Boy Lao Update

I decided that instead of sitting at home all weekend PISSED OFF that my adsl "service" in Bnagkok is INSUFFICIENT to protect my own safety (I am thinking of my OWN million man march on an ISP headqusrters, if anyone else is with me) I decided too hi-tail it to Laos for at least the weekend. Having feared extreme heat I find fortunately the weather here is very mild, quite a cool breeze in fact.

Everything seemed completely normal at the rail way station on Thursday. There were seats. The crowd was sparse. Wasn't there a major crisis about to happen? Wouldn't Thais be FLEEING Bangkok and their safety (like me)? There was NO commotion. Nothing to indicate anything extraordinary going on. A major crisis was unfolding possibly changing Thai government as they knew it forever and it was like NOTHING was going on.

If it wasn't already reported, there is now a gay bar in Vien Chaing. It's name is GQ bar. It is well located to the tourist restaurant/guest house area just a 5-10 minute walk from the fountain, on one of the roads leading into the river. Search for it on Gay Romeo. I passed by it last night. It looked kinda nice on the inside with a few friendly customers. I couldn't stay, however, as Boy Lao, whom I met at the internet cafe as soon as I got here (can you believe that out of about 25 GR candidates I met the one when I got here?), didn't want to go in. He said 1) his friends tell him it is too expensive, and 2) he is afraid that maybe he could be seen by certain of his friends from high school in there and he doesn't want that to happen. As to what has been reported here as possible unfriendliness I must say Boy Lao has met no resistance at the hotel, going as far as just parking his motorbike on the deck in front of the manager without even a eye being lashed. Just like in America, I guess. Maybe it helps that I have a double. There are many discos in town, to "expensive" for me to go into. A lot of the old shops seem to be closing but restaurants are getting a little better even. Despite the HORRIBLY low dollar (about 8000 now) it's still a real good deal.

{{{{{Incorrect Statement about a wine shop deleted here. VC is still a great excuse just to shop for wine!}}}}}}}}}}}}}

The river right now is an area of some major work with dump trucks, bulldozers, rock smashers, and more all over the place moving dirt here or there all day and night with the restaurants picking up only after dusk. The river is very low, everyone blaming it on China's damming upriver. Makes for an interesting walk out the river. Maybe the waterfall today. I know it's supposed to be a disappointment but we'' go see it, for myself.

I think Vien Chaing boys are different than Luang Prabang boys. I don't know. I just thought I'd throw that out. Maybe I'll learn more depending on the "situation" Tuesday whether to go north or back south.

[TrongpaiExpat]

If you fled Bangkok because of the Red Shirts, that's a bit of an overreaction. Unless you go or live where they are, it pretty much life as normal as it gets. There's less traffic this weekend, the BTS and MRT are not as crowded as usual and the bar are open. Some business have closed but not all.

You should have saved this evacuation for next month when Songkran hits Thailand. That does not go on unnoticed like a Red Shirt protest/parade/party.

I gather you took the direct train to Lao? You got a visa first? How much for the train, how long, comfort? How are you getting around in Lao?

ISP's in Thailand are now offering special discounts on semaphore flags, as the latter seem to be a faster way to send and receive information than adsl.

I just tested my speed at www.speakeasy.net/speedtest (http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest) (connecting to the San Francisco server) and rated a download speed of 9.93Mbps on my True line.

Maybe you need to find a new provider?

[TrongpaiExpat]

Answering my own questions: http://www.seat61.com/Laos.htm#Bangkok%20to%20Vientiane

"You can't buy through tickets from Bangkok to Thanaleng, at least not yet, you have to buy a ticket from Bangkok to Nong Khai, then buy the onward ticket from Nong Khai to Thanaleng at the station when you get to Nong Khai. You can buy your Bangkok-Nong Khai sleeper ticket at the reservations office in Bangkok or online using the new Thai Railways online booking service. The new online service can now book 2nd class air-con sleepers from Bangkok to Nong Khai on train 69, but it won't book 1st class ones or tickets for any of the other Bangkok-Nong Khai trains, at least not yet. Or you can buy tickets through an agency such as Traveller2000. For details of all these methods see the How to Buy Tickets section on the Thailand page. You then buy your Nong Khai to Thanaleng ticket for 20 baht when you arrive at Nong Khai station. There's plenty of time to do this, as the train has a 2 hour layover in Nong Khai before the connecting train heads to Thanaleng.

A two hour layover? This still true and why?

I just tested my speed at http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest (connecting to the San Francisco server) and rated a download speed of 9.93Mbps on my True line.

Maybe you need to find a new provider?

Or may be I need to move nearer a decent node.

[goji]

You then buy your Nong Khai to Thanaleng ticket for 20 baht when you arrive at Nong Khai station. There's plenty of time to do this, as the train has a 2 hour layover in Nong Khai before the connecting train heads to Thanaleng.[/i]
A two hour layover? This still true and why?

I figure you would save at least an hour by getting out, crossing the border & paying about 60 baht for a shared tuk tuk ride to Vientiane.

