China has agreed to exchange information about how it manages the water in the Mekong River with Thailand to boost boat transport safety, according to the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR).
The agreement was made after the Joint Committee in Coordination of Commercial Navigation on the Lancang-Mekong River (JCCCN) met late last month.
Somkiat Prajamwong, ONWR secretary-general, said it was the first time China has agreed to the exchange in a decade.
China, which is where the Mekong River originates, is keen to play a bigger role in managing the river which forms a natural border for some downstream countries, he said.
The information will be useful for devising plans for safer navigation, especially during the summer months when the river becomes dangerously shallow in some areas.
Many freight barges ply the river providing a vital cargo route between the south of China and Southeast Asia.
