Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – On Thursday, the fifth Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge, spanning the Mekong River, officially opened to traffic. This cross-border bridge, connecting Paksan District in Boeung Kan Province, Laos, and Bueng Kan Province, Thailand, marks a new stage in Lao-Thai bilateral cooperation, significantly enhancing regional connectivity and injecting strong momentum into cross-border trade, investment, and tourism development. The opening ceremony was solemnly held at the bridgehead.
Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith and his wife Naresuan Sisoulith, Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn Prawit Wongsuwan and Queen Suthida Pracharathi Prawit Wongsuwan attended the ceremony. Prime Ministers, senior ministers, heads of various departments, and more than 500 distinguished guests from both countries witnessed this historic moment.
At the ceremony, Lao Prime Minister Somsay Siphandone and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Chanvirakul delivered speeches, highlighting the successful completion of the project and emphasizing that the bridge construction embodies the deep historical cooperation between the two countries and reflects the shared aspirations of their governments and peoples. The two prime ministers pointed out that the bridge will become a key hub for Laos' integration into the regional East-West Economic Corridor, significantly improving cross-border transportation and logistics efficiency, and promoting the coordinated development of trade and tourism between the two countries and surrounding regions, generating broad socio-economic benefits at the local and regional levels.
It is worth mentioning that the completion of the fifth Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge coincides with the upcoming 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries later this month, becoming an important symbol witnessing the long-standing friendship, good neighborly relations, and deepening strategic partnership between Laos and Thailand. After the speeches, Thongloun Sisoulith and Maha Vajiralongkorn jointly pressed the ceremony button to unveil the commemorative plaque and ownership mark for the bridge. They then visited a photo and video exhibition documenting the bridge's construction and took photos together.
It is understood that the feasibility study and detailed design work for the bridge project were completed between 2012 and 2014. On June 14, 2019, the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Thai Ministry of Transport signed a construction agreement. Thailand commenced construction on June 30, 2020, while Laos started construction on January 4, 2021. The concrete closure and the signing of the ownership, management, and maintenance agreement were completed on June 6, 2025. The bridge is 1350 meters long, directly connecting Laos Highway 13 and Thailand Highway 244, and is equipped with an advanced structural health monitoring system to ensure long-term safety and durability.
As the fifth bridge connecting Laos and Thailand across the Mekong River, the previous four bridges connect Vientiane-Nong Khai, Savannakhet-Mottahan, Khammouane-Nakhon Phanom, and Huay Xai-Chiang Khong. The opening of the fifth Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge further improves the cross-border transportation network between the two countries and lays a solid foundation for deepening regional cooperation.
