Republic of the Union of Myanmar or Burma is the neighboring countries with borders with Thailand by the longest distance among neighboring countries of 2,401 kilometers and has been trading with Thailand along the border for a long time. When the domestic situation and the spread of COVID-19 has improved. Myanmar will return to the world economic stage. It will be a country that investors are interested in. The attractiveness of Myanmar is that it is a market that is open to foreign investors. It has fresh resources, low wages, and borders with China, the economic power of the ASEAN region. Today we will take you to get to know the port cities and important cities of Myanmar. for information before making an investment decision.

For Myanmar's major ports and cities that investors should know before making an investment decision are as follows:

1. Nay Pyi Taw, the current capital city founded as the capital in 2005, it is located halfway between Yangon and Mandalay. It locates at the strategical location which is halfway between states, enabling the government to govern and develop various regions thoroughly. The city has been planned into 4 zones, namely the government zone, the hotel zone, the industrial zone and the military zone, to fully support the foreign investment sector that wants to invest in Myanmar.

2.  Yangon, former capital of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Although today it is not the capital as in the past, Yangon remains the economic center of the country. It is a city that is ready for utilities. And there are ancient sites and tourist attractions that are of historical importance. It is the location of the tourism industry, Vocational Training Institute and the fishing industry.

3.  Hongsawadee or Bago, the former capital of Myanmar located in the south of the country. Hongsawadee used to flourish during the reign of King Bayinnaung and was burned down in the reign of King Nantaburen. At present, Hongsawadee city generates income for Myanmar through its role as a historical and Buddhist tourism city. Currently, the thriving industries in this city are tourism industry such as tourism business, restaurants, hotels, etc

4.  Mawlamyine, an agricultural town near the seashore along the Gulf of Motama. Mon people call this city “Magical Mode” is one of Myanmar's outstanding seaside resort towns. It is now the location of the tourism industry, furniture from rubber wood and textile industry.

5.  Myawaddy is considered a big gateway to ASEAN, located in Karen State (Kayin State), with the capital city is Hpa-An. Myawaddy City borders Thailand at Mae Sot District, Tak Province, with the Moei River separating it and connected by the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge. It is an important border trade market where the Myanmar government has classified as a border special economic zone. It is an important city in the distribution of products from Thailand and the Indochina region to various cities in Myanmar.

6  Kawthaung or Victory Point which is called “Kaw Thaung” (Kaw Thaung) by theMyanmar people.

It is located opposite Ranong Province, with the Kraburi River blocking it at Ranong Province. We can take a ferry from Ranong by 30 minutes. The shape of the area is the most promontory of Myanmar that extends into the Andaman Sea but popularly known as the island. Because the nearby area is flanked by a small island and is called "Koh Song" due to its distorted name Kaodong in Myanmar. Kawthaung's economy is bustling with fishing commodities. It is a tourist city with a beautiful seaside and has important ancient sites such as The Royal Monument of Bayengnong and the Pagoda of Peace.

7.  Bagan is known as the Land of Ten Thousand Pagodas or sea pagoda. It has been registered by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, showing the belief in Buddhism of the Myanmar people from the past to the present. Even though the former glorious Bagan Empire had already collapsed, the traces of the Mon civilization blended with India still appear in various architectures within the city of Bagan which has become truly the national art of Myanmar. The thriving business in Bagan is the tourism industry which the Myanmar authorities have given great importance and support.

8.  Pyin Oo Lwin is located in the northeast of Mandalay. It is a city with good weather similar to that of Europe where the weather is cold all year round. Thus, it becomes the center of the country's important winter flowers and coffee beans including a botanical garden and beautiful natural attractions.

9. Dan Tui is located on the banks of the Bay of Bengal. There is a beautiful Ngapali Beach which is a popular tourist destination. And it's interesting to Europeans. The Myanmar authorities have therefore accelerated the development to be more readily available in transportation and public utilities in order to support the growth of tourism.

10.  Mandalay, the former capital of Myanmar located in the north of Yangon, approximately 620 kilometers from Yangon. It plays an important role in upper Myanmar's trade and investment hub which is the center of transportation routes to India and southern China. It is a center of arts and handicrafts such as wood and marble carvings. gold leaf production and is the source of cotton, beans and tobacco.

With potential in various fields, the port cities and important cities play an important economic role in Myanmar. As per the mentioned information here, It is another option for investment in Myanmar that Thai entrepreneurs will use as a preliminary information for decision making in expanding the trading and investment market base to Myanmar after the domestic situation and the COVID-19 epidemic has eased, the economic vigor of the Republic of Myanmar will return.

Thank you for good information from: Siam Commercial Bank in Myanmar at Yangon https://www.scb.co.th/en/corporate-banking/international-network/myanmar

References:

1.       DITP. “Country Profile_Myanmar”. https://www.ditp.go.th/ditp_web61/article_sub_view.php?filename=contents_attach/93160/93160.pdf&title=93160&cate=414&d=0 (accessed 9/12/2020)

2.        Travel MThai. “Pyin Oo Lwin, a resort town in Myanmar beautiful atmosphere”. https://travel.mthai.com/world-travel/65368.html (accessed 9/12/2020)

3.       Myanmar Education Center Kamphaeng Phet Rajabhat University, Mae Sot. “Myanmar Education Online Database” System”.http://myanmarcenter.kpru.ac.th/myanmar/index.php/capital-city-economy (accessed 14/12/2020)