India-Myanmar-Thailand Highway Becomes Operational

The Myawaddy-Thinggan Nyenaung-Kawkareik section of the Asian highway linking India,
Myanmar and Thailand has been put into service.
Myanmar Vice President U Nyan Tun, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak and
Chairman of the Kayin National Union General Saw Mutu Sae Po attended an inaugural
ceremony of the service on Sunday, Xinhua reported.
With the 25.6kmlong
section becoming operational, travel time between Thinggan
Nyenaung and Kawkareik will be reduced from three hours to 45 minutes. The construction
of the Asian highway section started in 2012 with the assistance of Thailand. The Asian
highway runs from Moreh in India to Thailand’s Maesot via Myanmar’s Tamu, Mandalay
and Myawaddy.
The section, also part of the East-West economic corridor of the Greater Mekong
Subregion, will not only enhance trade between Myanmar and Thailand, but also
contribute to better links among people in the region. A cornerstone laying ceremony was
also held at Myawaddy on Sunday for the building of MyanmarThailand Friendship Bridge
No.2 to link Thailand’s Maesot with Myanmar’s Myawaddy.
Notably, it has been quite sometime that Myanmar and India has been talking about
introducing bus service between Imphal and Mandalay.