Thailand eyes reopening key border gate as KNU takes more control

Thailand is weighing plans to reopen the Htee Khee border trade gate in Karen National Union (KNU)–controlled territory, as cross-border commerce expands despite recent clashes in the area, sources told Myanmar Now. On May 9, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) troops and allied People’s Defence Force (PDF) fighters seized several junta camps in the Htee Khee region of Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region, near the Thai border. With relative calm returning to the area, Thai authorities moved to reopen the border crossing with Myanmar, holding talks on June 25. According to a statement from Thailand’s Kanchanaburi provincial administration, shared with local traders, freight trucks and pedestrians have already started being permitted to cross since July 5.Padoh Saw Ehna, secretary of the KNU’s Myeik-Dawei District within Brigade 4, clarified that the border gate has not been fully reopened for pedestrian or freight traffic. Rather, Thailand is permitting only food trade for local residents in the area.“Only trucks carrying fresh goods are allowed between the villages, while people are not permitted to cross,” he said. “This is in line with Thailand’s policy that allows Thai residents to conduct trade with villages along the border.”He added that currently, only small local vehicles from Thai villages are allowed to enter and sell goods to communities across the border in Myanmar. Freight trucks and individual crossings remain prohibited.The Htee Khee border trade gate was opened in 2011 under Myanmar’s former military government, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), as part of plans to connect with the Dawei Deep Sea Port. But the trade route remains an unpaved dirt road, limiting activity compared to more developed crossings like Myawaddy and Kawthaung. A local transport operator in Htee Khee told Myanmar Now that while trade is expected to resume, poor road conditions and the unstable political situation still pose major challenges.“The road is in poor condition, and with the rainy season, I have heard that vehicles cannot pass at all,” the source said. The Htee Khee area falls within the territory of Brigade 4 of the KNU, a longstanding ethnic resistance group in southern Myanmar. In recent months, Brigade 4 forces have seized several junta outposts, including the strategic Htee Hta hilltop base, as part of efforts to secure control over the Thai-Myanmar border. Of the KNU’s seven brigades, four (Brigades 4, 5, 6, and 7) border Thailand, covering areas in Dawei, Hpapun, Dooplaya, Ye Township, and Hpa-An. KNU spokesperson Padoh Saw Taw Nee announced that plans are in progress to oversee and regulate the KNU-controlled border gates, including Htee Khee. “It is still in the preparation phase, and negotiations with the relevant authorities are ongoing,” he explained. He added that as resistance-controlled areas along the border expand, there will be increased freedom for military and political activities. Furthermore, the influence of resistance forces in diplomatic relations and communication with the Thai government is expected to grow. Resistance groups believe this could represent a significant threat to the junta.In Karen State, the Karen National Union (KNU) has expanded its control despite escalating clashes with Myanmar’s military, especially since the 2021 coup. The group now holds significant territory across several districts, with KNU officials claiming control over more than 60 percent of the state.Thailand and Myanmar share six official border trade posts, with three more in the planning stages. As Karen ethnic armed groups and PDF continue to seize junta outposts along the Thai-Myanmar border, observers say they are steadily gaining control over key trade corridors.

Thailand eyes reopening key border gate as KNU takes more control

With the Karen National Union securing key border areas, Thailand allows limited trade at Htee Khee, reflecting shifting power dynamics

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