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Laos and Thailand are considering the construction of one more
friendship bridge to connect the two countries in a move that would link
Vientiane Province and Loei.
The governor of Vientiane Province, Mr. Khamphan Sithidampha told
reporters on August 16 that Vientiane provincial authorities had
proposed the project to the government for its consideration.
“We are conducting a study on the location of the bridge, to decide
whether it should be in Sanakham or Meun district,” Mr. Khamphan, as
quoted by Vientiane Times.
It is unclear when the construction of the bridge would begin.
The first friendship bridge to connect the two nations was built in 1994, with help from the Australian government.
Since then, the two governments have constructed a total of four
Lao-Thai bridges across the Mekong River and have signed an agreement to
build another bridge linking Borikhamxay province with the Thai
province of Bueng Kan.
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Mr. Khamphan said the construction of the bridge and the upgrade of
border crossings between Vientiane province and Loei Province would
provide a significant boost for domestic and foreign investment.
Laos and Thailand have beefed up their efforts to improve connectivity between two nations in recent years.
The first freight train service to and from Laos was launched
in early August, which will carry cargo from a container yard at
Thanaleng Railway Station in Vientiane, Laos, to as far as the Laem
Chaban seaport in Thailand.
Trains to and from Vientiane used to be only able to carry passengers
only across the 3.5km track, while freight was carried across the
border to Nong Khai by truck.
Meanwhile, Thailand is preparing to launch
the country’s first bullet train that will run between Bangkok and
Beijing, China, with Laos as one of the intermediate stations.
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In particular, the first route, a Thai-Sino project linking Bangkok and Nong Khai in the far Northeast, is currently under construction and is scheduled to be completed by 2023.
In July, Laos and Thailand also signed an agreement to extend road and rail connections between the two countries worth more than THB 3 billion (USD 98.2 million).
Under the agreement, the two countries plan to improve the R11 road
linking the Phudu border checkpoint in Uttaradit province in Northern
Thailand with the Lao capital, Vientiane.
The two-lane road will be
paved with asphalt and will cost about THB 1.8 billion (USD 59 million).
Source - The Laotian Times
