The fifth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, connecting Bueng Kan province in northeastern Thailand with Bolikhamxay province in Laos, is scheduled to open by the end of this year.
The project could expand cross-border trade between the two countries by at least 5% annually, while strengthening transport links across the Greater Mekong Subregion, advocates say.
Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, who presided over a concrete pouring ceremony at the bridge site on Friday, said the bridge would serve as a vital artery for trade and logistics between Thailand, Laos andVietnam.
The event was also attended by Lao Foreign Affairs Minister Saleumxay Kommasith and Thai Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri.
During the ceremony, both countries signed a bilateral agreement outlining the ownership, use, management and maintenance of the bridge.
The project is a key part of Thailand’s broader strategy to develop cross-border infrastructure that supports long-term economic growth and regional connectivity.
Mr Suriya said the bridge would enhance logistics capacity and reduce transport costs by linking Highway 222 in Bueng Kan to Route 13 in Pakxan district in Bolikhamxay.
This route forms part of a wider economic corridor stretching to Vietnamese deep-sea ports, enabling smoother trade flow and export access to global markets, he said.
Currently, border trade via Bueng Kan is valued at 28 billion baht yearly. With the opening of the bridge, annual trade volumes are expected to increase steadily, underpinned by an estimated 5% rise in cross-border traffic.
Mr Suriya described the bridge as “not only a physical structure, but a symbol of friendship, shared prosperity and mutual progress”.
He expressed gratitude to all agencies involved, as well as local communities that cooperated during the construction phase, despite disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The bridge, under construction since 2020, is nearing completion and will open officially in December 2025, in time to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Laos, he said.
It joins four existing Thai-Lao friendship bridges — Nong Khai-Vientiane, Mukdahan-Savannakhet, Nakhon Phanom-Thakhek, and Chiang Khong-Houayxay — and represents a growing network of cross-border infrastructure projects.