Thailand plans strategies to connect with neighboring countries

BANGKOK, January 30 (TNA) - The Ministry of Interior plans strategies to connect 32 border Thai provinces with neighboring countries, in the lead-up to the ASEAN Community (AC), set to be formed by 2015. Thai Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan told journalists on Wednesday that the strategies also focuses on the connection at the local level, in which provincial governors, district chiefs and presidents of local administration organizations in the border provinces are to keep in touch with their counterparts in neighboring countries to facilitate the connection among member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The interior minister said in the future, Thailand will also propose to develop temporary border crossings to become permanent crossings and the closing hours of existing permanent border crossings to be extended from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily for mutual benefits with neighboring countries. According to the interior minister, the introduction of electronic ID cards by his ministry is considered necessary as well to tackle illegal immigration, when regional migration is liberalized under the AC. (TNA)