The Fourth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge ( th, สะพานมิตรภาพ ไทย-ลาว แห่งที่ 4, ; lo, ຂົວມິດຕະພາບ ລາວ-ໄທ ແຫ່ງທີ 4, ) is a highway bridge over the
Mekong River
The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth longest river and the third longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annual ...
that links the
Chiang Khong District,
Chiang Rai Province of
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
and
Houayxay
Houayxay ( lo, ຫ້ວຍຊາຍ) (also ''Huoeisay'', ''Houei Sai'' or ''Huay Xai''), is a district in Bokeo Province, Laos, on the border with Thailand. Ban Houayxay is the administrative centre of the district.
The town lies on the Mekong ...
in
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
.
The bridge opened to the public on 11 December 2013.
The bridge was the last section of
Asian Highway 3 to be built.
Size and location
The
bridge is 630 meters long (with a main span of 480 meters) and is 14.7 meters wide.
[Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit, "4th Friendship bridge opens" ''TTR Weekly''](_blank)
2013-12-12 It is about 10 kilometers from
Chiang Khong District in northeastern
Chiang Rai Province, in northern Thailand, and about 12 kilometers from
Houayxay
Houayxay ( lo, ຫ້ວຍຊາຍ) (also ''Huoeisay'', ''Houei Sai'' or ''Huay Xai''), is a district in Bokeo Province, Laos, on the border with Thailand. Ban Houayxay is the administrative centre of the district.
The town lies on the Mekong ...
, the capital of
Bokeo Province, northwestern
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
.
North of the bridge, a six kilometer service road connects the bridge to Laotian highway R3A.
In the south, a three kilometer service road connects the bridge to the Chiang Khong-Thoen Highway and Route 1129 in Thailand.
History
The bridge was jointly financed by the governments of Thailand, Laos, and China – with Chinese and Thai construction firms responsible for the construction and the costs shared between Thailand and China. The project was hoped to boost trade and development of the
Greater Mekong Subregion
The Greater Mekong Subregion, (GMS) or just Greater Mekong, is a trans-national region of the Mekong River basin in Southeast Asia. The region is home to more than 300 million people. It came into being with the launch of a development program i ...
.
About 1,900 million
baht
The baht (; th, บาท, ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand. Society for Worldw ...
was budgeted for the project.
On 12 December 2012, a ceremony marking the joining of the two sides of the bridge was held in Houayxay, Laos. A year later, on 12 December 2013, the bridge was officially opened at a ceremony presided over by
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
Chiang Khong was designated as a
Special Economic Zone
A special economic zone (SEZ) is an area in which the business and trade laws are different from the rest of the country. SEZs are located within a country's national borders, and their aims include increasing trade balance, employment, increas ...
in 2015.
See also
*
First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge
The First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge ( th, สะพานมิตรภาพ ไทย-ลาว แห่งที่ 1, ; lo, ຂົວມິດຕະພາບ ລາວ-ໄທ ແຫ່ງທຳອິດ, ) is a bridge over the Mekong, c ...
*
Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge
*
Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge
The Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge ( th, สะพานมิตรภาพ ไทย-ลาว แห่งที่ 3, ) over the Mekong is a bridge that connects Nakhon Phanom Province in Thailand with Thakhek, Khammouane Province in ...
*
Fifth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge
*
Sixth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge
*
Seventh Thai–Lao Friendship BridgePlan Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge
* Kunming–Bangkok Expressway
References
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