#Thailand to open all land border crossings next year

 Thailand is planning to open all land border crossings with neighbouring countries next year. The move is reportedly part of an effort to facilitate the transportation of goods to help restart one aspect of the economy. The Department of Foreign Trade says it will negotiate with Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Malaysia to reopen all 97 land borders and hold trade fairs throughout several locations next year.

According to the National News Bureau of Thailand, the DFT Director General says the department will remain committed to facilitating exports through the modernisation of specific laws. Such modernisation includes upgrading department services like permit extensions, geographical indication documents and exporter registrations.

Last year, Thailand brought in around 1 trillion baht in revenue from border trading but trade with Singapore, Vietnam and China decreased as more exporters chose air shipping.

Thai farm products including rice will be promoted at events by the DFT both at home markets and abroad. Thai rice exports exceeded 8.5 million tonnes this year, surpassing the target of 7.5 million tonnes.

Source - The Thaiger

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#Myanmar (Burma) - Bagan ready for heritage listing experts

The Department of Archaeology and National Museums is ready to answer questions on the Bagan heritage area from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), says the department’s director.

Richard Mackay, an expert from the council, conducted a survey last September for a report that will be submitted to UNESCO regarding Myanmar’s application to list the ancient city as a World Heritage Site.

“We are preparing to answer the questions of the ICOMOS expert, who wants more information before submitting a final report to UNESCO in March,” department director U Aung Aung Kyaw said. 

He did not say what questions would be asked.

U Thu Ya Aung, secretary of the Myanmar Archaeology Association, said there are three possible outcomes to the listing application process.

“One is Bagan is added to the World Heritage List; two is that listing is deferred as in 1994, when UNESCO requested that stronger laws and a management plan be created to protect Bagan; and three is that the application is denied.

“At present, the management of the Bagan heritage area prioritises development over protection. The authorities are still allowing new hotel projects and roads in the heritage zone, even though there is enough space outside the zone,” U Thu Ya Aung said.

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To reduce traffic within the ancient city last year, the regional authorities re-opened Tharabar Gate, the last wall from the Bagan era. The increasing number of vehicles using the route is worrying to experts.

“Even though Tharabar Gate has a security team, some domestic travellers are climbing up its wall. The traffic and crowds of people are threatening the long-term sustainability of the gate,” U Thu Ya Aung said.

Recently some Bagan and Nyaung-U residents protested to call for more information about the proposed cultural heritage law.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture is amending the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Heritage Regions Law, which has passed the Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House) and Attorney General’s Office and will be tabled in the Pyithu Hluttaw (Lower House).

“The new law proposes that people not be allowed to do any renovation, even for building a fence in the heritage zone, without obtaining permission from the Department of Archaeology.

 We want regulations to be more flexible for residents of the heritage zone,” Daw Khin Moh Mon Aung, a resident of New Bagan, said.

Source - MMTimes

Chinese, Thai companies join hands to develop tourist boat service in Golden Triangle

Chinese and Thai companies signed three documents on Monday at northern Thailand's Chiang Saen port in a bid to develop boat trip service along the Lancang-Mekong river.

China's Yunnan Provincial Tourism Investment Co., LTD and Thailand's New Chiang Saen Group Co., LTD are main signers of these cooperative documents, which cover marketing a current boat service on Mekong river that take tourists to see the scenery of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar in a single day trip.

They will also launch a boat service from Chiang Saen port in northern Thailand to Jinghong in China's Yunan Province and also to Luang Prabang of Laos and Kengtung of Myanmar.

"We are trying to connect tourist services and attractions along the Lancang-Mekong river," Xu Lianbiao, vice general manager of Yunnan Provincial Tourism Investment, said.

We also are developing a wild elephant center in northern Lao province of Xayaburi and also developing ecological tourism there, he added.

Thailand put forward a vision called "five Chiang cities four countries," which seeks close tourism cooperation and tourism facilitation between Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Jinghong (Chiang Rung in Thai language), Kengtung (Chiang Tung) and Luang Prabang (Chiang Thong), Xu noted their company's goal to boost tourism cooperation echoes with the vision of five Chiang.

"The joint patrol of China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand make it safe to sail on the Mekong river, making it possible for tourism routes linking these Chiang cities to grow," he mentioned.

Chiang Saen port used to be a cargo port before a new port was built there and thus the old port is planned to to be developed into a mega-tourism port, Mayor of Wiang Chiang Saen subdistrict municipality Chayagrit Nissaisook told Xinhua.

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 The mayor said the Tourism Authority of Thailand had made master plan to develop the port into a international airport scale with duty free shops and restaurants to welcome tourists, especially Chinese tourists. 

 "The investment will be at a minimum of 39 million baht (1.19 million U.S. dollars) to firstly realize the plan that we may be able to attract more than 100 million baht (3.06 million U.S. dollars)," he added.

Yunnan Provincial Tourism Investment launched their boat service here in Chiang Saen Port in October this year, tourists can now take a boat from here to see Myanmar and Laos along the river and also to do some shopping on Don Sao Island of Laos, a separate duty free zone.

Source - TheJakartaPost

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Myanmar - Uncontrolled development threatens Ngapali Beach

Ngapali, the former top beach in Southeast Asia, plunged to number 25 in the 2017 ranking of the top beaches of the world by American travel and restaurant website Trip Advisor. 

