Nakhon Phanom: Laos shuts four border checkpoints amid Covid-19 crisis

[webfact]

Laos shuts four border checkpoints amid Covid-19 crisis

By THE NATION

 

 

Laos has closed its four immigration checkpoints near Thailand’s Nakhon Phanom province, since it does not have enough medical personnel to screen for Covid-19 at the four places.

 

On Tuesday (March 17), the Immigration Police Office at Nakhon Panom province informed that Laos will close its immigration checkpoint at Thakhek port from 2pm on Tuesday, until the Covid-19 situation is resolved.

 

On the same day, Nakhon Phanom Governor Siam Sirimongkol announced that Laos and Nakhon Phanom have collaborated to close four local checkpoints, including the Thakhek port.

 

However, Laos has allowed travellers from Thailand to pass through the Third Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, at Nakhon Phanom.

 

Moreover, Laos said that Thai Covid-19 patient and friends had visited the country through Nakhon Phanom on March 12.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30384315

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-03-18

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[drbeach]

OK so the bridge remains open...for now.

 

Didn't know there were so many local ports in that province...I thought there was only the ferry from town (which used to be used by everyone before the bridge opened in 2011) and the one in That Phanom. Where are the other two?

[Assurancetourix]

41 minutes ago, drbeach said:

Where are the other two?

I don't know;

when I see him, I will ask one of my sons-in-law who is a captain in the royal river police

 

But what I know , there are many places which aren't a port which does not prevent very light boats from disembarking or boarding passengers who thus pass from one country to another without taking care of official crossing points.
And so it is all along the very long river border between the two countries.
The Royal River Police has many small boats and two-seater jet skis to control this river border, but they are obviously not numerous enough.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, Assurancetourix said:

The Royal River Police has many small boats and two-seater jet skis to control this river border, but they are obviously not numerous enough.

Bit of a mess then?

[Assurancetourix]

1 minute ago, hotchilli said:

Bit of a mess then?

They are especially there to hunt the drug smugglers and as on earth, it is sometimes very violent.

I don't think that tracking people who want to go outside official points is their priority