If you fled Bangkok because of the Red Shirts, that's a bit of an overreaction.
You should have saved this evacuation for next month when Songkran hits Thailand. I gather you took the direct train to Lao? You got a visa first? How much for the train, how long, comfort? How are you getting around in Lao?

Well, let me put it this way, the thought that I might walk into a MacDonald's in Bangkok and could get accidentally sat on by a fatso red shirt was just TOO scary. Yeah, I am being a little bit facetious here.

Well, I am finally RELIEVED from three whole days (he's back to WORK this Monday morning) of insatiable Boy Lao.He was a pleasure wanting little more than mutual satisfaction, keeping the tank topped off, dinner, temple fees dinner and drinks. We had one argument before our last dinner which was let's have an expensive dinner, not our third run on a noodle shop (I won). We took many showers. I WILL definitely be back here for '10 (Lao*) Songkran this year (remembering how much fun it was last year having our street dance in Bangkok!).

I am impressed that the quality and speed of the world wide WEB service in downtown Vien Chaing internet cafes is SO MUCH BETTER than that at home in Bangkok. I remember the early years of internet service here in Lao which was, well, worse than that in India back then. VC is coming along pretty well. I'm even kinda becoming convinced the boys are better here ;-) than in Thailand (hehehehe).

All the merchants still want 3% for the right to use your credit card. I tell them, hey that's 6% on us foreigners (2-3 % lost in exchange plus the 3% bank fee). The resistance to picking up part of this is still out there! I would spend more money here if I didn't have to worry about handling cash!

The visa service outside the friendship bridge quoted a few dollars cheaper plus 400 baht fee. The most significant expense this trip was, of course, the EXTREMELY HIGH $35.00 visa fees for US citizens at Lao immigration. The outside visa service may have been better as Lao immigration was still on lunch for 20 minutes when I got there. It is $30.00 for most other western countries but $42.00 for Canadians. The guest house was 500 baht per night and I could have done cheaper I'm sure. Our 'expensive' dinner was $12.00, including one cocktail.

I can sleep on the overniht a/c to Nong Khai. I was stuck with an upper berth and it was kind of too cold but I was prepared for that, that happens a lot on trains. Was it 750 baht? The going price Friendship Bridge to VC is going down it seems, I paid 200 baht (used to be 300 baht in older cars) as the only passenger in a big new a/c'd luxury van direct to the nam phu (sp?) fountain square.

Well, first the US and British governments INCORRECTDLY warned us of a MILLION man march, then it was "100's of thousands" now the BBC is trying to make believed it is a "100,000" but it looks to me it is "10s of thousands" at best. Tell me how insignificant this is for a country of, what, 70 million people by now? A bunch of sore couch potatoes mad they may never get a "loan". Let the movement continue to fuddle. May he be their leader through the December '12 elections.

Does anyone off hand know the exact dates for VC Songkran?

[goji]

The British government is best ignored. We've lost our way in the last 120 years.

In my opinion the detailed information provided by the Foreign Office
and the U.S. Department of State is excellent and free from hysteria.

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-liv ... /thailand/ (http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/asia-oceania/thailand/)

http://www.wiids.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/hysteria_hospital_logo_hires-283x300.jpg

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/031010wardenmessage.html
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_t ... _1040.html (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1040.html)

[Beachlover]

Well, first the US and British governments irresponsibly warned us of a MILLION man march, then it was "100's of thousands" now the BBC is trying to make believed it is a "100,000" but it looks to me it is "10s of thousands" at best. Tell me how insignificant this is for a country of, what, 70 million people by now? A bunch of sore couch potatoes mad they may never get a "loan". Let the movement continue to fuddle. May he be their leader through the December '12 elections.

I wouldn't call it "irresponsible". Put yourself in their shoes. They always have to err on the side of caution. If they downplay or underestimate the threat and it turns out to be real and citizens are hurt as a result... the public would hold them responsible and accountable. Nobody knew exactly how many protesters there would be or how it would turn out.

I wouldn't call it "irresponsible". Put yourself in their shoes. They always have to err on the side of caution. If they downplay or underestimate the threat and it turns out to be real and citizens are hurt as a result... the public would hold them responsible and accountable. Nobody knew exactly how many protesters there would be or how it would turn out.

OK. Word changed above from "irresponsible" to "INCORRECTLY" in response to yours and another's reply, above.

And that's what's got me wondering! The US DID in fact very accurately predict thge DATES almost two weeks before, as I remember it . And that's odd that they were so SURE of when tyhe event was to be that they specified it that far in advance. IEven we on this considered decrepit board usually get "the news" faster than them. I looked at that time and there was a lot of published confsuion as to whether there would BE a rally or when it would be, most suggesting END of March. Were they helping the red shirts to plan it? Or were they just trying to push them into it?

Now put yourself in their shoes. If they would have gotten the dates wrong one poor sucker WOULD have HAD to maybe miss a golf game or a weekend picnic and get tied to the terminals writing another email. They were SURE of the dates !!!!!! Think about that. Why would that be?

And they did fail miserably on the turnout numbers. Shame. Dids n't turn out their way?

[maisoui]

The British government is best ignored. We've lost our way in the last 120 years.

Why am I not surprised that you remember.