The La Lay International Border Gate links Quang Tri Province’s Dakrong District with Laos.
Through the border gate, traders also transport goods from Thailand to Vietnam.
Since the beginning of 2023, coal imports from Laos to Vietnam have increased dramatically, resulting in frequent bottlenecks at the border gate. Currently, the border gate receives 350-400 vehicles per day, which is 3-4 times higher than the average in 2020. Most automobiles passing through are container trucks.
Despite the higher number of vehicles, construction of the road leading to the border gate and its parking years have been left unfinished for years, causing serious traffic congestion.
Sometimes trucks have to queue for 2km along National Highway 15D.
A driver takes a bath in the middle of traffic congestion. He was on his way bringing coal from Laos to Vietnam.
As the truck he drives is overloaded according to Vietnamese regulations, he had to wait to unload many goods before driving the truck through the customs.
By the time the photo was taken, he had waited for three days. He spent his nights in the cabin and took showers using his truck’s water reserves.
"If the unloading yard would be completed and it includes enough parking space, importers could easily send more trucks over to boost the unloading."
But due to the lack of such a yard, container trucks have had to idle in line and wait.
While the entry lane is overloaded, the exit lane is deserted as few products from Vietnam are exported to Laos.
Le Cam An, Deputy Director of La Lay Border Gate Customs, said that since the beginning of the year more than 31,000 vehicles have moved through the border gate, carrying along 450,000 tons of goods.
The gate has collected more than VND119 billion for the state budget this year, or 50% of its annual target.
These rocks will be broken by explosives to make way for the construction of a road linking the border gate with Laos.
Part of the yard is still occupied by a hill.
Truong Khac Nghi, deputy director of Management Board of the Quang Tri Economic Zone, which manages the border gate, said work to upgrade the facility has been slow to progress due to a lack of funds.
Since 2016, the border gate has received just VND215 billion (US$9.17 million) in state budget funding.
"With limited budget, the board had built infrastructure projects little by little and did not dare to hire contractors to complete a large-scale package for fear of owing debt to them."
The board aims to complete the road linking the border gate with highway 15D by the end of July.
