The cabinet has approved a budget of almost two-billion-baht for building a road in Laos to encourage border trade with Thailand.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting yesterday, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, deputy government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the 114km road would stretch from the town of Hongsa to Luang Prabang's Ban Chiang Man, on the border with Chalermprakiat district of Nan province.
The road is expected to cost 1.97 billion baht to build.
It was approved by the Finance Ministry, which made the initial proposal for Thailand to fund the project.
The route will establish a transport link with Thailand through the Huay Kon border crossing in Chalermprakiat district, Maj Gen Sansern said.
It would help ease travel to Luang Prabang, a Unesco World Heritage site, and boost economic and transport exchanges between Nan and Luang Prabang, he said.
According to the deputy spokesman, financing the route is part of Thailand's strategy to establish transport links with neighbouring countries as a way of bolstering investment, agriculture, industry, tourism, and the export of consumer, fuel and farm products.
The road would also improve the quality of life for Lao people by creating opportunities in the country, he said.
The new route will connect to roads No.13 and No.4 in Laos, which could also make travel from Thailand through to Hanoi in Vietnam much easier.
Also yesterday, the cabinet decided Thailand would host the Asean Fisheries and Aquaculture Conference and Exposition 2016: Asean Seafood for the World, Maj Gen Sansern said.
A budget of 30.3 million will be allocated for the event, with 15.7 million baht earmarked from the current 2015 budget and the rest from the 2016 budget.
The event will serve as a venue for fisheries industry producers and exporters worldwide to set up booths and discuss business.
This would give small-scale Thai businesses the opportunity to hold talks with foreign firms, Maj Gen Sansern said, adding Thai entrepreneurs and businesses will be able to exchange fisheries expertise with foreign operators.
Academics, experts and students would also have a chance to gain more knowledge about the industry, the deputy spokesman said.
The cabinet also discussed the meeting of Asean Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (Amaf), held on Sept 22-26 in Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar, and reviewed the progress of the Asean Plus Three Cooperation on food, agricultural technology and climate change.
The next Amaf meeting will be held in the Philippines in September next year.
Speaking about the Amaf talks, Maj Gen Sansern said Myanmar is willing to set up a quarantine zone for animals near the Thai border.
It has asked Thailand to share academic expertise on fisheries and livestock.
Thailand also asked Myanmar to consider making concessions for Thai fisheries operators in its territorial waters, he said.
Thai and Bruneian ministers signed several memorandums of understanding at the talks, he said, including one on halal meat.