Travel and tours executives warn against over development, as Ngapali attracted increasing numbers local and foreign tourists because of its crystal clear waters and beautiful natural scenery. 

According to the Ministry of Hotel and Tourism statistics, the numbers of tourists going to Ngapali rose to more than 50, 000 in 2017 from only over 4, 000 in 2016. Domestic travelers who visited the place increased to over 39, 000 from 27,000 within the same period.

“This rating is made by satisfied customers who came and visited to Ngapali. It is very important issue when the tourists are coming to visit the country,” U Ye Tun Oo, CEO of Vivo Myanamr travel and tourism management company told The Myanmar Times on Wednesday.

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 Ngapali is one of the most important tourist attractions in Myanmar after four major destinations such Yangon, Mandalay, Inle Lake and Bagan.  

The  increasing the number of domestic travelers to Ngapali also resulted in the mushrooming of shops along the beach. There is also increase in waste and garbage that found into the sea and impacted on, U Ye Tun Oo said.

“There shouldn’t be much shops along the beach site. Myanmar is high-end market so the trip expense is high when compared with other neighbouring countries. So the tourist wants the value for money they spent and doesn’t like such kind of situation and services because they pay for much,” he said. 

The growing number of tourists have led to more developments in Ngapali, including  increase in the number of fishing boats, increase of vendors in beach sites, and more restaurants, hotel and guests houses have mushroomed in recent years according to U Ye Moe Aung, an officer from department of hotel and tourism in Thandwe told The Myanmar Times.  

“This also means increase in garbage and waste,” he said. ”The place is getting noisy too.”

Presently, there have 35 hotel and guesthouses with 1, 300 rooms in Ngapali according to the Department of Hotel and tourism in Thandwe. 

“When local travelers increased, they drink the alcohol and ate the food at the beach at night then sing a song. The noise disturb the tourists,” U Ye Moe Aung said. “The increasing number of restaurants, hotel and guesthouses will also impact the beach because of most of these establishments dig the sand from the beach areas to build their properties.” 

The township municipal does not have the capability to collect the increase rubbish at the beach because of lack of personnel and equipment, he added. 

He also called on concerned authorities to take action against those who dig the sand in the beach as it is against existing laws. 

 “The drop in the rating did not only affect Ngapali beach but also impacted the image of country,” U Ye Moe Aung said. “We need to have strong management organization together with relevant department and stakeholders. Then we can keep watch of the developments in the beach.”

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#Laos Golden Triangle Casino Hit with US Sanctions

The US Treasury officially placed the Kings Romans Casino based in Laos on its organised crime sanctions blacklist on Tuesday, naming it a hub for the trafficking of humans, drugs, and wildlife.

The sanctions involve a group based in Hong Kong, the Kings Romans Company, which operates casinos.

One of the sites operated by the company is a well known casino located in Laos, in its Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, on the Mekong River near Thailand and Myanmar.

“The Zhao Wei crime network engages in an array of horrendous illicit activities, including human trafficking and prostitution, drug trafficking, and wildlife trafficking,” said Sigal Mandelker, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

Tourists who have visited the casino report a menu full of protected species at the casino’s restaurant, including bear, tiger, and pangolin.

The US Treasury named four individuals as key players:

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 Abbas “Basu” Eberahim, 29, an Australian who owns residences in Kooringal in Australia, Chiang Rai, Thailand, and the Golden Triangle Economic Zone in Laos.

Nat Rungtawankhiri, a Thai national aged 41 and resident Chiang Rai.

Guiqin Su aka Zhao Su, or Madame Su, 69, a Hong Kong resident with Chinese nationality.

Zhao Wei, 66, a dual Chinese-Macau national and husband of Madame Su.

“All assets of those designated that are under US jurisdiction are frozen, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them,” it said.

“Since 2014, Thai, Lao, and Chinese authorities have seized large narcotics shipments that have been traced to the Kings Romans Casino.”

Source - Laotian Times

Myanmar’s AIDS-related deaths decline 52% in 6 years

A new global report says that Myanmar’s AIDS-related deaths have declined by 52 percent in six years.

The UNAIDS report on the global HIV epidemic said the decline was the steepest in Asia and the Pacific.

The report, “Ending AIDS: progress towards the 90-90-90 targets”, was released by UNAIDS on July 20.

It said an estimated 8000 people died from AIDS-related causes in Myanmar in 2016, a 52pc decrease from 2010.

Oussama Tawil, country director of UNAIDS Myanmar, said new HIV infections declined by 26pc. “The decline is a strong indicator of Myanmar’s national HIV response,” he said.

“This shows the country’s leadership, commitment and engagement are having results which are saving thousands of lives,” he said.

The estimated number of people living with HIV in Myanmar is 230,000, and 57pc were accessing life-saving antiretroviral therapy.

New HIV infections have fallen by 26pc since 2010, and there were an estimated 11,000 new infections in 2016, according to UNAIDS.

It said that 88pc of women living with HIV in Myanmar were accessing services for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission.

The national HIV prevalence among key populations is at 28.5pc for people who inject drugs, 11.6pc for men who have sex with other men, and 14.6pc for female sex workers.

“While we are now seeing positive results in the reduction of deaths and new infections, Myanmar’s momentum must be sustained to achieve its goal of ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030,”said Tawil.

