Border Crossing near Kanchanaburi

[2wheels]

B800m plans to upgrade Phu Namron checkpoint | Bangkok Post: breakingnews

" ... the Thai and Myanmar governments have yet to reach an agreement on the types of vehicles allowed to use the route."

 

[Nightrider70]

"At the moment, only vehicles belonging to Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD) are allowed to pass the border at the checkpoint."

Not very bikable it seems like.

 

[2wheels]

"At the moment ...

There's still hope!

 

[Captain_Slash]

I didn't like the bit about a motorway being built from Kanchanaburi to Ban Phu Nam Ron, those are lovely twisty enjoyable biking roads at the moment

 

[Lone Rider]

Today, while in Kanchanaburi for other things, I had a look at the Phu Nam Ron border crossing to Myanmar (Htee Kee). Yempaul used this crossing in 2014 for one of his guided trips to Myanmar (myanmar-htee-kee-border) and Captain Slash went there in 2013 ( Kanchanaburi-phu-nam-ron-thunderstorm-woods).

The road from Kanchanaburi to Phu Nam Ron is very good and the border crossing at the moment is quite busy during weekdays as a lot of visa-runners go here to exit Thailand and enter again after a short trip to the Myanmar border. The Thai border crossing (Immigration and Customs) is right in Ban Phu Nam Ron and from there it is another 5 km through no-mans land to the Myanmar Immigration/Customs point.

The Thai Immigration/Customs point is about 800 meter south of the junction of road 3229 (AH 123) to Kanchanaburi to the east and Road 3512 to Ban Bong Ti to the north-west

Lots of micro buses waiting for the visa runners to check back into Thailand.

Phu Nam Ron now becomes more international with a Steak/Pizza restaurant, bike rentals, etc.

Saw one lady with a bundle of border crossing forms and "Passport Rot) (the purple booklet issued for cars by the Thai Land Transport Department) but I guess that this was for cars of personnel of the Italian Thai construction company who are involved in the Dawei port development in Myanmar which is only about 120 km. from the border.

That is considerable shorter than what Captain Slash photographed in 2013 when Dewai/Dawai was over 2900 km. from Kanchanaburi

 

[blackwolf]

Great pictures. The distances on the signposts are WAY off though. Sipsongbanna or Xishuangbanna is, depending on the road you use to get there, well OVER 2000km from that crossing, unless you drive via Thai and Lao territory, in which case it is still over 1000km away. Dawei 2908km away when in fact it's only 120km. LOL.

Hopefully one day it will become possible to self-drive across that border and other Myanmar borders without going on an expensive tour. Indeed I would expect only Italian Thai vehicles to be permitted to pass at the moment, though other Thai vehicles are permitted to at least drive to the Myanmar checkpoint it seems, but probably not before doing lengthy export paperwork and then probably only for day trips.

 

[CraigBKK]

This is currently the nearest international border crossing from Bangkok.

I've been to the border crossing at Bong Tii (shown in the photo). I didn't stop at the police checkpoint and rode on through. The track becomes more technical (solid rock) after the checkpoint and is interesting to ride. I made it into Burma but was stopped by a Thai policeman who followed me on a bike and forced me to turn back before I reached the Burmese soldiers.

Thais and Burmese can use this crossing.

 

[blackwolf]

This is currently the nearest international border crossing from Bangkok.

I've been to the border crossing at Bong Tii (shown in the photo). I didn't stop at the police checkpoint and rode on through. The track becomes more technical (solid rock) after the checkpoint and is interesting to ride. I made it into Burma but was stopped by a Thai policeman who followed me on a bike and forced me to turn back before I reached the Burmese soldiers.

Thais and Burmese can use this crossing.

Are you sure? I would think that at most, it can be used by local traders for selling their wares, but they would be heavily restricted from going more than a few metres inside the other's territory and only on day trips. Thais would probably have zero interest in going to Bong Tii, given how close Phu Nam Ron is, that's really the place for everyone to cross.

But your trip report sounds interesting though.

Now let's wait for news about when new Thai-Myanmar border crossings will open up - the latest info is that there may be a new international crossing up in Mae Hong Son opening later this year, but no info about the upgrading of either or both of the Three Pagodas Pass crossing or the Dan Singkorn Pass.

 

[bsacbob]

Mae Hong Song, you have any more info on that Blackwolf ?

 

[prince666]

Found this Bob think its the same Border crossing??




