Transport fares on the Mawlamyine–Myawaddy and Hpa-An–Myawaddy routes have slightly decreased following the reopening of the Myawaddy–Kawkareik–Hpa-An section of the Asian Highway, a key Thailand–Myanmar border trade route, according to drivers and travelers.
The military junta reopened the highway on April 2 after nearly three years of closure. While travel has become easier than before, high fuel prices mean that fares have only declined slightly.
Previously, passengers paid more than 100,000 kyats per trip on the Myawaddy–Hpa-An and Myawaddy–Mawlamyine routes. Currently, fares have dropped to around 100,000 kyats per passenger, a traveler said.
“There are not many checkpoints along the road now—only about three. At those checkpoints, they mainly question drivers and passengers. For now, no taxes are being collected, so travel is more convenient,” the traveler said.
Transport service providers are also calling for fares to be set at more reasonable and fair rates.
During the closure of the Myawaddy–Kawkareik highway, travelers had to use alternative mountain routes north of Myawaddy, including Htokawkoe Road, Kyat Oo Taung Road, and Route 1018, which pass through the Dawna mountain range.
Although small vehicles and private cars are allowed to use these routes, the military junta has banned the transport of restricted Thai goods, according to traders.
“They had already said that transporting goods was not allowed, so drivers do not dare to carry any goods. Even carrying a small amount of Thai goods could cause problems,” a source said.
Although full border trade has not yet resumed, residents expect that small-scale local trade within the state will begin to recover following the reopening of the road.
Since the trade route was closed, the flow of goods between Thailand and Myanmar had been disrupted, and transportation had to rely on alternative routes.
Currently, there are three checkpoints along the Myawaddy–Kawkareik road, where authorities mainly inspect drivers’ identification documents and personal information.
