Cross-border power trade with Myanmar: barriers and their removal from the Thai's perspective

How can we remove barriers regarding the cross-border electric power trade between Myanmar and Thailand for the promotion of power integration? While Myanmar has traded electricity with China, the bilateral power trade with Thailand has made little progress. Taking some cases such as Dawei, through stakeholder meetings and focus group interviews, using the frameworks derived from a UN literature survey, we have identified the characteristics of distinctive barriers related to fuel types. While coal-fired power projects tend to experience more issues related to economic barriers, hydropower projects are likely to face social barriers, often interrelated with environmental issues. As both barriers are embedded within insufficient legal arrangements, legal technical assistances are crucially required.