A new border crossing between Kayah State and Thailand is expected to open later this year, a move that Myanmar hopes will help boost tourism and regional development in the remote state, U Nyunt Aung, the deputy director of Ministry of Commerce, told The Myanmar Times yesterday.
“We sent a request to Thailand via the Thai ambassador on May 21. We are ready to open the border gate as soon as we receive a reply from them,” U Nyunt Aung said.
The new crossing would connect Myanmar’s Mese with Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province, U Nyunt Aung said, adding that a bridge has already been built across the Thanlwin River 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the border on the Myanmar side.
U Nyunt Aung said plans to open the new crossing were made in response to requests from the people of Kayah State for help in developing their home region. Officials in Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province had also suggested that the border be opened to facilitate trade between the two countries.
“Transportation is getting better, so the new border gate will be able to handle trade to and from Kayah State, Shan State and Mandalay,” he said.
U Maung Maung Than, the director general of the Ministry of Immigration, said he did not know when the new gate would open, but added that when it does Myanmar will issue seven-day visas and border passes at the crossing.
Kayah State’s limited tourism infrastructure – just eight hotels with a total of 175 rooms, according to figures from the Ministry of Hotel and Tourism – is already feeling the strain of the small number of visitors to the area, said U Myint Htwe, director of Ministry of Hotel and Tourism.
“The situation for Kayah State is difficult, but we are preparing by offering tour guide and hospitality training to local people to raise their awareness about tourism,” he said. “We are also negotiating with travel companies to create itineraries for Kayah State based on adventure trips and cross-country travel.”
U Aung Zaw Moe, secretary of Kayah State government, told The Myanmar Times that he welcomed such developments “because they will create many job opportunities for local residents. Kayah State is not yet ready yet for booming tourism, but we can handle visitors to some extent. It will benefit our people.”
U Phyo Wai Yar Zar, chair of the Myanmar Tourism Marketing Committee, said Kayah can benefit from cross-border visitors from Thailand as well as from tourists arriving from farther afield.
“All business sectors concerned with tourism will develop if more visitors come to Kayah State,” he said. “Myanmar National Airlines already flies to Loikaw, and Air KBZ is planning to add Loikaw flights as well. The more business we get, the more opportunities the local people will have.”


Link......http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/na...land-to-give-kayah-state-tourism-a-boost.html

Link......http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2015/06/myanmar-proposes-new-checkpoint/

 

[Lone Rider]

Not sure where this border crossing will be. I do know that west of Khun Yuam there is a border crossing point and from Mae Sariang you can travel north-west to Sao Hin and a bit further on there is another border crossing where (around 2009) there was a border crossing which was open from 8 AM till 16 PM. The screenshot of the GPS map shows the approximate locations as well as the location of Mese in Myanmar. However, as Huay Ton Nun is mentioned in an article about the new bridge over the Salween river I assume that the border crossing post will be west of Mae Sariang.

 

[blackwolf]

Found this Bob think its the same Border crossing??




A new border crossing between Kayah State and Thailand is expected to open later this year, a move that Myanmar hopes will help boost tourism and regional development in the remote state, U Nyunt Aung, the deputy director of Ministry of Commerce, told The Myanmar Times yesterday.
“We sent a request to Thailand via the Thai ambassador on May 21. We are ready to open the border gate as soon as we receive a reply from them,” U Nyunt Aung said.
The new crossing would connect Myanmar’s Mese with Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province, U Nyunt Aung said, adding that a bridge has already been built across the Thanlwin River 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the border on the Myanmar side.
U Nyunt Aung said plans to open the new crossing were made in response to requests from the people of Kayah State for help in developing their home region. Officials in Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province had also suggested that the border be opened to facilitate trade between the two countries.
“Transportation is getting better, so the new border gate will be able to handle trade to and from Kayah State, Shan State and Mandalay,” he said.
U Maung Maung Than, the director general of the Ministry of Immigration, said he did not know when the new gate would open, but added that when it does Myanmar will issue seven-day visas and border passes at the crossing.
Kayah State’s limited tourism infrastructure – just eight hotels with a total of 175 rooms, according to figures from the Ministry of Hotel and Tourism – is already feeling the strain of the small number of visitors to the area, said U Myint Htwe, director of Ministry of Hotel and Tourism.
“The situation for Kayah State is difficult, but we are preparing by offering tour guide and hospitality training to local people to raise their awareness about tourism,” he said. “We are also negotiating with travel companies to create itineraries for Kayah State based on adventure trips and cross-country travel.”
U Aung Zaw Moe, secretary of Kayah State government, told The Myanmar Times that he welcomed such developments “because they will create many job opportunities for local residents. Kayah State is not yet ready yet for booming tourism, but we can handle visitors to some extent. It will benefit our people.”
U Phyo Wai Yar Zar, chair of the Myanmar Tourism Marketing Committee, said Kayah can benefit from cross-border visitors from Thailand as well as from tourists arriving from farther afield.
“All business sectors concerned with tourism will develop if more visitors come to Kayah State,” he said. “Myanmar National Airlines already flies to Loikaw, and Air KBZ is planning to add Loikaw flights as well. The more business we get, the more opportunities the local people will have.”


Link......http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/na...land-to-give-kayah-state-tourism-a-boost.html

Link......http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2015/06/myanmar-proposes-new-checkpoint/

Yes that's the one and indeed I have read both of these links and they are the basis for my post. Let's see what happens come November or December. I wouldn't expect anything new to happen before the November elections, but afterwards it may very well be the case that new border crossings could open quickly.

 

[prince666]

Had a look on Goggle Earth but the images are over 3 years old but based on the news report I think we are all correct in our thinking that it is the Border crossing, and i have place a marker on the most logical place for the bridge based on the news report of the bridge.

A bridge has already been built across the ThanLwin River, 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the border on the Myanmar side.

And that the No 5 Road splits here to go West,North,South


We need someone to pop up to the border as marked on the map to check it out ????







A close up of the Broder crossing