Opened the friendship bridge over the Mekong River!

A bridge linking the Mekong River’s Khong island to mainland Champassak province in Laos was officially opened, earlier this week.

It should help to boost trade and tourism in the far southern corner of Laos, by making it easier to transfer from the large Mekong River island to the rest of the province, without needing to use ferries.

The Lao News Agency reported the 718-metre long bridge, which was largely funded by the Chinese government, will enable inhabitants of the 10 villages on Khong Island (Khong district) to connect with the rest of the province that borders the river bank.

Visitors to the island, which is a popular tourist spot, can transfer by bus rather than using small ferries.

Public Works and Transport Minister, Dr Bounchan Sinthavong, was quoted as saying that Chinese financial support was very important to develop the province’s economy.

“The bridge will make travel to and from the island much easier. It will significantly contribute to greater socio-economic development, trade, investment, and tourism in the southern region.”

Built at a cost of more than USD34.12 million, 95% of the financing was provided by a long-term, low interest loan from China’s Export-Import Bank (Exim Bank). The remaining 5%, amounting to USD1.7 million, was provided by the Lao government. The bridge, which is 11 metres wide, took 34 months to complete.

Champassak is a province in southwestern Laos, and shares borders with Thailand and Cambodia. Freshwater dolphins and the province’s many waterfalls are the main tourist attractions.

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Laos - from a landlocked to a landlinked country

Landlocked Laos is fast turning into land-linked after the newest bridge over the Mekong River separating the country from Thailand opened last month and plans for railway links begin to take shape.

The director general marketing, Saly Phimphinith, said the newest Mekong River Bridge linking Chiang Rai province in Thailand and Huay Xai in Laos would accelerate tourism growth in Northern provinces bringing more tourists from China and Thailand.

The road bridge opened in mid-December 2013 linking highways in Chiang Rai province with the R3A route north to Luang Namtha, and Yunnan province in China.

Already there is a steady stream of container trucks plying the R3A route to transport Chinese exports from Kunming to northern Laos and all the way to the Laem Chabang seaport on the Gulf of Thailand.

Tourism is expanding, too, with Chinese bus tours from Yunnan and private cars visiting Laos and North Thailand.

The deputy director also noted that an agreement had been reached with China to build a rail line from Luang Namtha, in the far north of Laos, all the way to the Vientiane and the border with Thailand via the World Heritage town of Luang Prabang.

It would merge with rail lines in China to Kunming and would eventually be part of a high-speed rail network covering Thailand south to Malaysia.

Malaysia investors recently agreed to build a 220 km rail line from Savannakhet in central Laos to the border with Vietnam where it would merge with Vietnam’s rail system to coastal towns in the central region including Danang.

In the west the line would end at the Mekong River border town of Savannakhet that faces the Thai town of Mukdahan. Cost of the project is estimated at M$5 billion and will not be completed until 2020. The Lao PDR government has already approved a plan to expand the airport at Vientiane with a new international terminal. A new terminal at Luang Prabang, the country’s most popular destination, was completed last year.

Laos attracted an estimated 3.7 million tourists, last year, of which 91% came from Asia. The top market was Thailand, followed by Vietnam, China, South Korea and the United States.

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Bus route linking Thailand & Laos via the new Friendship Bridge

The Transport Co Ltd, under the Ministry of Transport, introduced its 11th bus route linking Thailand and Laos via the Fourth Mekong Friendship Bridge in Chiang Rai province.

Transport Minister, Chadchart Sittipunt, said the new bus service was approved recently by Thailand’s Ministry of Transport and the Lao PDR Department of Public Works and Transport.

“The new Chiang Rai-Chaing Khong-Bokeo bus route crosses the 4th Mekong Bridge connecting Chiang Rai and Huay Xai in Bokeo province in Laos making it more convenient to travel between the two provinces.”

The minister added: “The service is also in line with the ASEAN Economic Community policy to build cooperation between Thailand and neighbouring coutries as well as other countries in the region.”

The Transport Company Limited president, Wuthichart Kalyanamitra, said the 11th bus route Chiang Rai-Chaing Khong-Bokeo uses second-class air-conditioned buses with 46 seats offering four to eight trips daily. The two countries operate three buses each on the route.

The one-way fare from Chaing Rai to Bokeo is Bt220 (55,000 Kip) and from Chiang Khong to Bokeo Bt30 (7,500 Kip).

The bus route ends at the Bokeo bus station. It covers  a distance of 166 km and take four hours to complete the trip between Chiang Rai and Bokeo. The service starts at Chiang Rai’s second terminal which is on the main highway 1 about 5 km from the town centre.

There is also a bus transfer across the bridge at least four times daily with a fare of Bt20 per person (5,000 Kip). Travel across the bridge is limited to motorised traffic. Cycles are not allowed, they have to be transported across the bridge on the bus which is very inconvenient for tourists who use the route to cycle to Luang Prabang.

None of the Friendship bridges allow cycles despite them being a very environmentally way to travel and popular with tourists who want to tour the Mekong Region at a leisurely pace. Motor cycles are allowed and cycle enthusiasts will argue that should have opened the way for cycles.

The 10 bus routes are: Nong Khai-Vientiane; Udon Thani-Vientiane; Ubon Ratchathani-Pakse; Mukdaharn-Savannakhet; Khon Kaen-Vientiane; Nakhon Ratchasima-Vientiane; Nakhon Phanom-Khammouane; Bangkok-Vientiane; Udon Thani-Nong Khai-Vang Vieng; and Bangkok-Pakse.

The Fourth Mekong Friendship Bridge connecting Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai province, Thailand and Huay Xai in Bokeo province, Laos opened on 11 December.

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