Thailand and Lao PDR jointly held a ceremony to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge over the Mekong River, connecting Nong Khai Province in Thailand and the capital city of Vientiane in Laos.

The ceremony took place on 21 April 2024 in Nong Khai. It was co-hosted by Mr. Panpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Mr. Saleumxay Kommasith Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR, and Ms. Robyn Mudie, First Assistant Secretary, Southeast Asia Regional and Mainland Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Commonwealth of Australia. 

The ceremony marked the beginning of a series of activities to be jointly organized by Nong Khai Province and Vientiane to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited members of the diplomatic corps in Thailand to join the event to showcase the tourism and economic potential of Nong Khai and its adjacent provinces. Another objective was to highlight the strategic importance of the first Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge with regard to regional transportation and logistical connectivity.

The first Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge is the first bridge over the Mekong River that connects Thailand with Lao PDR. The value of trade passing through this bridge accounts for over 33 percent of the total border trade between Thailand and Lao PDR. 

The bridge is, therefore, the most important channel for cross-border trade between the two countries, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It has played a crucial role in promoting local economic activities, stimulating investment and creating jobs and income for the population on both sides of the Mekong River, as well as connecting the transportation networks of the two countries and the region.

The first Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge is the only friendship bridge between Thailand and its neighboring countries that features both road and rail systems. Thailand and Lao PDR are working on a project to construct a new railway bridge alongside the current bridge in anticipation of future cross-border rail freight that may exceed the capacity of the current rail track on the first Friendship Bridge. 

The project is expected to begin in 2026 and be completed by 2029. Multi-modal transshipment centers will also be developed on both sides of the bridge, at Natha Rail Station on the Thai side, to handle both road and rail freight. The new railway bridge will also connect with the Thailand's future high-speed rail line from Bangkok to Nong Khai Province.