bsacbob
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Thanks for the video link, looks like its going to be a good movie when it's released.
Long Cheng Travel Warning
- Thread starter bsacbob
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Lone Rider
Blokes Who Can
I asked the guy who sent me the warning. He indicated it was the Long Chaeng to Samthong road. However a bit later he sent me another message: Seems to be an ongoing issue there but, after the recent spate probably clear now, as the army would have mobilised big time. If there was a current issue then the army would likely block you from going through there until they thought they had it sorted.
bsacbob
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Just to update travel issues into Long Cheng. Access from Phonsavan is a no go, we got politely turned back by police just North of the spoon village, although i did mange to convince them to let us visit the spoon village assuring them we would return.
They explained the road was too difficult for us to ride.
Not to be outdone i decided to try accessing from a clockwise direction passing through Khoun and heading South picking up the new Sysomboune road and entering via Phu Bia mining area, all was well until we came to the army check point at N18.97149 E102.92419. Expect to be stopped and your bags searched, they asked where i was heading which was pretty obvious as Long Cheng is the only destination in that direction.
When i told them Long Cheng they said no, after 20 minutes after banter and dishing out my kids sweets and having a few beers i explained i wanted to visit my friend Mr Saysomone in Long Cheng and we planned to stay the night and simply turn back. They made it very clear we could not continue North to Sam Thong under any circumstances we agreed and finally got under way.
Corruption has raised its ugly head in Long Cheng, on our arrival two police offers approached us in a restaurant and asked for our passports, we presented them and they explained they needed to copy the visa etc. We shared a beer or two then they said they needed to talk to us privately in the guesthouse. To cut a long story short they wanted 100 thousand Kip for each day we stayed in Long Cheng. This looks like a real scam by if you want to stay you have no choice, we coughed up the money but it leaves a very nasty taste as this is sure to get worse.
They explained the road was too difficult for us to ride.
Not to be outdone i decided to try accessing from a clockwise direction passing through Khoun and heading South picking up the new Sysomboune road and entering via Phu Bia mining area, all was well until we came to the army check point at N18.97149 E102.92419. Expect to be stopped and your bags searched, they asked where i was heading which was pretty obvious as Long Cheng is the only destination in that direction.
When i told them Long Cheng they said no, after 20 minutes after banter and dishing out my kids sweets and having a few beers i explained i wanted to visit my friend Mr Saysomone in Long Cheng and we planned to stay the night and simply turn back. They made it very clear we could not continue North to Sam Thong under any circumstances we agreed and finally got under way.
Corruption has raised its ugly head in Long Cheng, on our arrival two police offers approached us in a restaurant and asked for our passports, we presented them and they explained they needed to copy the visa etc. We shared a beer or two then they said they needed to talk to us privately in the guesthouse. To cut a long story short they wanted 100 thousand Kip for each day we stayed in Long Cheng. This looks like a real scam by if you want to stay you have no choice, we coughed up the money but it leaves a very nasty taste as this is sure to get worse.
Lone Rider
Blokes Who Can
Just to update travel issues into Long Cheng. Access from Phonsavan is a no go, we got politely turned back by police just North of the spoon village, although i did mange to convince them to let us visit the spoon village assuring them we would return.
They explained the road was too difficult for us to ride.
Not to be outdone i decided to try accessing from a clockwise direction passing through Khoun and heading South picking up the new Sysomboune road and entering via Phu Bia mining area, all was well until we came to the army check point at N18.97149 E102.92419. Expect to be stopped and your bags searched, they asked where i was heading which was pretty obvious as Long Cheng is the only destination in that direction.
When i told them Long Cheng they said no, after 20 minutes after banter and dishing out my kids sweets and having a few beers i explained i wanted to visit my friend Mr Saysomone in Long Cheng and we planned to stay the night and simply turn back. They made it very clear we could not continue North to Sam Thong under any circumstances we agreed and finally got under way.
Corruption has raised its ugly head in Long Cheng, on our arrival two police offers approached us in a restaurant and asked for our passports, we presented them and they explained they needed to copy the visa etc. We shared a beer or two then they said they needed to talk to us privately in the guesthouse. To cut a long story short they wanted 100 thousand Kip for each day we stayed in Long Cheng. This looks like a real scam by if you want to stay you have no choice, we coughed up the money but it leaves a very nasty taste as this is sure to get worse.