The National Strategic Plan on HIV and AIDS (2016-2020 aims for the achievement of global 90-90-90 targets, meaning 90pc of people living with HIV know their status, 90pc of people living with HIV who know their status receive treatment, and 90pc of people living with HIV on treatment have suppressed viral loads.

Moreover, it aims for 90pc of key populations to have access to HIV prevention services and 90pc of people living with and affected by HIV to report zero discrimination, especially in health, education and the workplace.

Tawil said that Myanmar will have challenges to end the HIV epidemic but is likely to achieve those goals.

‘’Continued commitment and support from the government, donors, international and national non-government organisations, community networks and people living with HIV groups are crucial to achieving the country’s HIV response targets,” he said.

The UNAIDS Program Coordinating Board adopted a new strategy to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030. The UNAIDS 2016–2021 Strategy is one of the first in the United Nations system to be aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals, which set the framework for global development policy over the next 15 years, including ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

Myanmar is in good position compared to other regional countries: While Myanmar has 57pc treatment, treatment coverage in some countries in the Asia-Pacific on average is only 47pc.

Source - MM TIMES

#Thailand - Criminal Court ruling today in major human-trafficking case

The Criminal Court on Wednesday will rule on a major human-trafficking case involving as many as 103 defendants, including a senior military officer, Manas Kongpan.

The ruling is due to be delivered at 8.30am.

The trial began in 2015 as suspected syndicates were accused of trafficking migrants, notably ethnic Rohingya, to Thailand and via the Kingdom to other destinations.

Thai and Myanmar citizens were arrested that year following the discovery of a mass grave in jungle shelters in the border district of Sadao, in Songkhla province, used by traffickers to hold the migrants.

Investigations indicated a number of security officials as well as Thai and Myanmar civilians had taken the migrants – originally from Bangladesh and western Myanmar – to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

The case attracted international attention to the regional migrant crisis across the Indian Ocean, and countries were criticized for ignoring the problem.

Thailand was then downgraded to the lowest level – Tier 3 – in the US State Department’s “Trafficking in Persons” (TIP) report in both 2014 and 2015.

The Thai government has since taken a number of measures, including amendment of its trafficking law and the creation of a special division in the Criminal Court to handle human-trafficking cases in particular.

Wednesday’s ruling is the first such case for the new division.

Thailand, meanwhile, remains on the Watch List in Washington’s annual TIP report.

Source - TheNation

Thailand wants more tourists who act like Australians

Thailand is now so popular for holidays that almost 35 million foreign tourists -- equivalent to half the country’s population -- are expected this year.

As the influx gets harder to manage, the government is shifting strategy. It’s now targeting a minimum increase in tourism revenue of about 5 percent annually instead of a particular number of visitors, Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said. That means encouraging longer stays and higher daily spending, a mix the typical Australian holidaymaker exemplifies, she said.

“Maybe they’re the ones who are like: this is my time -- I eat, I shop, and I eat, and I shop," Kobkarn, 56, said in an interview.

Australian visitors were among the top 10 biggest spenders in terms of per capita daily expenditure last year, forking out 5,831 baht ($172), Tourism Ministry data shows. Their average length of stay of almost 14 days was the highest in that group. Some nationalities take even longer holidays but tend to be more parsimonious. British tourists, for instance, stayed for just over 18 days on average while spending 4,376 baht daily.

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Tourism is a bright spot for Thailand’s economy, which faces challenges such as political uncertainty and sluggish consumer demand. The sector makes up about 18 percent of gross domestic product, Kobkarn said in the interview in Chiang Mai last month.

 

“We no longer have a target for number of tourists,” she said. “We shouldn’t go beyond the limit that we can cope. But there’s no statistic on that yet. When people say that Phuket may be too crowded, or Bangkok is too crowded, we have to make sure that we are introducing new destinations too.”

Arrivals from overseas more than doubled in the past decade, powered by a surge in Chinese holidaymakers who contributed 28 percent of 1.6 trillion baht in foreign tourism receipts in 2016. 

Affordability is one reason why Thailand has usurped Malaysia as Southeast Asia’s most popular destination, but Kobkarn said the nation must focus on quality as well as cost to tackle emerging competitive threats from the likes of Myanmar and Vietnam.

Quality doesn’t just mean targeting wealthy tourists as Thailand needs travelers on a variety of budgets, Kobkarn said. Instead, it refers to offering good value experiences that encourage return visits, increase the average length of stay and bolster daily spending per head, she said.

Read also: Thailand issues tourist guidelines for mourning period

Visitors from the Middle East are the biggest per capita daily spenders, according to the Tourism Ministry data. Chinese tourists stood out for above-average expenditure and sheer number of arrivals -- 8.8 million, dwarfing other nationalities and making China the most important single country for tourism receipts.

Thailand’s years-long tourism boom slowed somewhat in recent months. That’s partly because of terrorist bombings in resort towns in August last year and a clampdownby the military government on some operators of large Chinese tour groups, which were judged to generate insufficient local spending.

Arrivals are likely to pick up in the second half of 2017 as security concerns fade and Chinese visitors embrace independent travel over package tours, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

That signals more strain for the country’s airports, some of which are already stretched beyond capacity. State-run Airports of Thailand Pcl is planning to invest about $6 billion over a decade to try to ease the bottlenecks.

