Empty shelves across Myanmar as Thai imports disappear

At a large City Mart grocery store in Mandalay, the aisles where Thai snacks, instant noodles and household goods once filled entire shelves now sit conspicuously empty. *Kyaw Naing, a sales staff member at the store, said Thai imports, which had already faced sporadic shortages in recent months, have now disappeared entirely. There is no remaining stock to sell, he said, after the junta tightened restrictions on foreign imports, seized goods under the pretext of targeting “illegal” products, and closed key border gates. "Previously, there were many Thai products,” Kyaw Naing said. “Items like Quaker oats or mayonnaise are completely gone now. Those aren't produced locally either. Coca-Cola is somewhat available again because they have a local factory, but it was out of stock before for about two or three months.” In the past, Thai goods continued to enter even when there was fighting in border areas. Now, goods are no longer entering at all. He added that while some Thai products can still be bought at high prices in certain malls, they are becoming inaccessible to the general public. Shoppers move through a North Dagon City Mart supermarket in Yangon on September 7, 2021, as daily commerce continued under military rule. (Photo: Myanmar Now) "In terms of sales, we have to spread the items out to fill the shelves,” he said. “For example, the detergent aisle used to have so many Thai products; there were all kinds of products. Now we can't get them.” Thai-imported fish sauce and cooking spices have also vanished, and the electronics section is hollowed out with not a single TV set left to sell. The shortage of Thai goods is not limited to this single mall in Mandalay; it is affecting supermarkets and markets in the commercial capital Yangon and in large and small towns across the country. A female resident of Yangon, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said she has turned to local products because Thai goods can no longer be found. "Since coffee is no longer available, we’ve been drinking Ywangan and other local brands,” he said. “Thai coffee brands are very expensive per pack, and Nestle jars are gone. As for snacks, the Thai brands are no longer there; we just have to eat local-made Myanmar snacks.” She added that Thai-made soft drinks, toothpaste, shampoo, and household cleaning products are now impossible to find. "I only see local brands that imitate Thai styles being stocked,” she said. “Since Thai goods come from the Myawaddy route and it’s been closed and commercial transport isn't allowed, everything has run out.” Merchants analyse that the current massive shortage of Thai goods is due to the junta's failure to issue sufficient import licenses, the closure of Myawaddy Border Bridge 2—which handles billions of dollars in annual trade—and the extensive crackdown on unlicensed goods. According to the junta’s Ministry of Commerce, there are six gates for bilateral border trade along the 1,500-mile Myanmar-Thailand border: Myawaddy, Tachileik, Htee Khee, Maw Taung, Myeik, and Kawthaung, along with other planned stations. A cargo truck passes through the customs gate near the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge No. 2 in February 2025, a key overland trade route between Thailand and Myanmar. (Photo: Myat Kyi / Myanmar Now) On August 12, 2025, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing directed that such trade be seized as illegal trade, citing concerns that resistance forces controlling border gates could gain taxes and grow their military strength. Following this decision, the Myawaddy-Mae Sot Bridge 2 was closed on August 18. A merchant told Myanmar Now that they have allowed trade via container ships from Ranong and Kawthaung coastal ports on the Thai border to Yangon, as the junta controls this specific sea port. A merchant based in Myawaddy, Karen State, who imports Thai goods told Myanmar Now that although the Ranong-Kawthaung-Yangon sea route is open for trade, the junta only issues a small number of import licenses. "It’s not that illegal trade has completely stopped,” he said. “You could say maybe 10 percent out of 100 percent is still moving. But because it’s moving in such small amounts, it can't fulfill the needs of the people in Yangon or central Myanmar.” For large malls like City Mart to sell Thai products, they require full documentation, including import licenses, tax declarations, and FDA approvals for food items. He added that since the junta isn't issuing licenses and only a trickle of goods is entering, unlicensed goods cannot be sold in these large malls. Yet some Thai items can still be purchased at certain home-based shops in Yangon. Myanmar Now sought comment from Commerce Minister Min Min but received no response. The junta's Deputy Minister of Commerce and team inspected the arrival of Yangon-Ranong cargo ships at Yangon ports on the 22nd of this month. (Photo: MOI) Junta Chief Min Aung Hlaing, who has imposed tight import controls, has repeatedly claimed the trade deficit has narrowed under his leadership. Speaking at the Zeepingyi Civil Service Academy in Pyin Oo Lwin in December 2025, he said producing more food domestically would reduce the need for foreign currency. A grocery store owner in East Dagon Township, Yangon, accused the regime of restricting foreign currency for essential goods while continuing to spend heavily on military equipment and fuel. He warned that replacing imports with substandard products could put consumers at risk, particularly when it comes to medicines and medical supplies. “The problem is the junta prioritises dollars for aviation fuel and its own interests,” he said. “As a result, medicines are no longer widely available. Even so-called ‘similar’ drugs may not be suitable for patients. When shortages persist, counterfeit products spread — and the effectiveness of treatment disappears.”

Empty shelves across Myanmar as Thai imports disappear

From snacks to medicine, goods once trucked across the Thai border have vanished following tightened import controls, border gate closures, and a crackdown on “illegal” trade

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