BANGKOK, Dec 11 – The fourth friendship bridge between Thailand and Laos will be officially inaugurated today.
HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand and Bounnhang Vorachit, vice president of the Lao PDR, will preside over the opening ceremony in Thailand’s northernmost province of Chiang Rai.
The bridge which links Chiang Kong on the Thai border with Huay Xai in Laos is part of the economic development under the North-South Economic Corridor, connecting Thailand and Laos with Kunming in southern China.
The three countries have their shares in the construction together with the Asian Development Bank. Thailand and China have equally allocated their budgets for the total construction cost at Bt1.57 billion (some US$48 million).
The Thai Highway Department was in charge of building the 11.6-km, four-lane bridge across the Mekong River.
Thailand and Laos have jointly developed their border provinces under the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) which also includes Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam.
The three other friendship bridges connect Nong Khai and Vientiane, Mukdaharn and Savannakhet, as well as Nakhon Phanom and Khammouane.