Read also: 2 weeks, 1 country and a world of wonders in Thailand

Even as Kobkarn tries to focus on revenue targets rather than visitor numbers, arrivals are projected to climb, whether drawn by the allure of white-sand beaches in resorts such as Krabi, the gastronomic delights of Bangkok or the perennially notorious sex capital Pattaya.

The Bank of Thailand forecasts 34.9 million tourist arrivals this year, a climb of about 7 percent from 2016, and 37.3 million in 2018. That’s projected to help Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy expand 3.5 percent in 2017 and 3.7 percent next year.

Thailand needs to be a quality tourism destination since a range of factors can prevent it being seen as the cheapest, such as rising wages or an appreciating exchange rate, Kobkarn said.

“We’re working very hard for people not to think only of the cost,” she said. “We’re not the best. We still have many negative things. But we’re very sincere in improving ourselves.”

Source - TheJakartaPost

16 Myanmar workers rescued from Malaysian fishing boat

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Sixteen Myanmar migrant workers, including three minors under 18 years old, who were allegedly ‘sold’ to a Malaysia fishing boat in southern Thailand were rescued by Thai officials on July 13, according to a Thai-based migrant rights groups.

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 “We were asked to rescue migrants on July 8, and we spent about four days collecting information about the victims and their location. After that we asked Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation to help rescue the victims,” said U Kyaw Thaung, director of the Myanmar Association in Thailand (MAT), on Monday.

He said that initially 13 Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand were sold by a broker to the Malaysian fishing boat that had docked with fake documents at Naya Thiwa Port, Pattani province, in Thailand.

U Kyaw Thaung said each worker had paid 17,000 baht to the broker to find jobs in Indonesia, but the broker sold them to the fishing boat instead.

“When we asked the DSI to help save our workers, it asked for a recommendation letter from the Myanmar Embassy. They rescued our migrants on July 13 when we provided the recommendation letter,” Ko Shwe Tun Aye, chair of Migrant Workers’ Network in Phuket, said Monday.

He said the workers were rescued with the help of the Thai army.

According to MAT, they also rescued other Myanmar migrants, one aged 14 and two aged 17, who had been sold by another broker to the fishing boat on the day the rescue team reached them.

According to U Kyaw Thaung, the 16 Myanmar workers were to be sent to a fishing vessel in Indonesia. Fifteen of the victims are from Rakhine State and one is from Bago Region.

All the rescued victims are being held at a detention center, and Thai officials are planning to arrest the brokers for human trafficking.

Source - mmtimes

Myanmar - Cambodia, Angkor Wat, Bagan to be tourist sister cities

 

 As part of the ‘two countries, one destination’ campaign, the Myanmar and Cambodia tourism ministers will ink a Memorandum of Agreement to tie Angkor Wat and the Bagan Cultural City, said U Kyaw Swa Min, a member of Working Group Committee for Angkor-Bagan tourism cooperation.

He told The Myanmar Times the agreement will be signed at the ASEAN Tourism Forum in 2018.

“We will negotiate a bilateral agreement for an Angkor-Bagan tourism integration plan between us before the MoA is signed by the two ministers,” he said.

U Kyaw Swa Min said the working group committee, led by the deputy directors general of the tourism ministries of both sides, are working out details on how to integrate a tourism package for Angkor and Bagan.

“Angkor Wat and Bagan are similar in natural features and were founded in the same century. They are also quite unique, and that is why we grouped them for development as one destination,” U Kyaw Swa Min said.

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Currently Nyaung-U airport cannot receive foreign flights because it is a domestic airport. Tourists have to take a flight via Yangon or Mandalay international airports to get to Bagan.

Tourists cannot fly directly to and from Angkor Wat and on to Bagan from Nyaung-U airport now because it does not have enough staff.

“Even regular flights from regional countries cannot be accommodated unless they upgrade the facilities at Nyaung-U airport,” U Kyaw Swa Min said.

Nyaung-U airport is being including as part of the ancient archaeology zone that needs to pass a heritage impact assessment before being allowed to be upgraded, according to the Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library in Bagan.

U Aung Aung Kyaw, director of the department said, ”We have to do a heritage impact assessment but it will be done by aviation experts. We need to do this because there will be many types of aircraft landing and taking off.

“We also do not know what ancient structures are present underground.”

The Department of Civil Aviation, (DCA) can allow international flights with aircraft capacity limitations but this needs to be approved by the Immigration Department for visa regulation purposes, U Ye Htut Aung, deputy director general of DCA, said in a previous interview with The Myanmar Times.

Almost 300,000 tourists visit Bagan yearly.

There are three ways to reach the destination -- by car, plane and water (river cruise). And all foreigners have to pay a K25,000 fee to enter the ancient archaeology zone.

Daw Khin Moh Moh Aung, a local resident, said, ”We welcome whatever they decide that it is good and beneficial for our regional development.

“But one thing to consider before they do anything is security, which is very important, not only for local people but also for tourists, because we want to be happy no matter who comes to visit our land.

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#Thailand - Shortage of migrant labour hits key sectors

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS SLOW DOWN; FISHERIES, AGRICULTURE ALSO AFFECTED

MANY SECTORS, including construction in the capital, fisheries in the South and agriculture in border areas, are facing labour shortages due to the tough new labour law, sources said yesterday as migrant workers began returning to Thailand.

A construction site of the Red Line train (Bang Sue-Rangsit) needed to slow down after many Myanmar workers left their work to reprocess work permits, an official said. 

