Mae Sot, a Thai trading center on the border with Myanmar, has two very noticeable characteristics: It is prosperous, and it is full of refugees from Myanmar. In both ways, the town offers a striking contrast to my home in northeastern India, which also borders Myanmar, where official hostility to illegal immigrants is damaging both refugees and the local economy.
Arriving in Mae Sot for the first time recently I was struck by its visible prosperity. The well-ordered streets are dotted with Burmese as well as Thai restaurants, and the town boasts a sprawling mall and high-rise buildings that testify to the rising value of its real estate.
