Senior officials from Laos, Thailand and Australia celebrate the 30th anniversary of the opening of the first bridge linking Laos and Thailand across the Mekong River.

Laos, Thailand, Australia celebrate anniversary of historic Mekong bridge

Representatives of Laos, Thailand and Australia gathered on Sunday to celebrate the construction of the First Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge, whose opening in April 1994 served to build enduring bonds of friendship between the three countries.
The Government of Australia funded the construction of the bridge, which links Vientiane and Nong Khai province across the Mekong River, recognising the great need for improved connectivity between the neighbouring countries.

Mr Saleumxay Kommasith (left), Mr Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Ms Robyn Mudie celebrate the 30th anniversary of the opening of the first Lao-Thai friendship bridge.

The bridge was a landmark in enhancing the ties between Laos and Thailand by creating the first road link across the Mekong. Up until that time, people could only cross the river in small boats.
For the past 30 years, the bridge has played an important role in promoting transport, trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people links between Laos and Thailand and across the region.
The 30th anniversary celebration took place in the middle of the bridge and included almsgiving to monks, when both Lao and Thai Buddhist monks bestowed blessings on the bridge.
High-ranking government officials attended the ceremony, led by Laos’ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith and his Thai counterpart Mr Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara.
The Government of Australia was represented by the First Assistant Secretary, Southeast Asia Regional and Mainland Division at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra, Robyn Mudie.
Ms Mudie observed that the bridge has provided greater access to both Laos and Thailand, and contributed to the region’s economic and social development.
Also speaking at the ceremony, Mr Saleumxay said the bridge meets the needs of Laos and Thailand in terms of the growing trend for development cooperation in the region, especially with regard to improved connectivity.
“The First Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge is also an important historical symbol of the cooperation between the governments of Laos, Thailand and Australia,” he added. The bridge paved the way for the construction of other bridges linking Laos and Thailand across the Mekong River, which were named the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Lao-Thai Friendship Bridges, while a fifth is under construction and scheduled for completion at the end of this year. The Vientiane-Nong Khai bridge has spurred the integration of transport systems, trade, investment, and tourism, enabling swift travel between the two countries and beyond.
From 1994 to 2023, more than 80 million passengers and 11 million vehicles crossed the 1st Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge. Mr Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara also stressed the importance of the bridge in forging stronger links between Thailand and Laos, saying that it facilitates integration of the Lao and Thai economies and border trade, and stimulates investment between the two countries.
The bridge has become the largest goods transport route in terms of value, accounting for almost 35 percent of all border trade between Thailand and Laos.
In 2023, the value of trade between Thailand and Laos through the bridge was over 57 trillion kip.
In 2023, about 1.8 million Lao citizens crossed the bridge to enter Thailand, while 1.2 million Thai nationals entered Laos across the bridge.
The bridge has supported Laos’ ambition to transform from a land-locked to a land-linked country and was also an important early step in the building of the ASEAN Community.
Australia was proud to support the feasibility studies, design and construction of the bridge between 1991 and 1994, Ms Mudie said.

By Keoviengkhone Bounviseth
 (Latest Update April 22, 2024)