Vietnam and Thailand on June 11 introduced a formal exchange of traffic rights and a regional customs transit system between the two countries and Laos.
Accordingly, commercial trucks from Vietnam and Thailand will be able to enter each other’s territory to deliver or collect goods, which will reduce overland transport time dramatically and boost trade and economic development.
Overland shipments between Vietnam and Thailand along the East West Economic Corridor, which runs from Danang in Vietnam through to Savannakhet in Laos and then into Thailand, can now proceed directly to their final destination. Those shipments previously needed to be unloaded and re-loaded in Laotian territory.
The Asian Development Bank issued a press release in Manila, the Philippines, on June 11, saying that 1,200 commercial vehicles - 400 from each country - have initially been given permits to enter each other’s countries.
“You can now set out from Thailand, do business in Laos and arrive in time for dinner in Danang - all in the space of a single day,” says Arjun Thapan, Director General of ADB’s Southeast Asian Department. (VOV News 12/06/09)
This is good news to both Laos and foreign visitors/ investors. This will help ease travel and transport of goods. This will open doors to Laos towards economic growth.
dee dee!! i hope the road is not muddy or desty in Laos so that the local won't complain about the pollution.
Lao can open small business along the road to attract the truck drivers, Beerlao, grilled chicken and fish so on will be choices for truck drivers. please forget about open hooker shop along the road, i knew , some group of girl would open small shop.
forget about no ways out to sea, let's open the factory in laos such as garment and toys ....so that we can ship to EU and Us . i predict china will not be top suppliers in the world. so ASEAN will take a place and become the leading of suppliers in the world. Laos and cambodia and vietnam ,thailand will take the advantage due to low labour. so if you have some $$ and ability, please come to laos and open the factory trade to EU and US, JP.... NOW WE HAVE TRUCK TO SEND YOUR GOODS AT ANY PORT OF VIETNAM OR THAILAND.... AGREE '?
People in the old American West thought when the rail road coming to their town they will going to be prospered. Little did they know the train only stop to pick up the pople and drop them off. There was anything prosper about it. Infact many small towns became a ghost town because of it. These road will only benefit Thailand and Vietnam. If Laos government want to get rich from this they need to put a toll and make these truck pay a heavy fee.
Only if Lao will develop something that will attract or make people get off that train will make the railway advantageous to lao and its people. It would be a good idea to put commercial stores, world class restaurants, bars, resorts, river cruise, and hotels along or near d train stations, while promoting natural attractions (ex. Water falls) and local culture.