Laos-China Railway Company terminates a contract with a tour company for violating regulations by reselling tickets to other companies, adding an extra 80,000 kip to the ticket price under the guise of service fees. Passengers who notice such activities are urged to report them to the authorities.
Today, news reports revealed that Laos-China Railway Company Limited's Facebook page announced the cancellation of a contract with a travel company for breaching regulations and exploiting passengers by imposing an additional service fee of 80,000 kip (equivalent to 138 baht) on the standard fare.
The company's statement highlighted its commitment to supporting Lao tourism and meeting passenger needs. Initiatives include expanding train services, launching an online ticket purchasing application (LCR Ticket) with multiple payment options, and collaborating with railway police to combat ticket hoarding and resale practices.
Furthermore, the company works closely with the Department of Tourism Business Protection to facilitate group ticket issuance for large tourist groups. Clear contractual terms with travel companies prohibit exploitation of group tour ticket policies, such as ticket price increases and hoarding.
However, in March, a travel company breached its contract by increasing ticket prices and reselling them to other companies. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the company had raised the service fee to 80,000 kip per ticket, violating regulations and contractual agreements.
On April 22, the offending travel company admitted to the wrongdoing during a meeting with the Laos-China Railway Company. Consequently, the railway company revoked the travel company's ticket reservation rights and terminated their booking contract, which the travel company agreed to abide by.
The railway company reaffirms its commitment to serving society and ensuring passenger satisfaction. It urges cooperation from all sectors in reporting instances of ticket hoarding and resale at inflated prices to safeguard passenger interests and maintain social order.
The Lao-Thai Railway is currently conducting test runs between Thanaleng Station and the newly constructed Vientiane Station (Khamsawat) to assess and fine-tune the system before its official launch. This effort is a joint initiative between the Lao National Railway State Enterprise and the State Railway of Thailand. The test runs, which began on May 14, 2024, involve nine daily runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will continue until May 17, 2024. This phase aims to ensure the technical readiness of the route and the operational efficiency of the train systems.
Mr. Khonsavan Khamphiwong, the head of Thanaleng Railway Station, noted that this is the first instance where a Lao train driver is operating the train. Upon full service commencement, Thai drivers will control the train from Nong Khai Station to Thanaleng Station, after which Lao drivers will take over to Vientiane Station (Khamsawat).
Additionally, from May 18 to May 20, 2024, further test runs will extend the route from Udon Thani in Thailand to Vientiane in Laos, covering Udon Thani, Nong Khai, Thanaleng, and Vientiane (Khamsawat). This extension is anticipated to provide a seamless travel option for passengers flying into Udon Thani Airport who wish to continue their journey to Vientiane by train, bypassing the current need for bus or van transfers to Nong Khai.
Vientiane Station (Khamsawat), the second station on the Lao-Thai railway route, is strategically located 7.5 kilometers from Thanaleng Station and 15 kilometers from Vientiane Capital Station, which is part of the Lao-China railway route. The station, built with a budget of approximately 994.68 million baht, consists of two platforms and a two-story building with extensive facilities. The project funding was supported by Thailands Neighboring Economic Cooperation Agency (NEDA) through a combination of grants and low-interest loans.
The station was officially inaugurated on October 30, 2023, by the Prime Ministers of Thailand and Laos, but the official service start date is pending the outcome of the ongoing test runs. A final decision is expected post the completion of these tests on May 20, 2024.
VIENTIANE, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Lao and Thai authorities are carrying out trial runs of train service in preparation for the start of a cross-border service between Nong Khai railway station in Thailand and Khamsavath railway station in Lao capital Vientiane.
The test run from Thanaleng railway station to Khamsavath railway station in Laos is scheduled from Tuesday to Friday. Nine journeys are being trialed each day between 08:30 a.m. to 03:30 p.m. local time, according to Lao National Radio report on Thursday.
Khonesavanh Khamphivong, manager of Thanalaeng railway station, said the trains are running smoothly and more trial runs will be carried out until Monday.
From Saturday to Monday, a trial service will run from northeast Thailand's Udon Thani province, through Nong Khai, and end at Khamsavath railway station.
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