Thailand took 15 years to finally realize that wherever China's railway construction reaches, the path to prosperity opens up.
Recently, Thailand received great news: the cross-border railway connecting Thailand and Laos will undergo a trial run from July 13 to 14.
Why does Thailand want to connect its railway with Laos?
It is not because Thailand is particularly interested in Laos, but because of the Laos-China Railway.
After the completion of the Laos-China Railway, Thailand also benefited. Compared to past road transportation, the time has been reduced by two days, and the transportation cost has been halved.
Compared to sea transportation, which takes at least a week, the Laos-China Railway, which takes only 1-2 days, is more advantageous, and the export volume of Thai fruits to China is rapidly increasing.
In 2023, the total value of Thailand's land exports to China hit a historical high of 213 billion Thai baht, a year-on-year increase of 35.4%.
A Thai research center predicts that through the Thailand-Laos railway, Thailand's exports to China are expected to grow by 17% this year, reaching about 250 billion Thai baht, and this figure is expected to rise further in the future.
However, the railway between Thailand and Laos is not yet fully connected.
In fact, Thailand had long intended to build a railway connected to Laos, but without the Laos-China Railway, the progress was not enthusiastic.
Although the Thailand-Laos railway construction started 20 years ago, the progress was very slow.
The first phase of the project is 3.5 kilometers long, from Thanalaeng station in Laos, crossing the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge over the Mekong River, reaching Nong Khai Province in Thailand. It started in 2007 and opened in 2009.
The second phase of the project, from the Thanalaeng station to Vientiane, is 7.5 kilometers long. It started in 2013 and was originally planned to be completed by the end of 2021. However, due to delays in the station project, it was finally completed in 2023.
In other words, it took Thailand and Laos 15 years to build the cross-border 11-kilometer railway, but this section is very crucial as it connects Thailand's railway network with the Laos-China Railway.
In the future, trains departing from Bangkok, Thailand, will be able to reach China through this railway along the Laos-China Railway.
The trial operation on July 13-14 will run from Bangkok, Thailand, to Vientiane, Laos.
Once this railway is officially operational, passengers will be able to take a train from Bangkok to Kunming, Yunnan.
Although the passenger time is long, it is significant for freight transportation, and Thailand attaches great importance to this.
However, the Thailand-Laos railway, despite its advantages, also has some problems.
The Laos-China Railway uses standard gauge (1435 mm), while Thailand uses meter gauge (1000 mm). The railway connection requires track changes.
In addition, the railway equipment on the Thai side is outdated, with limited carrying capacity, making it difficult to meet the growing freight demand.
Therefore, the real connection between China and Thailand still relies on the China-Thailand Railway.
The China-Thailand Railway adopts Chinese standards and technology, with the same standard gauge as the Laos-China Railway.
The first phase of the China-Thailand Railway, connecting Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, is expected to be completed and opened to traffic in 2026;
The second phase extends from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai, connecting with the Laos-China Railway, and is expected to be completed and put into use in 2030.
In fact, the plan for the China-Thailand Railway started earlier.
In 2009, China and Thailand began contacts in the high-speed rail field.
To accommodate Thailand, China signed the "Rice-for-Rail" plan in 2013.
However, due to internal differences in Thailand, the Thai Constitutional Court ruled in March 2014 that the "Rice-for-Rail" plan was unconstitutional.
Despite the groundbreaking of the China-Thailand Railway in December 2015, in March 2016, due to financing interest rate issues, Thailand and China had disagreements, and Thailand announced the cancellation of the second phase, only constructing the first phase from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima.
The progress of the China-Thailand Railway was slow, while the Laos-China Railway progressed smoothly.
After the completion and opening of the Laos-China Railway in December 2021, both passenger and freight services flourished.
Only then did Thailand realize that following China's steps is the way forward, and decided to restart the second phase, expected to start in 2025 and be completed by 2030.
Once the entire China-Thailand Railway is opened, it will be connected with the Laos-China Railway and China's railway network, with consistent gauge, eliminating the need for track changes.
This will not only increase freight volume, reduce transportation time, but also lower costs, making agricultural exports to China more competitive.
In fact, Laos understood this truth long ago, while it took Thailand 15 years to realize it.
A certain major country incites the so-called "China Railway Threat Theory," essentially because it does not want us to live well, so as to continue exploiting us.
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