By: BurmaNet News
The first lot of 620 teak logs worth $2.5 million from Tachilek has arrived at Chiangrai’s Chiangsaen port of entry along the Mekong, reported the Thai-language Manager online yesterday.

They were purchased by the Siva company’s Arnond Markmasilp “Sia Ar”, a former associate of Saengsanit Chaisri, better known as Kamnan Daeng, a local supremo who was killed by a sniper during the 2001 Thai-Burma border confrontation.

He is expecting another lot of 1,300 teak logs in the coming weeks, reports the paper.

Thailand has banned import of teakwood from Burma through Maesod following the ‘Salween teak’ scandal a few years ago, but it has never placed restrictions on imports through other provinces. On the contrary, it was Burma that had banned exports of timber through Chiangrai.