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Kayin State, Myanmar

Welcome to Kayin State

Karen (Kayin) StateKaren (Kayin) State of Myanmar is one of eleven provinces on the East-West Economic Corridor and the main city of the state on the EWEC road is Myawaddy, which is the border city opposite to Maesod of Tak Province of Thailand. Karen State has an area of 11,731 square miles and its population is estimated between 1.5 million to 3 millions. Majority of them are Karen ethnic nationalities while the rest are Bamar, Mon, Shan, Pa-O. The capital city of Karen State is Hpa-an and the major border towns include Myawaddy, and Three Pagodas Pass (Payathonsu). Forestry products are the main natural resources while agriculture is one of the major economies of the state.

Demographic Profile

Karen State has an area of 11,731 square miles and its population is estimated between 1.5 million to 3 millions. Majority of them are Karen ethnic nationalities while the rest are Bamar, Mon, Shan, Pa-O.

Economic Zones

  1. SEZ/IZ around Myawaddy‐Maesot
  2. To fill up the missing link of the EWEC
  3. To create job opportunities for Myanmar migrants in Thailand
  4. To create job opportunities for ethnic nationalities
  5. To develop the border area

Investment Opportunities

Karen State has a cultivated area of nearly 700,000 acres. The main crops cultivated are paddy, groundnut, sesame, tobacco, betel nut and sugar-cane. Other agriculture products include peas, beans, coffee, coconut, tea and fruits. There are also rubber plantations, which are mostly found in the southern part of the state. There are also over 10,000 acres of silted-land farms and over 5,000 acres of garden farms.

Natural Resources

More than half the area of the Karen State is covered with evergreen forests that produce valuable teak and pyinkado and other hard woods. Other natural resources are minerals such as iron, lead, coal, copper, tin, antimony and tungsten.

Why invest in Kayin State

Karen State has two main border trade towns – Myawaddy which is opposite to Mae Sot of Thailand and Three Pagodas Pass (Payathonsu), opposite Sangkhla Buri. Through these border trade points, agriculture products and seafood products are exported to Thailand and other ASEAN countries while machinery, electronics and other consumer goods are imported. Major trading companies in these areas include Apex World International Co., Ltd and Mod Thoe Thoe Linn Co., Ltd. Myawaddy Border Trade Chamber of Commerce is an active trade association that has a significant network of Myanmar traders.