Thai-Lao cross border bus service inaugurated

BANGKOK, November 9 (TNA) - The Transport Co., Ltd., under the Thai Ministry of Transport, has launched a new cross-border bus service, linking Thailand's northern Nan Province with Lao PDR's northern Xayaburi and Luang Prabang Provinces as of November 9, 2017. The company's managing director, Jirasak Yaowatchasakul, told journalists that Thursday's inaugural 373-kilometer-trip on the Nan-Xayaburi and Luang Prabang route is his company's 15th cross-border bus route. Jirasak said his company has cooperated with Lao PDR's Naluang Company, which operates cross-border transport and tourism services, to jointly run the Nan-Xayaburi-Luang Prabang route to facilitate and promote cross-border communication and tourism for people of the both ASEAN neighboring countries to be in line with a main objective of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). According to the Transport Co., Ltd. top executive, the cross-border bus service also complies with the Thai government's policy on developing Thailand to become a regional transport networking hub and gateway for economic cooperation among Asian economies in the future. The company's top executive revealed that 21-seat mini buses are used to operate the 8.30-hour-Nan-Xayaburi-Luang Prabang route and vice versa, priced 660 baht per head for each trip and starting from 8am. The Transport Co., Ltd. top executive noted that, like the requirements of his company's other 14 cross-border routes between Thailand and Lao PDR and Thailand and Cambodia, passengers of the new Nan-Xayaburi-Luang Prabang route must each ride no farther than 80 kilometers and have either passport or temporary border pass with them. (TNA)