Workers at the construction site at Bang Sue central terminal also left work, even though they did not need to: they incorrectly believed that their “pink card” was no longer valid under the new law, the official added. He noted that those workers might take 10-20 days to check or reprocess the register before getting back to work.

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However, other construction sectors were less affected by the new law, since major construction firms usually hire legal workers, according to an official at the State Railway of Thailand who declined to be named. 

Millions of migrant workers in Thailand were in a chaotic situation over the past week after the government issued a new decree to manage migrant workers. The decree took effect on June 23, threatening fines for employers of at least Bt400,000 for every illegal worker they hire. 

Only a few days after the decision, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha last Tuesday invoked his special powers under Article 44 to suspend four key articles of the decree until the end of the year. The suspended articles prescribe much harsher penalties against offending migrants and their employers until the end of this year. 

The suspension came too late for many companies, as thousands of legal and illegal workers panicked over the tough punishment and rushed to go to their home countries to process or reprocess their work permits and to register. More than 50,000 migrant workers reportedly returned home since last month, mostly to Myanmar and Cambodia. 

In order to end the chaos, the Labour Ministry will allow all Thai employers to register their Lao, Cambodian and Myanmar workers at temporary centres throughout the country from July 24 to August 7. 

While Prime Minister Prayut said earlier that he believed the workers from neighbouring countries would return to work in Thailand as there are demands in the market, Nit Ouitengkor, former president of Ranong Chamber of Commerce, said they might not return due to complicated legal procedures. There are more jobs available in their countries, including Myanmar, since the economy there is now growing faster than Thailand’s, he said. 

Ranong is Thailand’s southern port province, sitting next to Myanmar. The province is home to some of the most important fishery piers in the country. 

Many piers in the province yesterday were seen almost empty, while some were working with only half of the normal workforce. While it is estimated that more than 5 million migrants from neighbouring countries are working in Thailand currently, it is estimated that only half of them are documented. 

In the eastern border province of Sa Kaew, where there is a shortage of farm workers, local authorities coordinated with their Cambodian counterparts to encourage workers to cross the border to work. Many Cambodian workers have fled due to the new labour law in the past month, leaving many farms in trouble during the growing season. 

Sa Kaew provincial immigration chief, Benjapon Rodsawad, said Cambodian people are allowed to cross the border to work temporarily in the area in order to ease the current labour shortage.

With border pass papers, Cambodians would be allowed to enter and stay in Sa Kaew and neighbouring Pachin Buri province for seven days, he said, “so we have to strictly check their document in order prevent them from going deeper to other provinces or the capital”. 

Source - TheNation 

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#Cambodia - Thousands of migrant workers head home

New labour law causes panic but many expect to return with valid documents 

Several tens of thousands of  Cambodian and Myanmar migrant workers have left Thailand from various border checkpoints in a bid to obtain proper document in their home towns before re-entering the country for work.

In the Thai province of Sa Kaew, several thousand Cambodians sought to return home to apply for passports so that they could come back to work here legally as required by the new Thai foreign labour law. The stricter law has prompted some employers to stop hiring illegal migrants.

According to the new foreign labour law, employers of illegal migrants could face a hefty fine of Bt400,000-Bt800,000 per migrant worker if found to have violated the law. The government said enforcement of the law will be suspended for a 120-day period, starting June 23, to allow time for all parties concerned to comply with new requirements.

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Pol Colonel Benjapol Rodsawad, the Sa Kaew immigration chief, said Cambodian migrant workers voluntarily turned themselves in at the border checkpoint to be handed over to Cambodian authorities. Some Cambodians said their previous employers wanted them to leave due to the hefty penalties under the new law, while many said they wanted to apply for Cambodian passports so that they could return to work here legally.

On June 28-29, immigration authorities also reported that a total of 546 Cambodians were detained for illegal entry into Thailand, including those detained by immigration offices in Saraburi, Ayuthaya, Samut Prakan and Pattani provinces.

Under the new foreign labour law, migrant workers are also subject to heavy penalties, including a fine of Bt2,000-Bt100,000 per person and/or imprisonment of up to five years, if arrested by Thai authorities for working here without proper permits.

Myanmar authorities in Myawaddy province opposite Thailand’s Mae Sot district of Tak province have opened a temporary facility to accommodate more than 10,000 returnees from Thailand at the border crossing.

Returnees are also offered food and shelter as they prepare to travel back to their hometowns. At least, 8,491 Myanmar workers are reported to have left Thailand over the past few days, while Myanmar authorities said they welcome returnees and no legal action would be taken.

Pol Colonel Passakorn Kwanwan, the Mae Sot police chief, said the Thai police would face disciplinary and other actions if they demand bribes from returnees.

However, business operators in Mae Sot have complained of labour shortage resulting from heavy penalties under the new law since about 90 per cent of workers in the area are illegal migrant workers.

Chaiwat Withit-thammawong, an adviser of Tak province’s chamber of commerce, said the new law is good for Thailand in the long run in terms of tackling problems resulting from a large number of illegal migrant workers in the country. 

The next step is to require employers and migrant workers to register properly but the government has to ensure that the process is fast and convenient while expenses are not high, Chaiwat said.

The fisheries industry also reported a severe shortage of labour due to enforcement of the new law.

