But with the first leg of the India-Myanmar-Thailand highway being thrown open to public, it is just a matter of time before you can!
If you haven’t heard yet, the folks in the Indian, Burmese and Thai governments have been planning a road that connects the three countries since 2012.This is what the road will look like:
We’ll let that sink in for a moment there.
While you’re still wrapping your head around the total awesomeness of having a single highway connecting the three Asian countries, a 25.6 km-long stretch of the highway has already become operational!
The stretch is part of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway that will connect Moreh in India’s northeastern state of Manipur to Mae Sot in western Thailand.
Once completed, the highway will be 3200 km long and will enhance region co-operation between the South Asia and South-East Asia.
The part that became operational as of this Sunday is the Myawaddy-Thinggan Neynaung-Kawkareik stretch and was inaugurated by U Nyan Tun, Myanmar’s vice president , Somkid Jatusripitak, the Thai deputy prime minister and Saw Mutu Sae Po, chairman of the Kayin National Union General.
Thanks to the Myawaddy-Thinggan Neynaung-Kawkareik highway, the travel time between Thinggan Nyenaung and Kawkareik has been reduced from three hours to 45 minutes!
A cornerstone has also been laid at Myawaddy on Sunday for the building of the Myanmar-Thailand Friendship Bridge No.2 linking Thailand’s Mae Sot to Myanmar’s Myawaddy.
Now, the encouraging news is that the folks at the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways in India have put the India leg of the highway on top priority thanks to some, ahem, nudging by the prime minister.
How long before the Enfield-wallahs ditch the Leh-Ladakh ride for this spanking new road? We’re dying to find out!
