Closer links between Tanintharyi Region and neighbouring Kanchanaburi Province in Thailand would help bring development to Myanmar’s south, particularly in the tourism sector, says the head of the Tanintharyi Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
U Ye Htut Naing told Thai daily The Nation that businesspeople from both countries want a “sister cities” cooperation agreement between Dawei and Kanchanaburi town, but it required government support.
“Recently I received a lot of Thai businesses from Kanchanaburi,” Ye Htut Naing told The Nation. “I can obviously see how eager they are to play a role in creating sister cities for mutual benefit. Likewise, we Myanmar businesses want this MoU to be signed as soon as possible.”
A sister city relationship between Dawei, the Tanintharyi regional capital, and Kanchanaburi, has been discussed since at least 2011.
Ye Htut Naing said an agreement between the two cities would focus on improving tourism cooperation with Kanchanaburi, adding that it attracted more than nine million foreign visitors last year.
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“There are also a lot of interesting places to visit in Tanintharyi Region. For instance, Myeik Archipelago and Shin [Koe Shin] pagodas in Dawei could become favourite tourist spots if we do the branding well,” he said.
There were also tentative plans to host a Tanintharyi Travel Festival in the future to promote tourism in the region, Ye Htut Naing said.
