Highway 12 expansion completed

The final phase of the expansion of Highway 12 — which links Thailand with Myanmar and Laos in Tak and Mukdahan, respectively — has been completed, which the government hopes will boost cross-border economic activities between the three countries.

Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said on Monday that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was hopeful that the highway’s expansion will bring about economic benefits, especially to those living in Kalasin and Mukdahan in the Northeast.

Highway 12 is a part of the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC), a route which links four mainland Southeast Asian countries, from Myanmar in the West to Vietnam in the East.

The highway’s completion will be a boon for logistics, as well as trade and tourism, as it effectively connects the Andaman coast to the South China Sea, the government said.

About 793 kilometres of the…