2,000-mile Bangkok to Beijing train trip inching closer to reality
A train trip between Bangkok and Beijing will no longer be a distant dream! To make this happen, Thailand is preparing for a trial run of a rail service between its capital, Bangkok, and Vientiane in Laos on July 13 and 14, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) announced. Ekarat Sriarayanphong, an official at the railway agency, stated that this new link will enhance transportation between Thailand, Laos, and China.
Thai rail link to connect with existing Laos-China network
The upcoming Thai rail link will connect with the existing Laos-China rail network, which is part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. This connection will make it possible to travel by train from Bangkok to Beijing, with stops in Vientiane and Kunming, a southern Chinese city. The journey, covering approximately 3,218 km (2,000 miles), is expected to take nearly a full day due to the region's mountainous terrain.
Rail route facilitates faster transportation of Thai goods to China
The operational high-speed train between China and Laos provides a route for Thai goods to be transported via rail to Kunming. According to a Nikkei report, this rail route has significantly reduced delivery times from two days by truck along the mountainous route to just 15 hours by train. The development is part of Thailand's strategic initiative to improve its connectivity with China, its main trade ally, in an effort to stimulate economic growth.
Strengthening of trade and tourism ties between Thailand and China
In the first 11 months of last year, Thailand's exports to China amounted to nearly $32 billion, with top products including fruit and rubber products. During the same period, Thailand imported goods worth $65.3 billion from China, primarily electric equipment and machinery. Besides trade relations, Thailand and China are also enhancing their tourism ties by eliminating tourist visa rules. This allows Chinese visitors to stay in Thailand for up to 60 days and Thai tourists in China for 30 days.
