Nong Khai, Thailand News

Thailand and Laos are to hold a joint cabinet retreat this weekend to discuss bilateral cooperation including the building two more bridges across the Mekong River, according to an official statement released on Tuesday, the Thai News Agency reports.

Thailand and Laos will soon forge closer cooperation in promoting trade by upgrading two border checkpoints, adopting the single-stop inspection system and implementing a single visa.

The government's approval rating has dropped a little in the Northeast, one of its major political bastions, but support in general is still very strong in the region, E-Saan Poll reported on Thursday.

A new organisation independent of the State Railway of Thailand will be set up to oversee and manage the high-speed rail project, says the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning.

An economic upturn always has the potential for crisis. Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations appear to be blessed with an economic boom.