Mizzima
Border trade with Thailand at the Myawaddy crossing in Karen State has almost completely stopped because the only open roads to Myawaddy have become impassable due to heavy rain.
The main paved road to Myawaddy is the Asia Highway from Kawkareik. Currently, this is closed due to heavy fighting and trucks transporting goods to and from the border have been forced to take alternative routes that involve driving along small unpaved mountain roads.
Trucks had been taking alternative routes to Myawaddy through Htokawkoe and Kyet Oo Taung. When roads were still passable thousands of vehicles a day were using the Htokawkoe road. But now because of the rain these routes are too slippery and muddy for trucks to pass.
There has been heavy, almost non-stop rain across Myanmar over the last few days, brought in by Cyclone Remal which was in the Bay of Bengal before making landfall in Bangladesh late on Sunday 26 May.
Previously, daily trade through the Myawaddy border trade post was worth US$ 5.5 million and since the February 2021 military coup, it had been the third busiest border trading post in Myanmar.