Meanwhile, two Myanmar workers were injured when a bus taking them from Mae Sot to Samut Sakhon province veered off the road in Angthong province early Saturday.

The accident happened at 4am on the Bangkok-bound Asia highway in Moo 3, Tambon Lakfah, in the province’s Chaiyo district, said Pol-Lieutenant Chatchai Chaiya of Chaiyo police station.

The bus driver, Pinchai Thongsakul, 47, admitted that he had dozed off, causing the bus to veer off for about 100 metres. A Myanmar man suffered from back pain and a pregnant Myanmar woman suffered from vaginal bleeding. The two were rushed to the Chaiyo district hospital.

Pinchai said he had taken 26 Myanmar men and 22 women by bus from Samut Sakhon to renew their passport across the Mae Sot border and he was returning with them to Samut Sakhon when the accident happened.

Meanwhile in Tak, three police officers were removed from their posts and assigned  guard duty at Mae Sot Police Station, after a video clip showed them asking for bribes from Myanmar migrant workers.

Pol-Colonel Passakorn Klanwan, Mae Sot Police superintendent, revealed that the committee to investigate this issue has already been set up and if these three police officers are found guilty, there will be swift punishment according to the law.

Source - TheNation

Car rallies expected to rev up tourism with Thailand

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Tourism between Myanmar and Thailand is set to accelerate after the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Myanmar Tourism Marketing Committee (MTM) decided for the first time to cooperate on allowing rally cars to pass through their common border.

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 MTM secretary U Myo Thwin told The Myanmar Times that an agreement has been reached but it had not yet been decided when it will take effect.

“A few details have to be worked out before we decide the exact date when rally cars will pass through Myanmar’s border with Thailand, but we expect it to be in September or toward the end of the year,” he said.

The car rally will start at Myanmar’s Htee Khee border area in Tanintharyi Region and go through Thailand’s Kanchanaburi, Sukhothai and two other ancient cities before returning through the Myawaddy-Mae Sot border area.

“The Myanmar Tourism Marketing Committee is exploring possible destinations around the country as car rallies have the potential to increase tourism among both domestic and international travelers.

“The Myanmar Heritage Trail Tourism Rally has been in the planning since 2015,” he said.

“The rally-car market is getting more popular. Hotel occupancy rates are mostly up with more local rather than international visitors,” U Myo Thwin said, adding, “We should take care of domestic tourism development first, which is very important. The rallies are intended as a market promotion tool and will help regional tourism development. That’s why we are seeking the best potential destinations.”

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Last year, only 2.9 million international tourists visited Myanmar, but there were more than six million domestic travelers, which exceeded expectations.

U Khin Aung Htun, deputy chairman of the Myanmar Tourism Federation, said that domestic tourists can explore various scenic routes and learn about the different cultures and traditions of local people, which will help boost domestic tourism.

“Domestic tourism will improve if there is a stable political climate. Tourism in Kayin State has doubled. Now more than 100 people visit the state each day, up from about 10 before,” he said.

“The first part of the Myanmar Heritage Trail Tourism Rally was to Pyay, Bagan and the Pyu ancient cities in 2015. The second and third trips took participants to the Golden Triangle and Rakhine, Mrauk-U and Arrawaddy regions in 2016.

“Currently, there are ongoing trips to the south, and a fourth trip to Mon State and Tanintharyi Region started June 3 and will end on Friday,” he said.

Daw May Myat Mon Win, chair of MTM, said, “Many people thought that the roads were very bad and unsafe for cars, but the roads are not as terrible as they thought they were. The route was pleasant when we went to Mrauk-U. Also the roads in Mon and Tanintharyi in the south are improving.”

Daw May Myat Mon Win said that relying on international tourists is not good because when foreign countries have economic downturns, it affects Myanmar’s tourism. So, pushing domestic tourism makes sense because it offers long-term sustainability, she said.

“Cities like Bagan and Mrauk-U depend heavily on domestic travelers,” U Khin Aung Htun said.

“We have been to the east, west and south of the country. If possible, we want to look at Myitkyina in Kachin State in the north as a potential destination for car rallies,” he said.

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#Myanmar (Burma) Shwedagon Pagoda entry fee increase put on hold

Shwedagon trustees have suspended plans to increase the entrance free of the pagoda for about six more months after getting a directive by the department of archaeology, national museum and library under the ministry of religious affairs and culture.

 The board of trustees of Shwedagon pagoda had intended to increase the entrance fees from K 8,000 to K 10,000 from June 1. The announcement had been made in early May.

According to an archeology department directive they had to report six months ahead before any increase was made and that’s why they weren’t allowed to do it.

 
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“This is not only applicable to the Shwedagon pagoda but also for all things happening in the country. A discussion must be made with the stakeholders involved first before making a final decision on policy. It is very important,” Daw May Myat Mon Win, vice chairman of Myanmar Tourism Federation told The Myanmar Times.

“This is because although the change in entrance fee does not affect the free independent traveller it does affect package tour operators as they have sold their packages a year in advance. This means they cannot amend the prices in their itinerary,” U Ye Tun Oo, Chief Executive Officer of Vivo Myanmar travel and destination told The Myanmar Times.

So the Union of Myanmar Travel Association, UMTA submitted to the ministry of religious affairs and culture that notice of six months should be given for any price change according to a press release on May 31 by UMTA.

