An interesting border crossing between Laos and Thailand

[Outhere]

It was my first trip to Lao in November 2013, I crossed into Lao at Chang Khong with 2 other riders doing a 6 day trip through Luang Namtha, Oudomxay, Louangphabang and Xayaboury. We were in Xayaboury on our 5th day and our Thai ride Leader said that our final route out of Lao was down route 4 to a new border crossing, so after a coffee, food and fuel we headed off toward route 4 and I was in the lead. After about 10 mins it was apparent that the other 2 riders were not behind me so I retraced my steps and waited at the last known place in Xayaboury where we had sight of each other and after about 45 mins it became obvious that they had gone on ahead of me somehow and I would now have to catch up. None of us had Laos sim cards for our phones so we had no means of communicating either. After setting a cracking pace and not catching them down route 4 and then waiting for some time in the shade of a tree by a creek I decided that I would just go on to the border that was mentioned and meet them there as they would have to be waiting for me. Well after going past Pak lay and turning west from Kengsao the road was great for about 10klm's but then it turned into a maze of dirt tracks, construction sites, uncleared marked mine fields, dry flood channels and knee deep dust in places. It took quite a while to do the final 30klm's as it was dark now and somehow I managed to miss the "official" Lao border crossing as well, making it through to the Thai side by 9pm. It wasn't a warm welcome as I arrived at the Thai border check point, the Thai officials ran out flapping their arms and demanding I stop, remove my helmet, get out my documents etc etc. My Tai language is shit so I was lucky one of the Thai guys spoke a bit of English and he explained that the Laos border guards had already contacted them advising them that someone had run the border on their side, so the Thai's were a little excited thinking that there was some action heading their way. After clearing up what happened and phoning my friends (now I had phone coverage) I found that my other 2 travel companions had decided that they would go out via a completely different border crossing and somehow I would know that if I didn't see them on route 4....nice theory.....idiots! So the Thai officials explained no foreigners were allowed to cross the border yet and I would have to go back to Laos but insisted on me eating and drinking with them before I went back, sadly I obliged for a few hours to the point where I knew if I had one more I wouldn't even know which way Laos was. However there was one more problem, I had no fuel left to go to Laos so the Thai guys held my passport while I was escorted 5 klm's down the road to get 6 one litre bottles of fuel emptied into my tank by an unhappy local in his pyjamas at 11:30pm. After picking up my passport back at the border I headed off into the darkness trying to retrace my route amongst the labyrinth of tracks, construction sites and dry flood channels while looking for an obscure outpost border crossing. I found it after about an hour, my headlight slowly illuminating a figure stepping out of the scrub in the dark levelling an AK47 at me. I brought the bike to a reasonably quick stop, raised my hands and said G'day in my best Aussie accent. He wasn't impressed and another "official" stepped out of the scrub on my left with another AK pointed at me and motioned to follow him, I grabbed my tank bag and documents and walked with my new friends to a small building about 100 meters away where upon another official stepped out with a lantern to inspect my passport etc. He had lots of ribbons/medals and a seriously starched shirt so this guy was the man, I spoke slowly, explaining what had happened and that it was a simple mistake and I was happy to go back into Laos and go across the other border crossing at Muang Ngeun. After checking my papers he looked at me for some time with a cold stare then handed me my papers and told me to go.....I hesitated thinking is this where they shoot me in the back as I walk away to my bike, I looked at the guy still holding the AK on me and he smiled at me with a mouth full of broken and rotting teeth and I thought what choice have I got. I walked back to the bike in the dark in a rather wooden fashion, packed my papers away, got my helmet and jacket on and rode off going past the hut where the three Lao officials all vigorously waved goodbye as I went past. What a surreal moment, what a ridiculous day, what a great experience, this is what adventure travel is all about. I spent a well earned night at a guest house in Pak Lay and made it to Muang Ngeun by lunch time the next day where my soon to be x-travel companions were still waiting. So I guess "unofficially" I was the first foreigner to cross the Phudu border from both sides of Laos and Thailand.

[Lonerider]

I interesting story, good to read. All part of the journey!
I am crossing into Laos from Thailand on my own soon. Would you recommend the Chiang Khong crossing?

Thanks
Wayne

[Outhere]

Originally Posted by Lonerider

I interesting story, good to read. All part of the journey!
I am crossing into Laos from Thailand on my own soon. Would you recommend the Chiang Khong crossing?

Thanks
Wayne

No not at all! It depends on the day and who is in charge at immigration but it's unreliable to expect to take motorbikes across the new Friendship Bridge at Chiang Khong, so you have to get your bike ferried across which has doubled in price (2,000TB) and "you" cannot go with your bike, you have to go across the Friendship Bridge by either bus, taxi or tuk tuk while your bike goes on the ferry, then you have to pick up your bike, all of this is a pain in the derrière! This is all a bit of a shame because there's some sensational riding on new roads for about the first 180klm's between Huay Xai and Luang Nam Tha but after that it is a dirt nightmare with many Chinese and Laos trucks using "ALL" of the road. Depending on your travels I would recommend the Nan to Muang Nguan land crossing which has a less bureaucratic border, little traffic and nice roads. Hope this helps.

[Lonerider]

Originally Posted by Outhere

No not at all! It depends on the day and who is in charge at immigration but it's unreliable to expect to take motorbikes across the new Friendship Bridge at Chiang Khong, so you have to get your bike ferried across which has doubled in price (2,000TB) and "you" cannot go with your bike, you have to go across the Friendship Bridge by either bus, taxi or tuk tuk while your bike goes on the ferry, then you have to pick up your bike, all of this is a pain in the derrière! This is all a bit of a shame because there's some sensational riding on new roads for about the first 180klm's between Huay Xai and Luang Nam Tha but after that it is a dirt nightmare with many Chinese and Laos trucks using "ALL" of the road. Depending on your travels I would recommend the Nan to Muang Nguan land crossing which has a less bureaucratic border, little traffic and nice roads. Hope this helps.

Hi
Thanks for the heads up mate, I was looking at the Nan crossing also, I am in BKK going up to CM in a few days

Thanks a lot
Wayne