[VIENTIANE] These days, no visit by business or diplomatic delegations to the capital of Laos is complete without a stopover at Thanaleng Dry Port, the beating heart of the country’s economic ambitions.

Situated 15 kilometres east of Vientiane, and less than 1 km from the first Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge crossing the Mekong River (defining the Thai-Laos border), Thanaleng has served as a customs and immigration checkpoint for decades between the two neighbouring countries.

Operations were upgraded significantly in December 2021 with the opening of a fully functional dry port for land-locked Laos.