Thailand-Myanmar Border Trade

Abstract

Thailand shares an approximated 2400 kilometers’ border with Myanmar. The development of border trade between Thailand and Myanmar has a long history. There are various border trade issues, including the smuggling trade that plays one of the most important roles within the sphere of economic activity between the two countries. This paper studies the trade relationship between two countries including illegal trade movement that Thai authorities have referred to as an “Ant Army”. People that have been employed to carry goods across the border along the river and hill paths in the same manner as ants that always carry the food back to their habitats. The Ant Army is a significant mechanism behind the scenes of the “black market”, as the channel of goods that flow in and out of Myanmar during the period of Western sanctions. There are many parties involved in the process, including the merchants, ethnic minority groups, and government officers. This paper studies this process and analyzes the future of the border trade in light of the ongoing economic and political changes in Myanmar.