CraigBKK
Senior Member
Bangkok - Pakse
This trip began a few days later than planned due to something getting into my trouser leg and feasting whilst riding in Chiang Rai the previous week and causing it to inflame. Being cautious (old age getting to me) I waited until the inflammation had gone before leaving for Laos.
I took the 20:30 night train from Bangkok’s Hualamphong station to Ubon Ratchathani, arriving as usual about an hour before in time to load the bike on the train. The ‘Parcels’ booth is past the final platform (12) and between the road. The price of the 2nd class, lower sleeping berth was 741THB, the price of sending my bike, a Honda CRF250L (weighing 160kg as per the green book) was 1082THB.
VOA at the Lao border at done at counter 5, collected at counter 6. Several Lao insurance companies located directly behind counter 8 where the bike entrance documents are processed. I paid 40,000Kip for 14 days insurance with LVI. As per my last trip to Laos I asked for a 30 day stay with the bike and was granted it. About 200m past the immigration office you must stop at Customs (N 15.12932, E105.47150) to get your document stamped
After border formalities I rode to Pakse and got a room at the rather unremarkable, but centrally located, Khantixay Guesthouse (N 15.11925 E 105.81488) next to the sport’s stadium. Rooms with air for 100,000Kip, 70,000Kip for fan.
Behind the central market are a few motorbike accessory shops and the Pakse Honda dealer, whom I noticed had three Honda CRF250L’s for sale, priced at 185,000THB, the first time I’d seen them for sale in Laos.
Pakse - Salavan
After Vietnamese coffee for breakfast I exchanged money and rode to Salavan, taking the lefthand turning next to the market at Paksong and bypassing some of the paved road section. The track was bumpy and muddy in places but a pleasant change from dodging the oncoming Lao pickups.
For lunch I stopped at the Tadlo Lodge for fried rice and a few beers.
Arriving in Salavan mid afternoon I checked into the Chindavone Guesthouse (N 15.71429 E 106.42155)for a simple. clean room with a/c for 100,000Kip. The same evening I had a ride around looking for a likely spot to eat. Went to the river but the restaurant was dead, ended up in a small local spot selling grilled goat at 25,000Kip and beer for 10,000Kip.
The following morning I walked around the market and found this coffee shop in one corner selling Lao coffee for 5,000Kip. Not bad coffee but all that I could find.
Salavan - The Lalay border
I’d last ridden from Salavan to Ta Oy back in 2007 and remembered the route as challenging in places but ultimately rewarding in arriving at the small and then remote town, with Australian helicopter pilots searching for the US war junk and very little else. Now the road is paved all the way to the Vietnamese border, so rather than staying in Ta Oy as planned, I had breakfast there and continued on to the border.
Past Ta Oy I did manage to slip off the main road and ride some of the HCM trail shown on Don’s map, which included a few scenic river crossings.
I’d read that some EU nationals, included the UK no longer needed a Vietnam visa for 15 days stays from the 1st July so I’d thought I go up to the border to try it out. As it was the first day of the new rule I was keen to see if it was in place and interested to know if the rules of taking Thai bikes into Vietnam had changed too.
I explained to the Lao officials the new rule and they agreed to contact the Vietnamese officials by phone to find out the situation. I asked them to also enquire regarding taking my Thai registered bike into Vietnam. After some wait I was told that yes I could enter without a visa for 15 days but they were unsure about the bike. All the Lao officials could tell me was that if I stamped out of Laos and was not allowed into Vietnam with the bike I could come back to Laos, applying for a new visa of course. They also mentioned a Swiss national entering Vietnam that morning in a Lao pickup without a visa.
Having no real plans to visit Vietnam on this trip I decided not to try entering with the bike and returned to Samouay, first visiting a small village signposted close to the Lao border control.
In town I checked into a single bed, fan room in the Meenoh Guesthouse (N 16.29045 E 106.88903) for 50,000Kip a night. The rest of the day was spent sleeping and drinking beer, although finding a cold Lao beer was not so easy, with most places selling cans of Vietnamese ‘Huda’ beer in cans.
Samouay - Lao/Vietnamese border (6901)
The 6019 starts at the river crossing of the Pon River at the north side of town and winds its way up to Vietnam. The track itself is mostly rock so it was surprisingly dry and even sandy in places. What was causing me concern and tiring me out were the frequent rocky inclines and declines. I was thinking to myself, if I get stuck, or more probably fall down one of these there’s no one to help me or the bike if I damage it.
The route is not that long but after about half way I was tiring and decided to turn back. If I had been riding with a partner I would not have been so cautious. I was also being more cautious than usual as I had fallen off during the second large water crossing, having chosen the wrong path through, hitting an underwater rock formation shaped like stone pylons jutting out across the river bed, which turned the bike over onto it’s side. Once upright I was unable to start the bike and it was only with the help of a local I could push the bike out of the river and then start the engine in 3rd gear whilst he was pushing me along.
