CNI News
23 January 2024
The Ministry of Labor agreed to send MoU workers to Thailand by Yangon-Don Muang Flight, the Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation (MOEAF) told CNI News.
Because the Yangon-Myawady-Maesot route has not been convenient for the time being, the Kawthaung-Ranong route is being mainly used to send MoU workers. As air fares were currently skyrocketing, this route was less expensive, U Myat Thu, general secretary of the MOEAF, told CNI News.
" An air ticket for the Yangon-Kawthaung trip was about 1.5 lakh kyats before, but now it is about 4.5 lakhs. If you come to Bangkok from Kawthaung-Ranong, it is very distant. But if you want to go to southern Thailand, going from Kawthaung-Ranong is nearer. Yangon-Bangkok flights are cheaper."
If there were agencies that wanted to send MOU workers by Yangon-Don Muang flight, they could already submit it , However, there are not any agencies that have submitted so far, according to overseas employment agencies.
Workers who will go abroad through the MoU
Although agencies have requested to allow them to send MoU workers by Yangon-Don Muang flight for quite a long time, officials from the two countries agreed to allow at the Myanmar-Thailand director-level meeting.
Because there were several airlines that operate the Yangon-Don Muang flight, there was no possibility that the price of air ticket will increase exponentially, U Win Myint, managing director of Lucky Overseas Employment Agency, told CNI News.
" There are three or four airlines. So, the ticket price won't increase so much. Charter flights can be used through the Ministry of Labor. Air tickets can be booked for 50 or 100 people on the same day. If you can't send all the workers in one go, you have to send twice." he said.
Submissions to send MOU workers via the Myawady-Maesot route have been temporarily suspended since December 19. At present, Htoh Kaw Koh-Kyaw Koh Road and Yangon-Kawthaung Ranong flight are being used to send MoU workers because New Asia Highway cannot be used for the time being.
Battles have been breaking out since December, 2023 at the Myawady-Kawkareik New Asia Road, a route where there was a main flow of goods at the Myanmar-Thailand border.
