Tourism and trade
between Laos and Thailand have seen a lot of positive changes since the opening
of the third Friendship Bridge in November last year.
The approach to the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge linking Khammuan
province with Thailand's Nakhon Phanom province across the Mekong River.
The bridge connects Veun Tai village in Thakhek district, Khammuan
province, to Hom village in Meuang district of Thailand's Nakhon Phanom
province across the Mekong River.
Lao Deputy Office Head of Khammuan province Vannavong Vongphachanh told
Vientiane Times on Friday that use of the bridge had exceeded the expectations
of local authorities.
In January alone, more than 3,100 vehicles crossed the bridge, up 17.6
percent compared to December.
The majority of the vehicles were trucks carrying goods between
Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, while the rest were private vehicles and public
transport.
Laos and Thailand jointly run eight buses a day between Thakhek and
Meuang.
Before the bridge opened, an average of only 540 vehicles crossed the
Mekong River each month on ferries, including goods trucks.
Vannavong, who is also hea d of the bridge immigration checkpoint, said
that about 15,000 people crossed the bridge in January, a 15 percent increase
on the previous month.
"On the weekend, a number of Thai buses take tourists to visit
Vietnam via Laos,” he explained. “They also visit some places here including
Buddha Cave, the amazing 7.5 km Kong Lor Cave and various eco-tourism
activities in the Nakai protected area.”
Vannavong said that whil e he didn't yet have a concrete figure for
February, he predicted that an even higher number of people would have crossed
the bridge because Laos and Thailand observed the Sikhottabong and That Phanom
festivals in that month. Last year, about 300,000 tourists visited Khammuan
province and this figure is expected to increase by more than 20 per cent this
year.
On February 20, authorities from Khammuan and Nakhon Phanom provinces
met to discuss aspects of their cooperation, agreeing to extend the opening
hours of the bridge from 6am-6pm to 6am-10pm, in line with the other Lao-Thai
Friendship Bridges in Vientiane and Savannakhet province.
"We are in the process of sending a proposal to the government to
extend the opening hours of the bridge to facilitate business activities and
tourism between Laos and Thailand,” he said.
W ork on the third Friendship Bridge began in May 2009, funded by the
Thai government at a cost of more than 1.7 billion baht. The bridge spans 78 0m
across the Mekong River.
The bridge provides the shortest route for exporters trucking goods to
the central seaports of Vietnam from the six northern provinces of Thailand,
while also promoting trade, investment and tourism in Laos.
There are two other Lao-Thai Friendship Bridges across the Mekong. The
first connects Vientiane with Nong Khai province in Thailand and the second
connects Savannaket province in Laos with Mukdahan province in Thailand.
Meanwhile, a fourth bridge is under construction to connect Bokeo
province in Laos with Chiang Rai province in Thailand.
Somsack Pongkhao
Vientiane Times
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