GMS in the News


ADB Supports Construction of Sustainable Transport Links to U-Tapao Airport in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Thailand signed the Climate-Resilient Connectivity for the Eastern Economic Corridor Project: The Intercity Motorway No. 7 on 6 June 2025. The $68.74 million loan agreement will provide a sustainable land transport network to the U-Tapao Airport in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). The EEC is a manufacturing and innovation hub in eastern Thailand supported by multimodal transport links, including rail, road, and air transport.  


Single Container, Single Vehicle Entry from PRC to Viet Nam under the GMS CBTA

Trucks from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) traveled directly to Ha Noi, Viet Nam, under the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Cross-Border Transport Facilitation Agreement (CBTA). The trucks departed simultaneously from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR) and Yunnan on 14 May 2025. A ceremony at the Long Bien Inland Container Depot Logistics Center in Ha Noi was held on 15 May 2025 to officially inaugurate two key transport routes from PRC to Viet Nam.


Kampot International Tourism Port Boosts Tourism 

Cambodia’s Kampot International Tourism Port, inaugurated on 21 April 2025, positions Kampot as a competitive tourism hub, providing Southern Cambodia with links to Thailand, Viet Nam, and the country's own island destinations. Spanning four hectares in Tuek Chou district, the port was financed by a $10 million loan provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Tourism Infrastructure for Inclusive Growth, with additional funding by the Government of Cambodia.


Photo shows the participants of this year's regional training program together with the training team. Photo credit: ADB.

Honing Project Management Skills to Achieve Development Goals

Thirty-nine government officials and specialists joined this year’s Regional Training in Project Management organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Bangkok from 5 to 9 May. The training program is designed to support the Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), Indonesia–Malaysia–Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), and the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) in project planning and implementation. It fosters a results-based project management approach that aligns projects to sector strategies.


Construction of High Speed Kunming-Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong Railway to Begin

Viet Nam is set to begin construction of a new 417-kilometer railway line connecting the northern port city of Haiphong to Kunming, People’s Republic of China (PRC), via Hanoi and Lao Cai Province. The initiative, with an estimated investment of about US$11 billion, aims to bolster trade and tourism between the two countries by enhancing connectivity and facilitating smoother transportation of goods and people.


Fifth Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge Approaches Full Completion and Opening

The fifth Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge spanning the Mekong River, connecting Borikhamxay province in Lao PDR with Bueng Kan province in Thailand, is now 96% complete. Its official opening is being planned for May 2025, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The new bridge will facilitate easier travel and trade between the two countries, as well as strengthen connections within the Greater Mekong Subregion, particularly benefiting businesses engaged in trade between Thailand and Viet Nam.