Chiang Rai Holds 5th Meeting on Special Economic Zones

 CHIANG RAI – The Governor of Chiang Rai, Phongsak Wangsamer chaired a meeting with Laos and Myanmar to speed up cooperation on special economic zones between the countries.

Governor Phongsak Wangsamer said after the fifth meeting of the committee on border cooperation with China, Laos and Myanmar, that the meeting was focused on three issues, firstly trade and investment development between Chiang Saen special economic zone and the Golden Triangle special economic zone in Laos’ Bor Kaew province and between Chiang Khong and Laos’ Huay Xai special economic zone.

Chiang Khong is set to become the trading gateway with west China and a tourism path to Luang Prabang in Laos, while  Chiang Saen will function as a pier to west China and the tourism path to the Golden Triangle.

For Mae Sai district, he said it will become a Thai-Myanmar border area market and also will serve as a tourism path to Mandalay in Myanmar.

He said there will be the projects to establish the logistics center and the industrial park in Chiang Khong district, as well as the Chiang Mai – Chiang Rai highway project and the dual track railway project connecting Chiang Khong with Den Chai district in Phrae province.

Governor Phongsak Wangsamer also proposed for Chiang Rai Province to make an adjustment of opening and closing times of each checkpoint to be at the same time and to upgrade border posts to be on the same level so as to boost trade and tourism between the four countries.

According to Governor Phongsak, the province has hastened the preparation of three special economic zones in the districts of Mae Sai, Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong to be able to operate by October 2015.