According to Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot of Thailand, a center to facilitate the transport of goods and warehouses will be set up in the immediate future in the area of Loei which will connect to China and Vietnam. And Thailand intends to reopen Loei Airport within three months.
This is a bit misleading as Loei, apart from being in an isolated area, is separated from China by Laos – the area to the north of the red spot – and unless there are other plans which involve using, say, the Mekong, it is difficult to work out what extra connection this new and expensive center gives to China.
Alongkorn Ponlaboot said the Thai Government will approve an additional budget of $1.7 billion to develop logistics and irrigation systems in Loei, adding that once the logistics centre becomes operational, cross-border trade with Laos will grow by 20% a year over the next three years.
This may well be true.
But there simply is not that much trade between Laos and Thailand. China is the goal and this project does not appear to be the most feasible way of making that connection.
Vietnam Business Finance News gives the news, but what it cannot predict is whether the current Thai government will still be in power to push the concept through. Politically, Thailand is going through difficult times.