Bangkok: India and Thailand have held talks here to review progress in improving connectivity, including drastically shortening the sea route between India and South east Asia through a deep water port being developed in south east Myanmar.
A delegation from the Ministry of External Affairs led by Secretary (East), Sanjay Singh met with counterparts from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs led by Permanent Secretary Sihasak Phuangketkeow.
The India-Thailand Foreign Office Consultations yesterday took stock of initiatives agreed during the visit of Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to India earlier this year to forge a strategic bilateral partnership, according to an Indian Embassy press statement.
A central element of this is developing connectivity through road and sea links including the Thailand-Myanmar-India Trilateral Highway project launched a decade ago.
During her visit as the chief guest at this year’s Republic Day celebrations, Ms Yingluck had emphasised the advantages to India of linking up its southeastern seaboard with the Dawei special economic zone being developed by Myanmar in collaboration with Thailand.
The project in southeast Myanmar includes a 8.6-billion US dollar deep water port that is situated about 2,000 km from Chennai on the other side of the Bay of Bengal.
Located about 340 km west of Bangkok by road, Dawei port would reduce the sea travel time between India and Thailand to a few days from the weeks it currently takes for shipments between Chennai and Laem Chabang port on the Gulf of Thailand, 100 km southeast of Bangkok.
A Thai delegation led by the Thai Foreign Ministry Director-General of South Asian Affairs, Narong Sasitorn was in Chennai earlier this month to explore the potential for linking Chennai port with Dawei.
Thailand and Myanmar signed an agreement to develop the Dawei special economic zone during Myanmar President Thein Sein’s visit to Thailand last month. The Dawei deepwater port is to be built by a Thai company.
The Myanmar President had also visited Thailand’s Laem Chabang deepwater port and the two sides are looking to link Laem Chabang and Dawei by road and rail to shorten shipping times between Southeast Asia and its export destinations to the west. (UNI)