YANGON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's second border trade zone of Myawaddy opposite to neighboring Thailand will formally open later this month and preparations for the inauguration are underway, the local Voice journal reported Monday.

    The Myawaddy trade zone in southeastern Kayin state bordering Thailand's Maesot was established to push transformation of border trade into normal trade.

    The Myawaddy trade zone is to stand the second largest one of its kind in Myanmar after the Muse 105th Mile Border Trade Zone with China's Ruili in Yunnan province which opened in April last year.

    According to official statistics, Thailand stood as Myanmar's top trading partner during the fiscal year 2006-07 which ended in March with a bilateral trade volume of 2.659 billion U.S. dollars. The bilateral trade accounted for over 30 percent of Myanmar's total foreign trade which reached nearly 8 billion dollars in the year.

    Thailand also stood as Myanmar's largest exporting country with an export figure of 2.409 billion dollars during the year.

    The figures also show that the border trade volume between the two countries in 2006-07 amounted to 248 million dollars.

    Besides Myawaddy, Myanmar also trades with Thailand at Tachilek, Kawthoung and Meik (Free on Board) under the border trade system.

    In May this year, another Myanmar border trade zone of Maungtawin western Rakhine state linking Bangladesh formally opened to mainly export marine products to the neighbor, local reports said earlier.

    Besides, another trade zone of the same kind is being established in Tamu, northwestern Sagaing division bordering India.

    Myanmar has a total of 13 main border trade points with four neighboring countries -- China, Thailand, India and Bangladesh.