During 2 – 5 February 2015, H.E. Mr. Pisanu Suvanajata, Ambassador of Thailand to Myanmar, led a Thai delegation comprising of officials of the Royal Thai Embassy, Yangon, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, as well as executive members of the Thai Business Association in Myanmar (TBAM) on a border survey trip in Kanchanaburi Province in Thailand, Payathonzu and Dawei in Myanmar. The objective of this trip is to identify challenges and opportunities to the development of the border areas between Thailand and Myanmar.

          During the trip, Ambassador Pisanu took the opportunity to meet with Mr. Wanchai Osukonthip, Governor of Kanchanaburi Province, Col. Aung Lwin, Minister for Border Security Affairs of Kayin State, and U Myat Ko, Chief Minister of Tanintharyi Region. In these separate meetings, Ambassador Pisanu and his counterparts discussed broad range of issues and exchanged views on potential areas of cooperation along the border, including connectivity, trade and investment, capacity building and partnership for development. 

          Ambassador Pisanu also visited PTTEP Zawtika Operations Center in Kanbauk, which administers the delivery of natural gas from Zawtika offshore field to Yangon and Thailand through a pipeline system. The delegation also made a tour of Dawei Special Economic Zone (DSEZ) to observe its ongoing activities. Once completed, the DSEZ will not only serve as a new gateway connecting Myanmar with ASEAN and other regions beyond, but also transform the area into a new growth center crucial to economic development of Myanmar and the entire region of Southeast Asia.

          The Royal Thai Government attaches priority to cooperation for development prospects with all neighbours, including Myanmar, with an aim to transforming the border zones into the areas of opportunities for the benefits of our peoples. Various connectivity projects have been established to link countries in the region together for collective peace and prosperity. This will contribute to the formation of the ASEAN Community in 2015.