The opening of the China-Laos Railway last December marked a key milestone for business exchange between Asean and China. Much has been said about how the project could help strengthen the economic presence of Thailand in the region, China's western provinces and the Belt-and Road networks, and propel regional economic development.
As well as bridging so-called missing transport links and facilitating cross-border business, the policy discourse has not yet focused on its long term impacts to Thailand's competitiveness, despite the rail project being a game-changer in the region's geo-economy.
The Lao PRD's is becoming a land-linked connectivity hub. It is perhaps timely to rethink Thailand's long-standing connectivity concept, considering that the comparative advantage of its geography may no longer be as prominent as before partly due to the rail project.
