Bridges connecting Laos to Thailand and Vietnam to boost tourism and connectivity

This story marks the Laos-Vietnam Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022 and celebrates the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Laos-Vietnam Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation.

Two new Lao-Thai Friendship Bridges will help boost connectivity for trade, investment and tourism with parts of Vietnam and the entire region.
The tourism sector in Laos, Vietnam and Thailand is witnessing a revival, with travellers returning after countries in the region eased Covid-19-related restrictions.
Laos will be connected to Thailand by two new bridges across the Mekong river over the next few years. There are currently four bridges across the Mekong connecting the two neighbouring countries.

The Lao Bao border gate between Vietnam and Laos in Savannakhet province. --Photo VNS

The first bridge connects Vientiane to Thailand’s Nong Khai province, and the second connects Savannakhet province to Mukdahan province in Thailand.
The third connects Khammuan province with Thailand’s Nakhon Phanom, and the fourth links Bokeo province in northern Laos with Chiang Rai province.
Construction of the fifth bridge – which will link Borikhamxay province and Thailand’s Bueng Kan province – has begun. Work on the sixth bridge is set to begin in 2023, and it is expected to be completed in 2025. This 1.02-km bridge will connect Road No 13 South in Nakhonpheng district of Saravan province in southern Laos to Highway 2112 in Na Tan district of Ubon Ratchathani province in northeast Thailand.
The sixth bridge will not only connect eastern Thailand to southern Laos, but will also create a link to central Vietnam and serve as an economic corridor for the whole region.
Construction of the fifth bridge is expected to be finished in 2024. It will also open up a new route between Thailand and several cities in Vietnam.
From Thailand’s Bueng Khan province, vehicles will have to travel 150 km to reach Nge An province in Vietnam via the Lao National Highway No 8 through Borikhamxay province. In Nge An, the route links up with roads to Hanoi, Danang and other key areas of Vietnam.
Once built, all the bridges between Laos and Thailand will boost border trade and investment and promote tourism between the two countries.
A Vientiane resident, Mr Douangphachan Louangnikhon, told Vientiane Times his family and some of his friends travelled to Da nang Vietnam in mid-June.
“We travelled by minibus through the Lao Bao border gate between Vietnam and Laos in Savannakhet province. Although the journey was tiring, it’s really worth it because Danang is very beautiful, including the sea shore,” he said.
According to Vietnam News, Thailand is in talks with Laos and Vietnam on opening bus routes connecting popular destinations of the three countries, according to the news website laotiantimes.com.
The website said the Thai government has approved expediting the negotiations to open a bus route connecting the three countries via route R12. This will link Nakhon Phanom in Thailand to Thakhaek in Laos and on to the central province of Ha Tinh in Vietnam.
The distance from Nakhon Phanom to Ha Tinh is about 300 km.
The Thai Ministry of Transport has said it is working to expedite the opening of the route, including asking Laos to host the second trilateral working group meeting as soon as possible to discuss the service model and make formal agreements.
The three cities on this route are key tourist attractions, with plenty of art and culture, temples, sacred sites, and natural wonders such as waterfalls, mountains and beaches.
This news has been met with enthusiasm by many Vietnamese tourists, since the planned bus service will offer a completely new experience compared to traditional car rides via land borders or air travel. But some people have expressed concern about comfort during such a long bus journey.
Ha Tinh is located in north-central Vietnam, surrounded by Nghe An province to the north, Quang Binh province in the south, Laos in the west, and the South China Sea to the east.
A new expressway is also being planned between the third Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge in Thakhaek district to the Vietnamese border in Khammuan province, for which a feasibility study is underway.

By Khonesavanh Lathsaphao
(Latest Update June 29, 2022)