Thailand, Laos to open more cross-border bus routes

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND, August 8 (TNA) - Thailand and Lao PDR plan to open more cross-border bus routes over the next two years to become a model of expanding transport networks in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the lead-up to the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015. Thailand's Land Transport Department chief Somchai Siriwattanachok and his Lao counterpart, Viengsawat Sipandon, announced the update on the Thai-Lao cooperation on cross-border land transport at a joint press conference in Thailand's northern Chiang Mai province on Tuesday, during which both sides also expressed their satisfaction with overall results of the operation of their cross-border bus services on first nine-routes over the past year. According to the Thai and Lao land transport authorities, two new cross-border bus routes connecting both countries' capitals, Bangkok and Vientiane, as well as Bangkok and Ubon Ratchathani in the Thai Northeast with Pakse in Laos will be launched by the end of this year. The Thai and Lao authorities said that both countries also plan to open one more cross-border bus route next year linking Thailand's Chiang Khong and Chiang Rai and Laos' Bokaew area with the new bus services to be installed with closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras without any fare hike, after the construction of the new Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge is complete. (TNA)