Since May 25, a suspension of most passenger and cargo vehicles has ensued due to damage to several jungle routes, notably Htaw Kaw Koe Road, linking to Myawaddy Township along the Thailand-Myanmar border, local motorists said.

The advent of the rainy season in the third week of May has triggered landslides and the accumulation of heavy mud, resulting in damage to Htaw Kaw Koe Road, Kyat Oo Taung Road,

and the 1018 Road, all connected to Myawaddy, traversing through dense forest regions.

According to a driver of the Yangon-Myawaddy-Mae Sot passenger bus, the cessation of operations was prompted by a series of accidents, resulting in damage to goods, trucks, and injuries to passengers.

"When the roads are in such poor condition, it causes serious damage to vehicles. Journeys get delayed when cars battle through puddles. It takes around 3 days to cross the Daw Na Mountain Range, hence 4 days for the trip between Yangon and Myawaddy. Htaw Kaw Koe Road was also badly damaged. One of my friends had a truck accident there. Any mishap here means hefty losses”, he said.

Damaged roads from inclement weather can lead to damage to transported goods, and the surge in the THB exchange rate has resulted in increased prices of goods since the suspension of imports, according to those involved in border trade.

Apart from the devastation of the jungle roads, the collapse of two bridges in Mon State in May has exacerbated travel disruptions and impeded the flow of goods in the region, contributing to fuel shortages.

The Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army - Peace Council (KNU/KNLA-PC) dismissed rumors on May 28 that suggested the Htaw Kaw Koe Road had been closed to traffic. Instead, it clarified that the road itself was too damaged for use.

Currently, challenging trade routes and a soaring foreign exchange rate, driven by the plummeting value of MMK, are causing a rapid surge in commodity prices in Myanmar.