Laos urges citizens to avoid travel to Thailand

The Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Mondayurged Lao citizens to avoid travel to Thailand in the wake of last week's military coup despite the reinstitution of "border passes".

"Those who need to travel to Thailand at this time are advised to monitor the situation closely for safety reasons," a Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announcement read.

MOFA also explicitly instructed Lao travelers and Lao citizens living in Thailand to follow the instructions of the Thai authorities.

On Friday "border passes" between the two countries were not accepted on the Lao side of the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. The border pass system was jointly instituted by the two countries to facilitate easier movement across the border. Citizens with passports were still permitted entry.

An official on the Lao side of the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge told Xinhua reporters on Monday that border passes are again being accepted as means of entry into Thailand by Lao citizens.

Despite restrictions on the movement of citizens between the two countries over the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, trade has continued as normal. Lao Freight Forwarder Co. Ltd (LFF) Managing Director Somphone Phasavath told Lao state-run daily Vientiane times on Saturday that services were operating as normal including air, land and water freight routes.

The Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge is credited as a cornerstone of Lao PDR's economic transformation over the last several decades, linking Nong Khai province in Thailand with Lao capital Vientiane. Head of the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge Somboun Souvanchoumkham told Vientiane Times that over 100,000 tourists cross the border every month and over 648,000 vehicles crossed the bridge in 2013.