I'm flying in and getting out of Bangkok asap anyway. Can you cross over to Laos from Chang Mai?
IM REALLY COMING to InCheon in July.
I just did that Laos trip this week.
Chiang Khong Thailand/Huay Xai Laos border.
Heres what happened:
While I was in ChiangMai I got run over and injured by a TukTuk
http://www.into-asia.com/bangkok/tuktuk/In Chiang Mai,stay at the 230Bhat "New Mitrapap" hotel (very near the US Consulate),they have discounts now and its a proper hotel.
You can also stay at "Ban Mae Tongmourn" Guesthouse,also an EXCELLENT 250Bhat value and wonderful manager.
Near the New Mitrapap Hotel is a convienient bus stop (wave down the bus because they like to skip the bus stops)with modern city bus #11,#13,#2 going DIRECTLY to the Train and Bus Stations for 15Bhat.
If you use a red pick up truck (normal Chiang Mai transport)you should NEVER pay more than 15Bhat,sometimes 20Bhat,but they will try to cheat you,and you must explain to them your destination.
NEVER NEVER NEVER use a Tuk Tuk!!!!!!
I rode the 169Bhat air-con bus
(buy ticket at the bus station yourself THE DAY BEFORE,and take the 11:45AM bus)
from ChiangMai to ChiangRai.It takes about 3 1/2 hours.
Go to "The Garden" guesthouse in ChiangRai,and pay 100Bhat for room.
From ChiangRai to Chiang Khong there is a 52Bhat 2 1/2 bus ride to Chiang Khong,the border crossing to Laos.
(From ChiangRai to Chiang Saen there is a 32Bhat 1 1/2 hour bus to Chiang Saen.LAST BUS DEPARTS ABOUT 6PM.In Chiang Saen go to the JS Guesthouse and pay 150Bhat.From Chiang Saen,go to the Mekong River and there are (probably green)pick up trucks that will take you 30 minutes to Hard Bai for 30 Bhat,DONT DEPART CHIANG SAEN AFTER 2PM OR YOU WILL MISS YOUR CONNECTION IN HARD BAI TO CHIANG KHONG,then in Hard Bai you change to another (probably red) pick up truck,30 minutes to ChiangKhong for 30 Bhat,and it will drop you in front of the Laos border if you tell the driver.)
You should stay in Chiang Khong,but going to Chiang Saen one night is good and the truck to Hard Bai/Chiang Khong is very scenic.
From Chiang Khong you pay 20Bhat person/10Bhat bag to ride small boat across the river to Huay Xai.
You can spend Thailand money in Laos,but you can change money also.You really should not change more than about $75,if you need more change it later.
1USD= about 31ThaiBhat
20ThaiBhat=6,000LaoKip
1USD=about 9,700LaoKip
Laos visa costs 1500Bhat Thailand money on the border.
Stamp your passport,walk up the hill and (turn right)hail a TukTuk,50Bhat enough I think,and tell him to take you to
THE BUS STATION,about 2 1/2 miles down the road.
In front of the Bus Station is a Gas Station with friendly man manager,the Gas Station has a simple guesthouse 100Bhat,and the manager can direct you to a very good cheap restaurant on a road behind the Bus Station (DONT eat at the retsaurant directly behind the Gas Station,the one with the barking dog,it sucks).
Its BEST if you take a Slow Boat from Huay Xai to Pak Beng,sleep one night 200Bhat in Pak Beng,then another Slow Boat to Luang Prabang the next day.This is cheap,but DONT buy the tickets until AFTER you arrive in Huay Xai Laos.
If you want to take a BUS out of Huay Xai,its best to ride a bus to Luang Namtha,spend the night,then make your connection the NEXT day.Stay at the Namtha Hotel,next to the Chinese Cake Bread Shop(you can eat here too),and eat your meals at The Panda restaurant is best.
There is a 9AM bus 250Bhat 4 hours from Huay Xai direct to Luang Namtha,so get up early and buy your bus ticket,because people gather early and start taking the seats.
There IS a number on your ticket,so you should point this out to the bus driver and attendent.
This is a senic bus ride on a NEW road.
If you encounter Aka Women in Luang Namtha,and you will,DONT buy any opium from them.These women are wearing Ethnic Minoriety clothing and silver studded hats and will try to sell handicrafts to you (stuffed with opium and "ganja"),and DONT pay them more than $5 for a bag of weed.$5 is A LOT OF MONEY.This "ganja" looks like seed and stem crap,but it will mess you up good.
Once you are in Luang Namtha,you can ride a bus directly to China,or anywhere in Laos.
I suggest you take a SMALL bus to Udom Xai,then change to another small bus on to Luang Prabang.
DONT try to go all the way to Vientiane from Luang Namtha OR Huay Xai,its TOO far.
From Luang Prabang there is a 10:30PM CHINESE Sleeping Bus (100Yuan CHINESE MONEY,or use Laos money) to Vientianne.
This is your BEST choice,because you can hop off in Vang Viang at about 5AM,or continue on to Vientianne arriving about 7AM.
To catch this bus you need to go to a big Chinese restaurant very near the Bus Station.Buy the ticket from the bus driver.
From Vientianne,take a DIRECT BUS to NongKhai Thailand for a train to Bangkok,or take a direct bus from Vientianne to Udon Thani Thailand for a direct bus to Chiang Mai.
You can do all this in reverse if you want.
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