Friendship bridges that are not friendly
Four ‘Friendship Bridges’ span the wide majestic Mekong River as it creates a meandering borderline between Thailand and Laos but just how friendly are these border bridges?
When the first bridge opened back in 1994, spanning the river between Nong Khai in Thailand and Vientiane province in Laos, it promised a bright new era of trade and tourism. Since then three more bridges connect the border towns of Mukdahan (no2), Nakhon Phanom (no3) and Chiang Kong (no4) with their counterpart riverside towns in Laos.
For the towns that face each other across the broad river, building friendship and expanding trade and tourism hasn’t been smooth sailing.
Don Ross
