The new intermodal transport model between the China-Laos Railway and Thailand’s Laem Chabang Port is a key implementation of Southeast Asia’s “Land-Sea Express Corridor.” By connecting rail and sea transport, it provides a more efficient and convenient logistics solution for trade between China, Southeast Asia, and beyond.
In this article, Weefreight will provide a detailed explanation, which we hope will be helpful.
… Transshipment and Road Transport: A transshipment yard is located at Vientiane South Station in Laos, connecting to the freight yard of the China-Laos Railway’s Vientiane South Station to the north and to the existing meter-gauge railway station in Laos, Thanaleng Station, to the south. Since Thailand’s railways use meter-gauge (1000mm), cargo is transshipped between standard and meter-gauge tracks here. After transshipment, cargo is transported by road to Laem Chabang Port in Thailand.
Sea Transport: After arriving at Laem Chabang Port, cargo is shipped by sea to its final destination, such as Singapore. Laem Chabang Port, Thailand’s largest port, boasts advanced port facilities and extensive shipping routes, providing efficient sea transport services.
Advantages of the Intermodal Transport Model
Significantly improved timeliness: For example, the second route of the “Zheng He” train runs from Kunming via the China-Laos Railway to Ranong Port, Thailand (similar to the intermodal transport model with Laem Chabang Port), then transfers to sea transport via Yangon Port, Myanmar, and arrives at Chittagong, Bangladesh. The entire journey takes approximately 18 days, which is approximately 17 days shorter than the traditional route of railway transport from Kunming to Qinzhou Port, then transfers to sea transport via the Strait of Malacca to arrive at Chittagong, Bangladesh, improving timeliness by over 50%.
Reduced Transportation Costs: After the completion of the intermodal transport yard at Vientiane South Station on the China-Laos Railway, the transportation time from Kunming, China, to Laem Chabang Port, Thailand, has been shortened by approximately one day compared to transshipment by road, reducing transportation costs by over 20%. Furthermore, the stability and volume advantages of rail transport also help reduce overall logistics costs.
Innovation in Transportation Model: This marks the first time that sea containers have been transported on the China-Laos Railway, successfully implementing a full-chain logistics solution featuring “one container to the end” and “one ticket for direct delivery.” This truly implements the “one bill” and “one container” system for multimodal transport by sea, road, and rail. This significantly simplifies the logistics process, reduces time and costs associated with intermediate links, and improves cross-border logistics efficiency.
Expanded Trade Reach: This intermodal transport model closely connects southwest China with Laem Chabang Port in Thailand, further improving Yunnan’s logistics network with South and Southeast Asia and expanding the international logistics market. Through shipping routes from Laem Chabang Port, goods can be distributed to a wide range of markets, including Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, providing greater opportunities for Yunnan products to export to the world and expand trade between China and ASEAN countries.
Current Development and Future Outlook
Current Status: On July 4, 2025, the “Zheng He” sea-road-rail international multimodal transport train made its inaugural journey, fully loaded with vegetables, fertilizers, feed, and other Yunnan specialty products. One of its routes connects the railway to Laem Chabang Port in Thailand, where it is shipped by sea to Singapore, marking the further implementation and application of this intermodal transport model.
Future Outlook: With the continued operation of the China-Laos Railway and the continuous improvement of related infrastructure, as well as the advancement of projects connecting the Thai railway system with the China-Laos Railway, such as the bidding for the Khon Kaen-Nong Khai-Vientiane section currently under consideration and preparation by Thailand, and the operation of the Laem Chabang-Nong Khai section, the intermodal transport model between the China-Laos Railway and Laem Chabang Port in Thailand is expected to be further optimized and expanded. Transport efficiency will continue to improve, and transportation costs will be further reduced, providing stronger support for economic cooperation and trade exchanges between China and Southeast Asia.
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