Border officials temporarily halt the import of wood products

Mae Hong Son’s Deputy Governor, Tanin Supasaen, chaired a meeting to discuss the problems importers of wood products trading across the Myanmar border have recently faced with forestry officials at Mae Hong Son. Representatives of the Thai Customs Department, Mae Hong Son Provincial Police, Forestry Office, the provincial Commercial Affairs Office, the Mae Hong Son Administrative Organization and the Immigration Bureau all met to discuss the relevant laws.
It has been reported that both Forestry Department officials and those of the Mae Hong Son’s administrative organization have arrested people and confiscated goods of those who imported wood products from Burma through the Huai Pueng Border Checkpoint in Mae Hong Son. However, the importers said that they had already paid taxes to the customs officials at the Mae Hong Son checkpoint.
Worakan Mahawong, Head of the Regional Customs Bureau 3 at Mae Hong Son, explained that the arrests were due to Thai Customs and that his organization is in charge of taxes. He insisted that Customs officials had followed the rules and regulations strictly.
The Deputy Governor, citing the Commercial Act B.E. 2548, said that importers without the necessary permits from the exporting country were only allowed to import goods at the border in Tak and Kanchanburi. He added that Burma allows exports of wooden goods only through 3 checkpoints; Tha Khilek checkpoint opposite Chain; Mae Sot in Tak province and the Koh Song checkpoint in Ranong. The checkpoints in Mae Hong Son are for the trade of consumer goods in reasonable amounts only.
Pol. Col. Chatchawal Wachirapaneekul, the Deputy Commander of Mae Hong Son Provincial Police, interpreted the Act to show that goods could not be brought into Thailand through the Mae Hong Son checkpoint commercially and that the traders need to get the proper documentation in order to enter the country with their goods legally.
The officials concluded that temporarily halting all imports of wooden products through 5 border checkpoints was necessary, including checkpoints at Huai Pueng, Nam, Piang Din, Tonnoon and Sao Hin. The Governor of Mae Hong Son, Kamtorn Tawornsawit, is expected to make the final decision regarding the halt of the trade of wooden products.