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2008-0906 - Xinhua - Thailand, Laos sign MOU to boost land transportation

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6494054.html

10:02, September 06, 2008

Thailand, Laos sign MOU to boost land transportation

Thailand and neighboring Laos on Friday signed a land transport agreement, which was designed to facilitate land transportation, cut transportation costs and boost tourism between the two countries, according to a senior Thai Transport Ministry official.

According to a report by Thai News Agency, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by Chairat Sa-nguansue, Thailand's acting director-general of the Land Transport Department, and Viengsavath Siphandone, director-general of the Lao PDR Department of Public Works and Transport.

Chairat said the MOU would help boost tourism on a new route linking Luang Prabang in northern Laos with Thailand's northern provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, in which private bus operators of the two countries will be encouraged to invest and operate on.

The Thai government-owned Transport Co., Ltd. would be asked to operate on the route soon, he said.

In future, buses traveling between Laos and the Thai northeastern province Nakhon Ratchasima, considered Thailand's gateway to the northeast, and the eastern beach resort town Pattaya, will be open as the two destinations are popular among Laotians, said Chairat.

At present, there are 452 companies with some 10,700 trucks operating between the two countries daily, up sharply from only a few hundred operating only a year ago, and the MOU is expected to further boost goods transport, he said.

Thailand and Laos have an agreement which allows vehicles to cross the border by using a special license plate.

Source:Xinhua

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Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
3046 INTN
University of California, Riverside
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951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu