Trilateral Highway: India-Myanmar-Thailand and beyond

Shah Md Farid

(Trade & Investment Consultant, Founder-Director, Northeast India-ASEAN Chamber of Commerce. Can be reached at neiaseancc@gmail.com)

The IMT Highway Project aims to open the gate to ASEAN with India through India's Northeast land. The project will boost trade, commerce and investment between the two regions and the ASEAN – India Free Trade Area. India had proposed the IMT highway project be extended up to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

During my recent visit to Thailand, I had the honour to meet His Excellency Korn Dabbaransi, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand and President of the Thai – India Friendship Forum. HE is a strong advocate of the trilateral highway and discussed at length the growth and prospects that will follow once the entire highway is completed and fully operational.

At the meeting was also present Khun Somsak Burapapipath, the Managing Director of GMS Rally (ASEAN ) the oldest and most experienced overland rally company in Southeast Asia. A lot of ground inputs were discussed and highlighted regarding the highway. Khun Somsak had undertaken several overland rallies on this highway over the past several years (pre-COVID times).

The approximate 1400-km-long IMT Trilateral highway covering India, Myanmar and Thailand will run from Manipur's Moreh town right across Myanmar to Mae Sot in Thailand. The Government of India is undertaking the construction of around 121 km Kalewa – Yagni road section as well as the construction of around 69 bridges and the approach road of around 150 km Tamu – Kyigone – Kalewa (TKK) road section in Myanmar.

Good connectivity between India and ASEAN has always been the goal, both as economic and strategic partners. Thailand had proposed for eastward extension of the highway at the 16th ASEAN Highways Sub-Working group meeting in August 2018. Along with other existing initiatives like the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), Ayeyawady – Chao Phraya – Mekong Economic Corporation Strategy, Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025, the ASEAN Highway network as well as connectivity to International ports is also important for the development of economic corridors.

The Thai proposal was the original alignment of the Trilateral highway from Moreh – Tamu- Monywa-Mandalay-Nay Pyi Taw – Bago – Myawaddy- Mae Sot with two proposed routes for eastwardly extension:

1. The northern route from Meiktila in Myanmar to Hanoi and Hai Phong in Vietnam via Myanmar – Lao Friendship bridge, and

2. The Southern route from Mae Sot to Aranyaprathet via Bangkok in Thailand to Phnom Penh/ Sihanoukville- Brvet in Cambodia and Moc Bai – Ho Chi Minh City – Vung Tau in Vietnam.

The trilateral highway will bring growth prospects to the Northeastern region of India, and the eastward extension will become a seamless transport corridor of opportunities for South-East Asia. It will provide India with the potential for cross-border trade and transport facilitation.