Laos’ international border checkpoints collected strong state budget revenue in the first half of 2026, with several crossings beating their targets by wide margins.
Leading the way is the Vangtao International Border Checkpoint in Champasak, southern Laos, which borders Thailand’s Chong Mek Checkpoint. Over the first seven-plus months of the year, the checkpoint collected LAK 996.4 billion (USD 44.2 million), reaching 79.86 percent of its annual plan and marking an 85.04 percent rise over the same period last year.
Moving further central, other checkpoints across the country posted similarly strong results.
In Savannakhet, at the 2nd Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge and Savannakhet Dry Port, officials collected LAK 1,791.465 billion ( USD 79.4 million) by 28 July, reaching 86.14 percent of the annual target of LAK 2,079.727 billion (approximately USD 92.2 million).
Meanwhile, the 3rd Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge Checkpoint in Khammouane province collected LAK 747.509 billion (USD 33.2 million) in six months, up 142.28 percent over the same period last year. Fuel and goods imported for re-export, including vehicles, live cattle, and fresh fruit, drove most of that revenue.
Even more striking is the performance at the Lalai International Customs Checkpoint in Salavanh, which borders Vietnam’s Quang Tri province.
The checkpoint collected over LAK 467.84 billion (aboutUSD 20.7 million) in six months, blowing past its half-year plan by more than tenfold at 1,017.05 percent, and rising 855.06 percent compared to the same period last year, by far the sharpest growth among all the checkpoints reported so far.
Meanwhile, the newly opened 5th Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge checkpoint in Bolikhamxay, which began operating in late 2025, also performed strongly in its first six months.
It collected LAK 302.70 billion (approximately USD 13.4 million), or 86.49 percent of its annual plan, with fuel imports accounting for 88.04 percent of that revenue. In addition to customs collections, the checkpoint processed entry and exit for more than 110,000 travelers from 28 nationalities during the period.
Overall, most of Laos’ international border checkpoints have met or exceeded their 2026 targets, with customs authorities citing stronger cross-border trade, business facilitation, and expanded digital revenue systems as the main drivers.
