During 25-28 March 2023, Mr. Chatchai Viriyavejakul, Director – General of the Department of East Asian Affairs, in collaboration with the Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane, Lao PDR, the Royal Thai Embassy in Hanoi, Viet Nam and the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Savannakhet, Lao PDR, led a team of officials and private sector to explore further economic opportunities along the R12 route linking Thailand, Lao PDR and Vietnam, as well as the Vung Ang Economic Zone in Viet Nam.

On R12 route, the delegation travelled 147 kilometres from the Third Thai - Lao Friendship Bridge in Nakhon Panom, Thailand, to the Lao PDR - Viet Nam (Naphao-Chalo) international checkpoint and to Ha Tinh Province in Central Viet Nam. This route is a key transportation corridor connecting Thailand to Lao PDR, Viet Nam and Southern China, (Guangxi Province).

While in Lao PDR, the delegation, together with H.E. Ms. Morakot Sriswasdi, Ambassador of Thailand to Lao PDR, visited Khammouane Cement Co., Ltd. (KCL), a subsidiary of Siam Cement Group (SCG) to learn the company’s best practices in conducting environmentally-friendly and high-technology production of cement, while helping local communities to achieve socio-economic well-beings.

While in Viet Nam, the delegation was joined by H.E. Mr. Nikorndej Balankura, Ambassador of Thailand to Viet Nam, to visit Vung Ang Economic Zone and two key ports in Ha Tinh Province, namely:

(1) Vung Ang – Son Doung Port where Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation (FHS) Company has received long-term concession to develop steel mill and deep-sea ports for the shipment of goods since 2008.

(2) Lao - Viet International Port which is a Joint Venture between the Governments of Lao PDR (60 percent) and Viet Nam (40 percent), and has been granted concession develop deep-sea port for import and export of goods from the Lao PDR since 2001. At present, the port has one dockside and one warehouse and is developing the second dock. Majority of export goods from the port is bulk cargo from Lao PDR, including iron ore, potassium, and wood chips to China, Japan and South Korea, while import goods include machines, construction materials, fuels, and coal from Indonesia and China.

Currently, the development of Vung Ang project is part of Lao PDR’s strategy to transform the country from land-locked to land-linked country. Apart from developing the Vung Ang deep-sea port, the Lao PDR Government also has a plan to construct a railway linking Vientiane to the Vung Ang deep sea port.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will utilise information from this trip to better promote greater connectivity and economic opportunities between Thailand and countries in the Mekong Sub-region and China.