Border crossing north Thailand-Laos
 

Hello
I post my experience, maybe it helps someone in the future.
First I went to Chiang Khong-Huay Xai (GPS 20.275522,100.405641)
At the ferry (300m over the Mekong) they asked for 500 baht.
This set my inner temper close to boiling point, since it's as much as the ferry Chumphon-Koh Tao (overnight) did cost.
Then the immigration said I need an additional paper, for which I have to go to the immigration office in the town center.
O.K. so I went there, got my documents copied, filled in this paper etc.
Then they asked for 200 bath for this paper.
With receipt it looked quite official and if I don't pay they will not let me cross the border, "it's up to me" they said.
Well, I decided to not pay a total of 700 baht and instead ride along the gorgeous border mountains to the next border crossing.
Chaloem Prah Kiat-Ban Nangeun (GPS 19.596252,101.086417) is quite remote and the road to there was amazing.
The Immigration officer spoke some english and said that I can't enter Lao on a "big bike" at this border crossing. Last week he had stamped out some people and they were refused by Lao and had to return to Thailand.
He offered me to first go to the Lao side and ask before he stamp me out.
Well I did, but because of language problems, I could not figure out if it might work.
So I drove on and the road along the border was even better than the part before, maybe the best I've driven in Thailand so far.
Then I tried Tha Li-Kenthao (GPS 17.690924,101.394839)
The Immigration wanted the same paper as before but he filled it in and there was no cost at all. The custom stamped me out and I was good to go.
In this moment came an other farang on a 400 Suzuki with Thai plates and said that he just got refused to cross at a checkpoint after the bridge,but befor the actual border. He was travelling with his Thai daughter (or girlfriend, I didn't ask), so there was no language problem but he didn't know the exact reason.
Since I alredy did all my paperwork I just tried and they stopped me for 5 minutes, made some phonecalls to their superiors and let me pass without any comment.
At the border I got directed to a booth, had to fill in a entry card and got a visa for 15 days at no cost. I could not get the 30 days.
At the custom they used the paper from Thailand, printed a green one and clipped all together with a receipt for 25000 Kip, which was all I had to pay to enter Lao.
No attempt for a bribe and the ferry at Paklay costs only 20000 Kip.

sushi

The 500 Baht fee is standard at that crossing, they are raking in as much as they can before the new bridge opens this year

The border near Nan has been closed for bikes for a month

You are lucky to get in where you did the next one that is open is Vientiane

can you get longer than 30 days for a Laos visa... or is it easy enough to extend it?

30 days max but vey easy to extend. But only at certain borders

yeah good to hear.. 30 days is definitely not enough..
thanks..