China-Laos rail connection will cut down on logistics cost, time for Thailand
The Department of International Trade Promotion’s representative in the Chinese port city of Guangzhou said a railway between China and Laos will be beneficial for Thailand as well.
The representative said this new railway will save around two days in the transfer of goods from China to Thailand compared to the current R3A highway, which covers an extended part of China and Laos before ending in Chiang Rai’s Chiang Khong district.
The railway should also cut down on transportation costs by two fold, the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning said.
Hence, it will be easier for products from China to penetrate the Thai market, while Thailand’s agricultural goods will have a cheaper channel for transportation.
Recent reports say the rail-line between China’s Kunming city with the Laotian capital Vientiane is nearly 91 per cent complete. This 1,000-kilometre railway track is part of the Belt and Road initiative and should go into operation by December 2021.