A fire broke out at a customs warehouse near the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge No. 2 in Mae Sot, Thailand, destroying more than 200 vehicles, according to local residents and border traders. 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 cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
The warehouse contained vehicles that had been seized during attempted illegal transport to Myanmar, as well as cars confiscated in connection with various criminal cases. Currently, the Myawaddy township in Karen State primarily uses secondhand Japanese vehicles imported from Thailand, with cars and auto parts being legally imported through border checkpoints. Border traders have assessed that this incident will not significantly impact the current border car market and spare parts trade.
The automobile import business is a crucial economic activity in the Myanmar-Thai border region and plays a vital role in bilateral trade. Thai customs authorities regularly conduct enforcement operations to prevent illegal vehicle imports, with seized vehicles typically stored in designated warehouses. This incident occurred at one such storage facility where confiscated vehicles were being held. The fire has highlighted the significant volume of vehicles that are intercepted at the border, though local traders maintain that the legitimate auto trade continues to operate through established channels, with the Border Guard Force (BGF) checkpoints facilitating the legal flow of vehicles and auto parts into Myanmar at competitive prices.
