The recent launching of cross-border passenger services on the China-Laos Railway on the occasion of the most important festival for Thailand and Laos has boosted the local tourism scene as it recovers from the pandemic.
Thailand’s northeast province of Nong Khai celebrated the Songkran festival with neighboring Laos across the Mekong River since cross-border passenger services of the China-Laos Railway began on Thursday (13 Apr).
Jiranun Sakultangphaisal, an advisor to the tourism association of Nong Khai, said many tourists would stay overnight in the Thai northeast province before traveling to the Laotian capital of Vientiane – some 20 km away.
Monnipa Kovitsirikul, Chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce for Nong Khai, said she hoped that Chinese tourists who arrive in Laos would travel further to tour Nong Khai and Thailand’s wider northeast region.
Monnipa said many business sectors in Nong Khai have benefited from the operation of the China-Laos Railway, which has increased employment and brought new opportunities for the local business community. She has also seen new investment from within Thailand into Nong Khai and stepped up efforts by the Thai government to upgrade local infrastructure.
The China-Laos Railway has also provided a major transport route for Thailand to access the vast Chinese market. In the past, the transport of goods between China, Laos and Thailand had to take longer due to poor road conditions. The China-Laos Railway has cut travel time down to around 10 hours, facilitating the transport of the goods such as fruits which require speedy delivery.
For Jiranun, the tourism association advisor, the China-Laos Railway is also a road of friendship that links Thailand, China and Laos even closer by increasing connectivity and people-to-people exchanges. She said more exchanges would facilitate greater understanding, which would in turn facilitate increased cooperation. (NNT)
