Fourth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge to be opened Dec 11

CHIANG RAI, THAILAND, December 6 (TNA) - The Fourth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, linking Chiang Khong District of Thailand's northern Chiang Rai Province with Huay Xai, the capital of Laos' Bokeo Province, will be opened for cross-border public transport on December 11, 2013. Thailand's Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will preside over the official opening ceremony of the over 12-billion-baht new Thai-Lao friendship bridge. The three-year-construction bridge is part of the shortest R3A regional land route, connecting Thai border areas with those of China through neighbouring Laos. Meanwhile, Chiang Khong's customs officials led a team of workers to clean up and decorate their border checkpoint on Friday morning in preparation for the official opening of the Fourth Thai-Lao Friendship, set on next Wednesday as jointly agreed by China, Laos and Thailand. According to the Thai customs officials, border trade through the Fourth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, after it is officially opened, is expected to grow to at least 17 billion baht by 2015, when the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is also scheduled to be formed. In 2012, the value of border trade through the Chiang Khong customs checkpoint stood at about 12.5 billion baht and it is likely to then exceed 13.6 billion baht this year, a 8.93 per cent year-on-year increase. (TNA)