terrible years of economic crisis due to Covid.
Last question I am often asked: Why don't I call it Myanmar??
As an indigenous Karen friend explained to me many years ago: "Our country is not called Myanmar. The military dictators call it that and forced our country to change and use their name. NOT calling it Myanmar is one small way we can resist. Here in Thailand we call it พม่า (Pha-maa). We like it better that way. If you not speak Thai to call it Pha-maa, better you call it Burma."
And so we do.
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Yay !! Great news that it's open - gosh, it's been ages!!!! REmarkable.
It's been UNBELIEVABLE to have had to pause our project for more than 2 years!! But we're regrouping and I'm looking forward to heading over again later in the year, after Europe and after the end of the rains.
Working more locally this side of the border and FINALLY again got an OK to actually go INTO one of the villages who will be growing for us.
Lots of interesting herbal content coming!!
Fantastic stuff. When I look back on the last two years I just can't even believe we all lived through it. It's like looking into a wormhole or something, very disorientating! Great for both them and you that the border is open again. May it stay that way.
Looking forward to making this journey with you sometime.... x
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Two years is a long time - it is good that it is reopened so people and goods can flow again.