“It is better if they took more time to discuss this and with more people so there are more options. For instance, recently Siem Reap increased the entrance fee to almost double the original amount but no one complained about that. So we should copy their business model and see how countries like Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia charge,” Daw May Myat Mon Win said.

#Myanmar (Burma) - Tanintharyi tourism committee seeks IFC infrastructure support

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A tanintharyi development committee, operating under the tourism ministry and chaired by local tycoon Serge Pun, is seeking assistance from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for the upgrade of infrastructure in Myeik archipelago to boost sustainable tourism, a committee member told The Myanmar Times.

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The Myeik archipelago is made up of a cluster of more than 800 largely untouched islands that hold huge potential as a draw for international visitors.

“Tanintharyi region is quite big and wide and the infrastructure is not good yet, such as the airport facilities and transport to and from the islands. These are very important in the tourism development. Hence we need the assistance from international financial organisations such as the IFC. We also need to cooperate with local investors as well,” said U Khin Aung Htun.

The committee’s chair, Serge Pun, is the chair of Yangon-listed First Myanmar Investment (FMI) and Singapore-listed Yoma Strategic Holdings.

FMI is involved in both tourism and island development. Yoma Strategic and FMI are in the process of spinning off their tourism businesses into a separate Myanmar-tourism focused firm that is likely to be listed on the Singapore stock exchange. FMI also entered into a joint venture last year with Manaung Public Company Limited – which is majority-owned by Manaung Island residents – to develop that island’s infrastructure.

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They will invite international investors who are interested in the Myeik tourism industry and its infrastructure development, U Yan Win, chair of Myanmar Tourism Federation told The Myanmar Times.

“The Tanintharyi tourism development committee will also invite investors from other countries. We will always accept people if they invest according to the law.

“The government has already opened up places such as Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan for tourism investment. According to the ASEAN economic policy, people can feel free to invest if they want to,” he explained.

Of the hundreds of islands across the Myeik archipelago, the Myanmar Investment Commission has only opened 12 islands to local developers. Some have started to work on the projects. Others have simply acquired the rights to develop but have not started the projects so far.

The current hotel and hospitality capacity is not adequate for the demand from visitors. In response, the committee had decided to prioritise which islands should be allocated for hotel or resort projects, and which ones should be for conservation instead of tourism, U Khin Aung Htun said.

“The room number is not enough if they want to truly develop tourism. We need more rooms, diving camps and training schools for diving.

“Generally, travellers will tour around the area, visiting numerous islands and appreciating the scenery. Some will go fishing and undertake other activities. Many employment opportunities will be created as a result,” he added.

In January 2017, The Myanmar Times reported that the committee was drawing up a master plan for sustainable tourism in the region.

U Khin Aung Htun told The Myanmar Times that they will implement the master plan and are negotiating with the related ministries about upgrading the Kawthaung airport.

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#Myanmar, (Burma) Golf tourism needs long drive out of bunkers.

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Myanmar is far from a golf tourist destination despite having many courses in different cities, said U Phyo Wai Yar Zar, vice chair of Myanmar Tourism Federation.

Speaking to The Myanmar Times, he said that golf tourism has a potential niche market but the local courses are not up to the expectations of international golfers.

“We have to try hard if we want to make Myanmar a golfing destination. We can count the number of courses that are of international standard. But that number cannot be compared with other regional countries which have already developed the game and facilities,” U Phyo Wai Yar Zar said.

There are no more than 10 tour agencies offering packages, including golfing.

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In Vietnam, there are 32 international courses. Myanmar has about 60 courses in the whole country.

Daw Su Su Tin, vice chair of Myanmar Tourism Marketing Committee, said, “Some tourists have tried golf courses in neighboring countries. A few tours operators are offering a golf program in their itinerary but we cannot promote golfing tourism too much.”

“Myanmar has fine weather, not as expensive as other countries and has a huge potential for golf tourism development,” she said.

U Phyo Wai Yar Zar added, “People know Myanmar as a cultural tourism centre. Perhaps now is the time to promote traditional sport related tourism like chinlone (caneball) and other Myanmar sporting events.”

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“Chinlone as a sporting event cannot be found in other countries. Relevant government departments should make it popular as a tourism product,” he said.

“Also, the golfing market is for high-end tourists who are mostly big spenders. Other facilities such as high-end restaurants and amenities need to be developed,” he said.

Currently, there are no more than six or seven international fine dining restaurants in Yangon.

U Phyo Wai Yar Zar said, “We should first get the primary requirements done up and then continue with other things,” he said.

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“As I know, there’s no website, specific market figures on golfing for tourists. Concerned authorities need to build up the human capital first and the required infrastructure before promoting golf as a product,” he said.

“We have no information yet about the various courses and it is hard to find out who are those interested in golfing in Myanmar. Golfing is the best way to attract visitors as part of tourism,” U Phyo Wai Yar Zar said.

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Source - mmtimes

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#Myanmar (Burma) - No airport extension in Ngapali until trash is slashed

The tourism minister is very keen to “slash the trash” in Ngapali.