Yes, the 100,000 Kip seems to be the norm since this summer. My friend who went there with a customes also mentioned that he paid 100,000 Kip per person.
mactbkk
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Bob
How was the road, Rt 5, I think it is, from the Tha Vieng area where you take the ford across the river and head west through Moung Om and on to Anouvong town, formerly called Xaysomboun town? Was there an army checkpoint on that road?
Mac
How was the road, Rt 5, I think it is, from the Tha Vieng area where you take the ford across the river and head west through Moung Om and on to Anouvong town, formerly called Xaysomboun town? Was there an army checkpoint on that road?
Mac
bsacbob
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Mac the road from the 1d at vienghong where it crosses the nam ngiap is about to get a new bridge there is a swing bridge for motorcycles as well as a new light bridge for trucks. The first 25km or so is very rocky. From Muang om it starts to get more graded, all the water crossings have new concrete bases or I recall two older Bailey bridges still remaining.
Just to add there are numerous check points but no problem, I did notice all the earth moving machines had a couple pilot armed with AK47's
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Just to add there are numerous check points but no problem, I did notice all the earth moving machines had a couple pilot armed with AK47's
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
Lone Rider
Blokes Who Can
Travel Advisory from Australia and Canada for Rd 13 and the Xaysomboun area - Again and Again
Travellers are warned to not travel overland from Vang Viang to Luang Prabang as a safety precaution, according to the latest Smartraveller advisory issued by the Australian government, Monday. The Australian advisory did not elaborate other than to say it was recommending travellers avoid overland travel on highway 13 beyond Vang Vieng.
However, a recent Canadian travel advisory advices travellers to exercise a high degree of caution due to ongoing security concerns related to "banditry and unexploded munitions". It identified Xaisomboun province and portions of Road 13 and the "new road" between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang as the risk areas.
Global Affairs Canada said portions of Road 13 and the "new road" between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang were risky due to "the tense security situation and recent random shooting incidents."
The Australian advisory recommends travellers to travel by air from the capital Vientiane to Luang Prabang.
The travel advisory also warns visitors to be vigilant when using ATMs and credit cards as there have been reports of ATM fraud, including the use of skimming machines in Laos.
Source: http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2017/01/risky-roads-in-laos/
Travellers are warned to not travel overland from Vang Viang to Luang Prabang as a safety precaution, according to the latest Smartraveller advisory issued by the Australian government, Monday. The Australian advisory did not elaborate other than to say it was recommending travellers avoid overland travel on highway 13 beyond Vang Vieng.
However, a recent Canadian travel advisory advices travellers to exercise a high degree of caution due to ongoing security concerns related to "banditry and unexploded munitions". It identified Xaisomboun province and portions of Road 13 and the "new road" between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang as the risk areas.
Global Affairs Canada said portions of Road 13 and the "new road" between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang were risky due to "the tense security situation and recent random shooting incidents."
The Australian advisory recommends travellers to travel by air from the capital Vientiane to Luang Prabang.
The travel advisory also warns visitors to be vigilant when using ATMs and credit cards as there have been reports of ATM fraud, including the use of skimming machines in Laos.
Source: http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2017/01/risky-roads-in-laos/
blackwolf
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This is the same warning as given almost a year ago, nothing new here.
Many Lao based expats and travelers who know Laos well are all saying it's safe to travel between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang during the day and nobody over on Lonely Planet's Thorntree Forum is panicking about this. I would avoid night time travel though, just to be on the safe side.
However, for anyone concerned, a longish way to travel from Vientiane to Luang Prabang is via the Mekong River road to Xanakham and then across the Mekong to Paklai (the bridge will open soon) then along route 4, which is in much better shape than R13N anyway via Sayaburi and Xieng Ngeun where you rejoin R13N to Luang Prabang. From Vang Vieng one could travel north to Xang, just south of Kasi then travel south-west towards Xanakham before traveling north again just north of Xanakham towards Paklai and joining R4.
