Det är kanske dags för ett par nya broar över Mekong mellan Thailand och Laos. En ny vid Nong Khai för att förbättra tågtrafiken och är antagligen till för det nya höghastighetstågen mellan Bangkok - Nong Khai - Vientian - Kunming och vidare till bland annat Shanghai som planeras vara klart 2015 men risk finns väl för förseningar. Den andra bron planeras i den nya provinsen Bung Kan.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/233122/2-more-mekong-bridges-eyed
Thailand and Laos are planning two more bridges across the Mekong River.
One bridge will be built at Nong Khai, close to the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. It will carry two railway tracks _ a standard-gauge track that will support high-speed trains from China via Laos to Thailand, and a second one metre-gauge track.
The extension of a high-speed rail link from China is under way in Laos while Thai authorities are in discussion with Beijing to build the line further down into Thailand.
At present, roads are closed on the existing Nong Khai bridge for about two hours a day to facilitate trains.
The second bridge will be built in Bung Kan province, next to Nong Khai, and link up with Paksan city in Laos.
Authorities need to find a new location for the bridge as an earlier site posed environmental concerns and would require a span of as much as 300m.
Meanwhile, Thailand has asked Laos to cut tariffs on Routes 8 and 12 in addition to Route 9. Mr Supoj said that Routes 8 and 12 were more popular for transporters as they were shorter than Route 9.
