Thailand and Myanmar are starting to reopen border crossings to travelers. The checkpoints were closed for nearly three years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Officials from the countries gathered for a ceremony marking the reopening of the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge on Monday.

The bridge links Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand with Tachileik township in eastern Myanmar. It is one of the main nodes for trade between the countries and had been closed since March 2020.

Another major checkpoint was opened to travelers in January. This came after months of delays.

Both reopenings were postponed repeatedly due to concerns about security in Myanmar. The situation in the border regions of the country has been unstable since the military coup in February 2021. Some of the areas are home to ethnic minority militias that are fighting the junta forces.