A fire broke out at a Thai Customs Department warehouse near the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge No. 2 in Mae Sot, Thailand, destroying more than 200 vehicles, according to Thai news sources and Myanmar residents in Mae Sot. The incident occurred around 7:30 PM on March 19, with the fire burning for approximately two hours before being extinguished by all available fire trucks in the city. The warehouse was being used to store Japanese vehicles that had been seized while attempting to be exported to Myanmar.
A border trader residing in Mae Sot reported that the flames were visible from civilian areas, though the cause of the fire remains unknown. The Thai-Myanmar border area, particularly in Myawaddy Township, primarily deals in used Japanese vehicles, with cars and auto parts entering from Thailand into Myanmar’s Myawaddy area at competitive prices. The border trade has been a significant economic activity in the region, facilitating the movement of vehicles and automotive parts across the border.
According to border traders, the fire is not expected to significantly impact the border region’s car market and auto parts trade. This is because the destroyed vehicles were not intended for the regular market but were rather seized vehicles that were either caught during attempted illegal transport to Myanmar or were connected to various criminal cases. Currently, the trade of vehicles and parts continues to operate normally through BGF checkpoints along the border. The warehouse specifically contained vehicles that had been impounded by Thai customs authorities, and while the loss is substantial, it primarily affects seized inventory rather than regular commercial stock.
