Friendship Bridge Number 1 between Myawaddy in Myanmar and Mae Sot in Thailand opened again on 12 January after being closed for nearly three years.

The bridge was closed in February 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and this was the first time the border crossing had opened since then.

For more than a year there had been rumours about the bridge re-opening that came to nothing, until now.

The Myawaddy District Administrator attended the 12 January opening ceremony from Myanmar as did the Tak Province Administrator from Thailand. They were accompanied by officials form both countries.

When the bridge officially reopened at 9:00 a.m there were many people waiting to cross from both sides.

Apparently both sides had been cleaning and preparing the bridge since early January in readiness for this opening.

While the bridge was closed people could not cross between the countries. Many Myanmar migrant workers who had wanted to return home had been stuck in Mae Sot because of the bridge closure.

The nearby Friendship Bridge Number 2 was open, but that only allowed trucks and cargo through, not foot passengers.

Friendship Bridge Number 1 will be open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.