Ran across this today.


http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=40001

asia Regional Forum,Day trips are not allowed from 20-30Jul.05

When ever i go to the bridge i cannot believe how little traffic is moving between the two countries across the only land bridge between two states.

The 'only' land bridge ?????

Thought there was one south of here ?

Mukdahan to Savannakhet ,dont know if its finished yet. seem to remember it opens next year,but not sure......

farang wrote:Mukdahan

Where is that??

Mukdahan to Savannakhet

Due to be completed next year i believe.Half built at the moment.

I have lived in Nong Khai for a long time now and it's a shame the Laos authorities are so nervous as Nong Khai could benefit greatly econonically from a freer border and way less red tape.

Wouldn't Laos benifit alot more than Nong Khai? I would think Laos would make things easier in an attempt to attract some tourist dollars or money of any kind. Don't know alot about Laos but seems that they are bad off economically.

farang wrote:http://www.forest.thai-isan-lao.com/maps.html

Cheers farang , just never heard of it before

Don't know alot about Laos but seems that they are bad off economically.

Very true,but it's a very thin line between very poor and very,very poor.The inhabitants of Nong Khai are probably 95 per cent farmers and there's very little cash to be made in awful Isaan soils.

I am hearing reports right now (1pm) that the new bridge under construction has collapsed with fatalaties - can anyone confirm this ?

Source 'Bloomberg'

Thailand-Laos Bridge Collapses Over Mekong River, Nation Says

July 23 (Bloomberg) -- Part of a second bridge connecting Thailand to neighboring Laos collapsed into the Mekong River yesterday, the Nation reported, citing police.

A Japanese construction engineer was killed, eight other workers are missing, and seven are injured, the paper said, quoting Pairot Chantim, an inspector at Mukdahan police station.

Witnesses said a crane bent under the weight of a beam, which was then dropped onto the 1,600 meter-long structure, the paper reported. Heavy rain hampered search and rescue efforts.

The 2.5 billion baht ($60.5 million) bridge, financed by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, was 90 percent complete, the paper said.

Bad news.You might think they would stop construction in the rainy season.

Thats terrible