You could also travel east to Paksan then north to Xieng Khuang province, but that would presumably take much longer. Vientiane to Luang Prabang via the Mekong river road can be done in a day (from personal experience around 9-10 hours by car not including waiting for the Paklai ferry and maybe an hour less by motorcycle).
KTMphil
Senior member
Looks like Long Cheng is relaxed again. A friend was there the past couple of days, no "permit" money to the Army etc....
allan 2 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
allan 1 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
allan 2 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickrallan 1 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
bsacbob
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He didn't stop overnight just grabbed some food and headed back to Vang Vieng I am sure the tea money rule is still in place
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Lone Rider
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Another friend of me went there 2 days ago - no hassles and no tea-money but I am not sure if he stayed the night (most probably not)
mactbkk
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Wonder where in XSB, it's a large province. On the west, it butts up against Vang Vieng, on the east it includes Tha Thom, there on R 1D, the Paksane-PDJ road.
Only Chinese project I recall is the Nam Ngeum 3 dam, close by Long Tieng on the west.
Mac
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world...l-shot-dead/story-P9X32z2B8iJH2SfG8F2k6H.html
In 2016, China and Laos agreed to step up security cooperation following a series of attacks on Chinese nationals.
WORLD Updated: Jun 19, 2017 12:18 IST
Reuters, Beijing
China's embassy in Laos has issued a safety warning to its citizens there after a Chinese national was shot dead in the country's Xaysomboun province.
Chinese workers have increasingly come under attack as companies expand abroad as part of President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road plan to build infrastructure with the rest of Asia and beyond, often in politically unstable places.
China and Laos last year agreed to step up security cooperation following a series of attacks on Chinese nationals, including shootings and bomb attacks.
One Chinese national was killed on Friday by an unidentified gunman, the embassy said in a statement posted to its website late on Sunday. It did not give further details.
"The Chinese embassy requested that Laos quickly solve the case and severely punish the killer, and at the same time take practical action to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and organisations in Laos," the embassy said.
The embassy also reminded Chinese people in the country to raise their security awareness.
Laos' Xaysomboun region has been plagued by sporadic conflict between the government and ethnic Hmong rebels for years.
Two Chinese people, including an employee of a mining company, were killed in a suspected bomb blast on a vehicle in the region in January 2016.
In March 2016, one Chinese worker was killed and several injured in an attack on a company with Chinese investment in Luang Prabang province.
China has been vying for influence in Laos, providing loans, aid and infrastructure investment. Beijing sees its neighbour as an important route to Southeast Asian ports for landlocked parts of southwestern China such as Yunnan.
Only Chinese project I recall is the Nam Ngeum 3 dam, close by Long Tieng on the west.
Mac
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world...l-shot-dead/story-P9X32z2B8iJH2SfG8F2k6H.html
In 2016, China and Laos agreed to step up security cooperation following a series of attacks on Chinese nationals.
WORLD Updated: Jun 19, 2017 12:18 IST
Reuters, Beijing
China's embassy in Laos has issued a safety warning to its citizens there after a Chinese national was shot dead in the country's Xaysomboun province.
Chinese workers have increasingly come under attack as companies expand abroad as part of President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road plan to build infrastructure with the rest of Asia and beyond, often in politically unstable places.
China and Laos last year agreed to step up security cooperation following a series of attacks on Chinese nationals, including shootings and bomb attacks.
One Chinese national was killed on Friday by an unidentified gunman, the embassy said in a statement posted to its website late on Sunday. It did not give further details.
"The Chinese embassy requested that Laos quickly solve the case and severely punish the killer, and at the same time take practical action to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and organisations in Laos," the embassy said.
The embassy also reminded Chinese people in the country to raise their security awareness.
Laos' Xaysomboun region has been plagued by sporadic conflict between the government and ethnic Hmong rebels for years.
Two Chinese people, including an employee of a mining company, were killed in a suspected bomb blast on a vehicle in the region in January 2016.
In March 2016, one Chinese worker was killed and several injured in an attack on a company with Chinese investment in Luang Prabang province.
China has been vying for influence in Laos, providing loans, aid and infrastructure investment. Beijing sees its neighbour as an important route to Southeast Asian ports for landlocked parts of southwestern China such as Yunnan.
