THIRD THAI–LAO FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE (NAKHON PHANOM - KHAMMOUANE)

Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge

This bridge connects the Nakhon Phanom Province of Thailand with the Khammouane Province of Laos. The bridge is a route for transportation, trade and tourism that links Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and the south of China together. 

There are great views of the bridge ideal for photography with Laos mountains in distance. It looks particularly nice at sunset. Under the bridge, there are vendors that sell food, fruit and drinks, and you can get a digital postcard from there too.

The Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge crosses the Mekong River and is 780 meters in length, 10 meters in height and 13 meters in width and has two traffic lanes with no railways. It is located at Ban Hom in the Samat Sub-district of Muang District of Nakhon Phanom Province in Thailand and at Thakhek of Khammouane in Laos. It is about 10km north from Nakhon Phanom.

HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presided at the bridge’s foundation stone laying ceremony on March 6, 2009 and also presided at the inauguration ceremony, together with Vice President of Laos, Bounnhang Vorachith, on November 11, 2011 at 11.11 a.m. The inauguration ceremony was held in the middle of the bridge. The two countries decided to use the date, 11-11-11, to have number 11 as the number of memory for the bridge.

The construction of the Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge is a co-project between Thai government and Lao People's Democratic Republic, aiming to develop the area and boost trade of the two countries in form of twin cities. The project is a part of the strategy to develop an international cooperation between Thailand and Laos, according to the Irrawaddy-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy. 

There are already two Friendship Bridges crossing over the Mekong River and connecting Thailand with Laos. The first is Mittraphap Bridge or the First Thai - Lao Friendship Bridge (Nong Khai - Vientiane) and the second is Mittraphap 2 Bridge or the Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge (Mukdahan – Savannakhet.) 

Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge

The recent twin cities are Nakhon Phanom and Khammouane which are the location of the “Mittraphap 3” Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge. The route is also a part of Asian Highway Network (AH15 route,) linking Udon Thani, Sakon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom of Thailand and Thakhek and Lak Sao of Laos and Kwang Binh of Vietnam together. 

The Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge (Nakhon Phanom - Khammouane), one of the important bridges in Northeastern Thailand, is worthwhile visiting when you visit Thailand and Laos. You can not walk over the bridge, but you can take a bus.