Kriengsak Chareonwongsak the fishing industry

Other industries have likewise been affected also. For example, the fishing industry has been severely affected by the withdrawal, for an indeterminable period of time, of international fishing concessions given to Thai fishing boats. Instead, the Burmese government welcomes Taiwanese, South Korean and Chinese fishing boats into its territorial waters. Consumer product industries are also affected and closure of border crossings cuts off Burma’s access to goods available in Thailand. As a result, Burma is looking increasingly to China, Singapore, India, and Japan for the consumer goods they used to buy from Thailand. This is despite the fact that when relations between the nations were normal, Thailand was a favored trading partner because trade with Thailand put the least amount of strain on Burma’s deficient transportation infrastructure.
Thailand will suffer long-term disadvantage from a continuing poor relationship with Burma. In the past, Burma supplied cheap raw materials and labor supplies to Thailand. If Burma’s internal transportation infrastructures were improved Thailand could use Burma as an industry base for exporting goods to China, India and other parts of the South Asian region. However, while Thailand pays scant attention to Burma, other nations such as Japan, Australia, and Singapore have increased their investments in the country.
Although the Thai government has tried to improve relations with Burma, conflicts have only seemed to increase a fact that could result in long-term drawbacks for both sides.

Professor Dr Kriengsak Chareonwongsak
Executive Director, Institute of Future Studies for Development (IFD)
 kriengsak@kriengsak.com, http://www.ifd.or.th