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Uncertainty hangs over border camps
Spectrum, Published on 03/03/2013
» ' Living here has been a blessing,'' said Ma Tway, a refugee at the Ma La camp along the Thai-Myanmar border. It's not what one would expect to hear at a refugee camp where ''nobody chooses to be a refugee'' is a common refrain. But for Ma Tway who has spent 30 years at the camp since fleeing a military offensive in Myanmar's Karen state, Ma La is home.
Border boomtown: A tale of winners and losers
Spectrum, Published on 17/02/2013
» The border town of Mae Sot is undergoing an unprecedented boom, riding on Myanmar's rapid opening up and its strategic position as a regional transport hub. Not long ago, the main visitors to the remote city in Tak province were NGOs, aid donors, academics, diplomats, journalists and intelligence officers. But in the last two years, 20 new hotels have sprung up, mainly to cater to Thai investors, according to the Tak Chamber of Commerce (TCC). The signs of the boom are all around: concrete pillars are being laid for a Big C supermarket, cinemas showing the latest films are opening and department stores sell international brand names.