Thai Factories to Move to Low-wage Burma

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Manufacturers based in southern Thailand’s Ranong Province are planning to shift their operations to neighboring Burma following an increase in Thailand’s minimum wage that came into effect on Jan. 1, according to the Thai News Agency. On Sunday, the Ranong Industries Federation said that its members  were seeking to shift to Burma because of shortages of raw materials and high wages in Thailand, where the minimum wage is now 300 baht (around US $10) per day. The Ranong Chamber of Commerce also said that it hopes to set up a free market zone on the borer between the two countries.