Thailand gives financial support to Laos for road maintenance

The Thai cabinet has approved THB1.8 billion (about $48.8 million) in financial assistance for the Lao Government to maintain and improve Highway R12, shortening the travel time from Thailand’s Nakhon Phanom province, through Laos, to the Vietnamese border in the central province of Quang Binh.

Deputy Government Spokesperson Kaenika Oonchit said Highway R12 starts in Thakhek, the capital of Khammouane province in Laos, at the junction with Highway R13, which is about 17km from Thailand’s Nakhon Phanom border checkpoint. It runs through Laos and ends in the Vietnamese border province of Quang Binh, covering a total distance of 147km and forming an integral part of the Asian Highway Network.

Kaenika said that the money will also be used to upgrade cargo terminals, storage facilities, lighting at intersections, public utilities, drainage systems in communities, and tourist attractions along the route.

Highway R12 will enhance road transport and logistics linking Thailand with Laos, Vietnam and China, shorten the transit time from ten to just four hours, and reduce customs procedures from five to just two checkpoints.

R12 is considered as the shortest route, compared to R8 or R9, along the East-West Economic Corridor, the official said, adding that the amount of goods transported from Nakhon Phanom to Laos via R12, after maintenance works complete, is anticipated to increase by about 50%.