More to come...
This trip began a few days later than planned due to something getting into my trouser leg and feasting whilst riding in Chiang Rai the previous week and causing it to inflame. Being cautious (old age getting to me) I waited until the inflammation had gone before leaving for Laos.
I took the 20:30 night train from Bangkok’s Hualamphong station to Ubon Ratchathani, arriving as usual about an hour before in time to load the bike on the train. The ‘Parcels’ booth is past the final platform (12) and between the road. The price of the 2nd class, lower sleeping berth was 741THB, the price of sending my bike, a Honda CRF250L (weighing 160kg as per the green book) was 1082THB.
VOA at the Lao border at done at counter 5, collected at counter 6. Several Lao insurance companies located directly behind counter 8 where the bike entrance documents are processed. I paid 40,000Kip for 14 days insurance with LVI. As per my last trip to Laos I asked for a 30 day stay with the bike and was granted it. About 200m past the immigration office you must stop at Customs (N 15.12932, E105.47150) to get your document stamped
After border formalities I rode to Pakse and got a room at the rather unremarkable, but centrally located, Khantixay Guesthouse (N 15.11925 E 105.81488) next to the sport’s stadium. Rooms with air for 100,000Kip, 70,000Kip for fan.
Behind the central market are a few motorbike accessory shops and the Pakse Honda dealer, whom I noticed had three Honda CRF250L’s for sale, priced at 185,000THB, the first time I’d seen them for sale in Laos.
Pakse - Salavan
After Vietnamese coffee for breakfast I exchanged money and rode to Salavan, taking the lefthand turning next to the market at Paksong and bypassing some of the paved road section. The track was bumpy and muddy in places but a pleasant change from dodging the oncoming Lao pickups.
For lunch I stopped at the Tadlo Lodge for fried rice and a few beers.
Arriving in Salavan mid afternoon I checked into the Chindavone Guesthouse (N 15.71429 E 106.42155)for a simple. clean room with a/c for 100,000Kip. The same evening I had a ride around looking for a likely spot to eat. Went to the river but the restaurant was dead, ended up in a small local spot selling grilled goat at 25,000Kip and beer for 10,000Kip.
The following morning I walked around the market and found this coffee shop in one corner selling Lao coffee for 5,000Kip. Not bad coffee but all that I could find.
Salavan - The Lalay border
I’d last ridden from Salavan to Ta Oy back in 2007 and remembered the route as challenging in places but ultimately rewarding in arriving at the small and then remote town, with Australian helicopter pilots searching for the US war junk and very little else. Now the road is paved all the way to the Vietnamese border, so rather than staying in Ta Oy as planned, I had breakfast there and continued on to the border.
Past Ta Oy I did manage to slip off the main road and ride some of the HCM trail shown on Don’s map, which included a few scenic river crossings.
I’d read that some EU nationals, included the UK no longer needed a Vietnam visa for 15 days stays from the 1st July so I’d thought I go up to the border to try it out. As it was the first day of the new rule I was keen to see if it was in place and interested to know if the rules of taking Thai bikes into Vietnam had changed too.
I explained to the Lao officials the new rule and they agreed to contact the Vietnamese officials by phone to find out the situation. I asked them to also enquire regarding taking my Thai registered bike into Vietnam. After some wait I was told that yes I could enter without a visa for 15 days but they were unsure about the bike. All the Lao officials could tell me was that if I stamped out of Laos and was not allowed into Vietnam with the bike I could come back to Laos, applying for a new visa of course. They also mentioned a Swiss national entering Vietnam that morning in a Lao pickup without a visa.
Having no real plans to visit Vietnam on this trip I decided not to try entering with the bike and returned to Samouay, first visiting a small village signposted close to the Lao border control.
In town I checked into a single bed, fan room in the Meenoh Guesthouse (N 16.29045 E 106.88903) for 50,000Kip a night. The rest of the day was spent sleeping and drinking beer, although finding a cold Lao beer was not so easy, with most places selling cans of Vietnamese ‘Huda’ beer in cans.
Samouay - Lao/Vietnamese border (6901)
The 6019 starts at the river crossing of the Pon River at the north side of town and winds its way up to Vietnam. The track itself is mostly rock so it was surprisingly dry and even sandy in places. What was causing me concern and tiring me out were the frequent rocky inclines and declines. I was thinking to myself, if I get stuck, or more probably fall down one of these there’s no one to help me or the bike if I damage it.
The route is not that long but after about half way I was tiring and decided to turn back. If I had been riding with a partner I would not have been so cautious. I was also being more cautious than usual as I had fallen off during the second large water crossing, having chosen the wrong path through, hitting an underwater rock formation shaped like stone pylons jutting out across the river bed, which turned the bike over onto it’s side. Once upright I was unable to start the bike and it was only with the help of a local I could push the bike out of the river and then start the engine in 3rd gear whilst he was pushing me along.
More to come...
