In December 2021 Laos will begin operations of the Boten – Vientiane Railway (also known as the China – Laos Railway), launching the era of railway travel in Laos. There are other lines that have been proposed which would connect Laos to Thailand, Vietnam, and maybe even Cambodia if the most ambitious proposals are realised. […]
Laos
Vientiane – Vung Ang Railway
The Vientiane – Vung Ang railway is a proposed railway that would connect Vientiane in Laos to the Vung Ang seaport in Vietnam. Vung Ang is the closest feasible seaport to Vientiane, thus the railway would enable landlocked Laos access to a deep seaport for shipping. The railway would also interchange with Vietnam’s North-South railway, […]
Hanoi – Chiang Mai Railway
The Hanoi – Chiang Mai Railway is an unofficially proposed railway that would connect Hanoi (Vietnam) to Chiang Mai (Thailand), via Luang Prabang (Laos). There are a number of long-term planned railways for Laos, but a Hanoi to Chiang Mai railway is not one under consideration. The railway proposal is via a map from China, […]
Four Thousand Islands New Area – The Sithandone SEZ in Southern Laos
Four Thousand Islands New Area is a proposed new urban development in Khong district, Champasak province, Laos. This nearest city is Pakse, 140km away. The Four Thousand Islands (Si Phan Don) is an archipelago of islands in the Mekong River, near the Laos-Cambodia border. Also known as the Sithandone SEZ, this special economic zone will […]
China-Laos railway – a guide to the Boten-Vientiane railway in Laos
The Boten – Vientiane railway (also known as the China-Laos railway) is a new railway that will connect Kunming in China to Vientiane in Laos. From Boten on the China/Laos border the railway will travel 414 km through Laos to the capital of Vientiane. The only railway in Laos is a border station operated by […]
The East–West Economic Corridor Railway from Myanmar to Vietnam
The East–West Economic Corridor is an economic development program spanning across mainland Southeast Asia, covering Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam, with Cambodia also included. The corridor was envisaged as a land bridge connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans, saving the sea route via the Malacca Strait. The road route connects the port cities of Mawlamyine […]
Future Vientiane
Vientiane is the capital of the landlocked nation of Laos. It’s the second smallest capital of ASEAN, with a metropolitan population of over 800,000. It’s often described as a big country town, and it certainly feels sleepy if you are coming from Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City. Things are changing though in this city […]
