The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) has developed five border areas into a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to promote trade and investment in the ASEAN Economic Community, scheduled to be formed in 2015.

IEAT Governor Verapong Chaiperm said that his agency will primarily develop the zone in border areas in order to strengthen economic stability, facilitate the sale of products across frontiers, and organise migrant workers in five provinces including Tak, Mukdahan, Sakaeo, Trat, and Songkhla, before extending to seven more areas in the next few years.

He added that the SEZ will not only be developed in border areas but also include huge communities which have a bearing on the country's economic development.-VNA