Thailand, Laos and Australia celebrate three decades of the Thailand-Laos Friendship Bridge

24-04-24

Thailand, Laos, and Australia recently marked the 30th anniversary of the 1st Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, a pioneering infrastructure venture that has significantly bolstered regional peace, and facilitated enhanced travel, tourism, transportation, and trade between the two nations. This commemoration celebrates not only a critical physical link but underscores the bridge's role in fostering closer economic and social ties across the region.

Spanning 1,170 kilometers, the bridge was inaugurated on April 8, 1994, ahead of its schedule at a cost of $A42 million. The project covered construction expenses along with feasibility studies, design, and fabrication, and was entirely funded by the Australian government. The inauguration was a notable event attended by His Majesty the late King Rama IX the Great of Thailand, Laotian President Nouhak Poumsavanh, and Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating.

Historical documents from 1994, which have been carefully preserved, include various statements reflecting the long-term ambitions tied to this project. Dr. Neal Blewett, the then Australian Minister for Overseas Development, highlighted that the bridge would transcend the immediate economic and social needs of Laos and Thailand, heralding a new chapter in Indochina’s development.

Janet Holmes à Court, then Executive Chairman of Heytesbury Holdings, the parent company of John Holland Constructions Pty Ltd that constructed the bridge, addressed a Laos investment conference, emphasizing the symbolic importance of the bridge. She described it as not merely a physical structure but a significant signal to Asia about Australia's commitment to the continent's future.

Furthermore, Ellen Shipley, former Counsellor of Technical and Economic Cooperation at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok, remarked that the bridge was conceived as a gift promoting peace and regional development. She hoped it would inspire the creation of more bridges, both literal and metaphorical, fostering unity and cooperation.

Currently, the bridge stands as a vital entry point into Laos. In 2019, before the Covid pandemic, it facilitated the entry of 1,321,006 of the total 4,791,065 visitors to Laos, significantly more than those who entered through Vientiane's Wattay International Airport. The Thai Foreign Ministry has also noted that the bridge is crucial for cross-border trade, accounting for over 33% of the total border trade with Laos.

The 30th-anniversary celebrations, which began on April 21, 2024, were spearheaded by Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Panpree Bahiddha-Nukara. He co-hosted a lunch with his Laotian counterpart, Mr. Saleumxay Kommasith, and Ms. Robyn Mudie, First Assistant Secretary of the Southeast Asia Regional and Mainland Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Commonwealth of Australia. The event was attended by various ASEAN ambassadors, representatives from Timor-Leste, Dialogue Partners of ASEAN, and Bangkok-based diplomats, showcasing the tourism and economic potential of Nong Khai and its adjacent provinces.

Highlighting the strategic importance of the bridge in regional transportation and logistical connectivity, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted plans for a new railway bridge alongside the current one to handle anticipated future cross-border rail freight demands. This project is set to commence in 2026 and complete by 2029, including the development of multi-modal transshipment centers on both sides of the bridge. This initiative will further enhance the connection to Thailand’s future high-speed rail network extending from Bangkok to Nong Khai Province.