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 Minister for Hotels and Tourism U Ohn Maung told a multi-stakeholder workshop on sustainable tourism in Ngapali that as soon as he landed and saw the garbage by the roads he wanted to turn round and go home. He noted that this situation was caused by lack of bins and collection and littering by locals and visitors due to a lack of knowledge and discipline. This was harming both Ngapali’s and the country’s image.
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The workshop was co-hosted by Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF), Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) and Myanmar Responsible Tourism Institute (MRTI) from May 8 to May 9. The event was attended by the minister, regional government ministers, parliamentarians, Myanmar Hoteliers Association chair U Aung Myo Min Din, and approximately 80 local stakeholders and tourism professionals, ranging from hotel owners/ managers to local villagers, fishermen and environmental experts.
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“Your destiny is in your hands,” U Ohn Maung told the locals and hoteliers, adding that the Ngapali City Development Committee (NCDC) was working to clean up streams and waterways but greater effort was needed from businesses to arrange proper garbage disposal. Local people also needed to take part and that government departments should work together with them.
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He said that if the new arrangements were working well by next year, he would then take the steps to arrange for the airport to be expanded in order to encourage more tourism.
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Waste management has been identified by the minister as the key challenge to be addressed before Ngapali’s runway can be extended to bring in more visitors and revenue.

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 Workshop participants echoed the minister’s concern for environmental pollution and preservation. They voted on their top concerns for tourism in Ngapali, as they had done last year. Environment remained the top concern, and a growing one too, chosen by 35 percent of participants (up from 29pc in 2016). Lack of local participation in decision-making (16pc) took second place. Among environmental concerns, solid waste management remained the top, selected by 55pc of participants (up from 34.5pc last year), with sand mining in second place..
U Saw Lwin, NCDC chair, noted that last week the municipality had acquired a new 3-acre landfill site for all users as part of the measure to improve waste management..
U Ohn Maung noted that new landfill sites had been acquired, along with bins, and that Myanmar people needed to be taught not to litter, starting in schools..
Foreigners, he observed, put the trash in their pocket to dispose of it properly later. Locals throw it out of the window. He called on people who saw someone littering to challenge them to pick it up and dispose of it in a proper manner..
The minister expressed his hope to come back next year and find Ngapali trash-free..
Vicky Bowman, MCRB director, said that the Steering and Working Committees for Ngapali Beach Sustainability, which were set up by the Rakhine State regional government, will need to collaborate closely with local businesses and residents to achieve a trash-free Ngapali..
“The workshop participants made concrete personal commitments to reduce litter such as hotels cutting back on the use of plastic bags and water bottles, providing bins and education campaigns in schools, and the need for local bye-laws and enforcement,” she said..
“It was good to hear the minister clarify that the 10-metre height limit for buildings close to the beach remains in place, not only in Ngapali but in seven other beach destinations in Myanmar,” Achim Munz, resident representative of the HSF, said..
“We also were pleased to hear him reiterate that there would be a clampdown by the local authorities on sand mining on Ngapali’s beaches,” he added..
Combating sand mining, among other environment issues, was also discussed in the workshop, along with mangrove deforestation, guesthouse licensing, human resources development and destination management. The MRTI briefed stakeholders on their ongoing study of the risks of child sexual exploitation, which was conducted with support from UNICEF, and with the approval of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism.

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Source = MMTIMES

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#Myanmar (Burma) - China to restore Thatbyinnyu Pagoda.

State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will sign an agreement for the restoration of quake-hit Thatbyinnyu Pagoda in Bagan during her visit to China.

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Thatbyinnyu Pagoda which is internally damaged is going to be renovated by China. Maung Zaw / The Myanmar Times The Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture Thura U Aung Ko made this announcement on May 6 at a press conference on the Bagan cultural heritage conservation held at the Bagan Archaeological Museum.

“Currently the State Counsellor is on a visit to European countries. After coming back, she will visit China. Among the various issues to be discussed is the signing of a bilateral agreement on the Thatbyinnyu Pagoda restoration. After that, China will start renovation works,” said Thura U Aung Ko.

Severely-hit Thatbyinnyu Pagoda was one of the over 400 Bagan pagodas damaged by an earthquake with its epicenter in Chauk township in August last year.

“During a renovation meeting held last February, we made a request to the Chinese Ambassador. China is best at restoration,” Thura U Aung Ko said.

China agreed to Myanmar’s request and all the costs of restoration will be borne by China, it has been learnt.

Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library (Bagan branch) director U Aung Kyaw Kyaw said that the damage was severe.

”Thatbyinnyu Pagoda is not externally but internally damaged. Even echoes can no longer be heard if you make a sound inside the pagoda,” said U Aung Kyaw Kyaw.

According to data from the Department of Archaeology, the pyramidal spire and base pillars of the Thatbyinnyu Pagoda were severely damaged by last year’s earthquake. At present, emergency maintenance works for the Thatbyinnyu Pagoda are being carried out by UNESCO experts and Myanmar engineers.

In addition to Thatbyinnyu, China also donated US$100,000 for restoration works on other quake-hit pagodas in Bagan; at present, offers to help in pagoda renovation have also been received from countries like France and Italy, according to Thura U Aung Ko.

“Conserving cultural heritage is important. If we cannot repair it ourselves, we should accept assistance from other countries. Not China alone. Where it is appropriate, we should get assistance from other countries,” U Soe Win, a Nyaung-U resident, said.

Thatbyinnyu Pagoda was built in AD 1144 by King Alaung Sithu. It is a four-storey cave pagoda with a spire and it is 210 feet high. It is reputed to be the tallest pagoda in Bagan.