DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Myanmar president's Thailand visit to further enhance bilateral ties” plus 3 more

YANGON, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar President U Thein Sein has headed for Thailand Sunday to pay a three-day goodwill visit to the Southeast Asian neighbor and the visit, which was put off for two times, is believed to further enhance bilateral relations.

Thein Sein is expected to hold talks with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Dawei Deep-Sea project, Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand, opening of five border gates proposed by the Thai side and the handling of the 90 Thai detainees.

The two leaders will witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation for development in Myanmar covering human resource development and preparation for Myanmar to take the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2014.

Establishment of a knowledge center for sustainable development along the Thai-Myanmar border, a "drop-in center" for human trafficking victims, and the Thai-Myanmar cooperation in dealing with drug trafficking are also expected on the agenda, according to Thai official sources which added that the two leaders would also discuss the possibility of building the long-planned Thailand- Myanmar-India road project, the road development from Singkhon checkpoint in Prachuap Khiri Kan to Myeik in Myanmar and the construction of a second bridge over the Moei River.

Thein Sein last met Yingluck in Cambodia's Siem Reap on the sideline of U.S.-ASEAN Business Forum on July 13.

On Oct. 5, 2011, Yingluck visited Myanmar briefly for one day, during which talks were initiated on enhancing bilateral friendly relations and promoting bilateral cooperation on border affairs, border trade, construction of motor road, drug smuggling across the border and Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand.

The two countries' leaders also witnessed the presentation of meteorological equipment and the exchanging documents on border road construction.

According to Thai sources, Thai cabinet approved 203 projects to support the development of a deep-sea port and an industrial estate in Dawei city of Myanmar, proposed by the National Economic and Social Development Board .

The projects are to be implemented in eight provinces in the lower Central Plains to support development projects in Dawei. Of these, 60 projects are ready for immediate implementation.

They include building new roads, constructing an overflow dam on Huai Yang stream in Ratchaburi province and developing an information system for food security and health services in Suphan Buri province.

The two countries signed a framework agreement in Nay Pyi Taw in November 2010 which covers the projects of industrial zone, road and rail link to Thailand in Myanmar's southern Tanintharyi region.

The Dawei deep seaport, industrial zone and road and rail link to Thailand construction project represents the first ever special economic zone in Myanmar.

The project, which costs 13 billion U.S dollars, includes construction of Dawei Deep Seaport, buildings for shipyard and maintenance work, establishment of zone, petrochemical industries, oil refinery, steel plant, power stations and Dawei-Bangkok motor road and railroad and laying of oil pipeline along the motorway and railroad, according to the framework agreement.

The project is targeted to complete in 10 years under three phases.

There were some exchange between the two countries since early this year. In January, Myanmar Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services Vice Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing visited Thailand.

In May, a 76-member Thai delegation from about 50 companies also visited Myanmar and sought economic cooperation with their Myanmar counterparts.

In June, Myanmar's opposition leader and parliamentarian Aung San Suu Kyi visited Thailand for the first time in 24 years and addressed the World Economic Forum on East Asia in Bangkok held under the theme "Shaping the Region's Future through Connectivity".

The forum, which attracted over 630 participants including some heads of states or governments from 50 countries, decided Myanmar as a host in 2013.

With regard to Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand, there are 500,000 still undocumented although Myanmar has so far issued such provisional passports to about 700,000 out of 2 million.

Myanmar authorities said it will extend issuing such temporary passports to registered migrant workers in Thailand by the end of this year.

According to official statistics, Thailand's trade with Myanmar hit over 3.6 billion U.S. dollars in the fiscal year 2010-11.

Of the total during the period, Thailand's export to Myanmar took over 2.9 billion dollars while its import from Myanmar represented over 709 million dollars.

Thailand's key exports to Myanmar include textiles, shoes, marine products, rice, rubber, jewelry, motor cars, computer and electronic accessories and vice versa, while its import from Myanmar also includes forestry products, marine products, agricultural produces and natural gas.

More statistics show that Thailand represented the second in Myanmar's foreign investment line-up with 9.568 billion dollars in 61 projects as of March 2012.