wednesday (20/02/2008) : friendship bridge closed !!!!!!!!!!

Post by **cookie** » February 19, 2008, 9:51 am

Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge to close on Wednesday

Vientiane Times Publication Date: 18-02-2008

Authorities will temporarily close the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge between Vientiane and Thailand 's Nong Khai province on February 20 to enable essential work to go ahead on the country's first railway link.

According to a notice from the Lao-Thai immigration border checkpoint last week, the bridge will be closed from 17:45 to 19:00.

The notice was issued to alert government bodies, foreign embassies, international organisations, businesspeople, travellers and foreign residents in Laos to the closure.

According to the Lao Railway Authority last week, construction on the 3.5-km rail link from Nong Khai to Dongphosy village in Vientiane through the Friendship Bridge is now 80 percent complete.

Deputy Head of the authority Sonesack N. Ngansana said that if the project continues to be on schedule, it will be finished in April this year.

The remaining work includes welding the sections of track together, laying stones under the railway and building the station.

Officials said Laos did not yet have a train of its own; to start with only Thai trains would carry goods and passengers into and out of Laos .

A Japanese businessman has expressed interest in negotiating the purchase of a train from Thailand for Laos, but discussions with the Thai authorities have not yet reached an agreement.

Sonesack said the railway authorities of Laos and Thailand expected to hold a meeting to discuss services between Laos and Thailand based on an agreement for daily railway transport in cooperation with customs officials from both countries for the inspection of goods.

The railway is a priority of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport in promoting trade, investment and tourism with other countries, as well as integrating the landlocked country within the region.

A survey of the second phase of the railway, connecting Dongphosy train station in Hadxaifong district to the planned station in Khamsavat village, Xaysettha district, is now 20 percent complete.

The survey will cost 246,565 euros (US$361,796), to be provided by the French Development Agency.

The inspection of goods leaving and entering Laos will take place at Dongphosy train station.

After the 9-km railway link, the authority plans to build another station in the Km 21 area, to connect with the railway running from Vietnam through Khammuan province.

The project is part of the plan to build a trans-Asia railway network, with routes connecting member countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations

Post by **rickfarang** » February 19, 2008, 11:11 am

I'm gals to see the railway link being worked on. Maybe this will be useful for visa runners from Bangkok. Of course, it might also cut into the businesses of the over-priced tuk-tuks that carry people from the bridge to Vientiane. It might also hurt a lot of the businesses in Nong Khai, such as hotels, guest houses, and restaurants, that depend on travelers who overnight in Nong Khai on their way to and from Laos.

Perhaps underscoring the spontaneous nature of Thais, they gave two days warning. Now's that's not quite enough time for people to change their travel and shipping plans. Oh, well....

Post by **BKKSTAN** » February 19, 2008, 11:30 am

It is only closed for a few hours!

Post by **aznyron** » February 19, 2008, 11:51 am

cookie if I am reading it correctly the future R/R plans are to link Lao Vietnam & thailand together by rail that would be good since the Thai R/R go to Malaysia (Penang)

Post by **rickfarang** » February 19, 2008, 8:50 pm

BKKSTAN wrote:It is only closed for a few hours!

Thanks, Stan.
I have to learn to read more carefully.

Post by **beer monkey** » February 19, 2008, 9:49 pm

In fact only 1hr and 15mins or a mere 75 minutes in total according to the notice.

Post by **alby** » February 19, 2008, 10:38 pm

where is the notice?

Post by **beer monkey** » February 19, 2008, 10:41 pm

alby wrote:where is the notice?

Cookies post wrote:According to a notice from the Lao-Thai immigration border checkpoint last week, the bridge will be closed from 17:45 to 19:00.

Post by **cookie** » February 25, 2008, 1:31 pm

Laos, Thailand discuss future cooperation

Lao and Thai delegations led by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos, Dr Thongloun Sisoulith, and his Thai counterpart, Mr Noppadon Pattama, met in Vientiane on Friday to review their bilateral relationship.

Mr Noppadon's official visit to Laos from February 21-22 was in response to an invitation from Dr Thongloun, according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos Dr Thongloun Sisoulith ( right ) greets his Thai counterpart, Mr Noppadon Pattama.

The bilateral meeting was held at the Lao Plaza Hotel after an official welcoming ceremony on Friday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following the arrival of the Thai delegation on Thursday.

The objective of the visit was to enhance and strengthen the sound relations and cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides emphasised their long-standing friendly relations as neighbours, noting that the two countries have continually improved and enhanced their good relations and cooperation in politics, security, economics, trade, tourism and culture.

During the talks, both sides reviewed the achievements and progress of previous relations and cooperation, particularly in the area of trade.

In addition, visits between the peoples of both countries had increased, it was noted, particularly since the completion of the second Mekong Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge linking Savannakhet province, Laos , and Mukdahane province, Thailand , in December 2006.

In addition, the railway link between Vientiane and Nong Khai province, Thailand , was completed last week.

The press release also said that the Thai side intended to encourage more Thai investors to do business in Laos .

Both sides praised the historic achievement of the Lao-Thai and Thai-Lao Border Demarcation Committees in demarcating 17 out of 37 points over the last two years.

They reconfirmed their intention to complete the remaining 7 percent of land border demarcation, expected to be finished this year.

The aquatic border demarcation is scheduled for completion in 2010 in accordance with the agreement made at a meeting of the Lao-Thai and Thai-Lao Cooperation Commission held in 2007 in Luang Prabang province, Laos .

The two sides confirmed they would encourage all mechanisms needed to facilitate effective bilateral cooperation, discussions and means to tackle issues such as the illegal migration of Lao labourers and Hmong groups to Thailand , as well as cooperation in dealing with drug issues, in accordance with the requirements of the two governments.

During their visit to Laos , the Thai delegation also paid a courtesy visit to the Lao President, Mr Choummaly Sayasone, at the Presidential Palace, and the Lao Prime Minister, Mr Bouasone Bouphavanh, at the Prime Minister's Office.

By vientiane times
(Latest Update February 25, 2008)

Post by **stattointhailand** » March 4, 2008, 10:51 pm

Strikes me that it would be a good idea to get an old steam engine to do the run ..... it's only a few Km, and would make a good tourist attraction. Rail "gricers" will travel all over the world to "do" a new bit of track, or a new engine !!