Forums > Travel Yunnan > Are turnaround visa runs possible at the China-Vietnam border in Hekou? Vietnam issues VOA for nationals of some countries, but not many...they include Thailand, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore (30 days) and all other ASEAN nationals with the exception of Myanmar for periods ranging from 14-30 days. Scandinavians and South Korean and Japanese citizens get 15 days. Everyone else needs a visa in advance, including Chinese citizens. I travelled through that crossing with a Norwegian friend recently and he didn't have a Vietnamese visa because he didn't need one. The Chinese border guards were well aware of that rule (even more aware than the Vietnamese border guard, who needed a supervisor to confirm that a visa was indeed not required!) For Laos, Swiss citizens can cross for 15 days without a visa, ASEAN nationals (except Myanmar) get 30 days.
Forums > Living in Kunming > Is Kundu safe? The guy that died yesterday was probably Chinese from what I heard. The Thai guy who was stabbed last year apparently died from his injuries...
I've also heard of a Lao guy who would always pick fights at Kundu and elsewhere and get himself into trouble nearly everywhere he went...he was on a student visa and in fact got deported after a serious incident at his dormitory.
It's hard to say because each situation is different, but it seems that foreigners in these situations are often getting themselves into trouble by not being careful enough, given they're in a foreign country, different culture etc. they really should be extra careful. Also, like everyone else has said...just be careful, don't do anything stupid and definately don't pick a fight.
Forums > Travel Yunnan > nearest Yunnan-Laos border crossing to Kunming? It's Boten, which may be near the place you mentioned, but i also heard another one in Phongsali may be opening sometime soon, but probably isn't open (to those using passports, including foreigners) yet. I'm guessing it's only for locals using day passes and probably is quite isolated. Once it does open, it would be much closer to Kunming, but on the other hand, wouldn't cut travel times down much since roads in Phongsali province are horrible and that province is quite impoverished. Therefore, it would simply mean getting to Laos more quickly and spending more time inside that country compared to the current situation. That's because if you look at a map, Xishuangbanna extends like a spur southward between Laos and Myanmar...everything to the east is Laos and eventually Vietnam east of that.
Forums > Travel Yunnan > Can Chinese get a visa in Bali on arrival? I have read that the Chinese authorities have recently made it harder for Chinese citizens to travel abroad, by requiring that all Chinese citizens have a visa in their passport IN ADVANCE despite there being a visa on arrival facility available in some countries.
What this means is that even if a Chinese citizen can apply for a visa on arrival from certain countries provided they are in possession of a round-trip air ticket and sufficient funds (for example 15 days in Thailand), the Chinese authorities will require Chinese citizens to have a visa in their passport before they are allowed to board a plane to that country. I saw evidence of this in Thailand, where a Chinese citizen on his way back to Beijing had only stayed in Thailand for 4 days but had a visa sticker in his passport from the embassy in Beijing. This inspite of Thailand allowing Chinese citizens to apply for 15 day visas on arrival.
Only if a Chinese citizen visits a second country WITH a visa in their passport and then proceeds to a third country from that other country would it be possible to apply for a visa on arrival. For example, if a Chinese citizen with a Singaporean visa in their passport goes to Singapore first and then Indonesia (assuming they actually allow Chinese citizens to apply for a visa on arrival) would they be allowed to board the plane and apply there. Otherwise, if leaving directly from China a visa must be applied for in advance.
Forums > Living in Kunming > Impressions of Kunming from a foreigner waidiren I hate those small jiao notes too...1 Yuan notes are fine, but I'd rather see more 1 Yuan coins. In Shanghai, all I ever got were jiao coins and most of the time even 1 Yuan coins, especially as change from taxis (which made me very happy). The problem with jiao notes is that they tend to be ripped and basically only useful as toilet paper. I usually just throw them somewhere as I can't be bothered keeping them in my wallet...they take up too much space.
I even know someone who actually used jiao notes as toilet paper in a public toilet...just in case you're not sure what to use them for...
Video: Kunming driver crosses pedestrian bridge
Posted byI'm surprised his car was still driveable and didn't end up with a zillion dents (or maybe it did). I wouldn't dare drive like that knowing that damaging my car is almost certain if I were to attempt that and secondly I have more regard for the safety of pedestrians than this bozo did.
Still, this was an entertaining piece of news.
Kunming addresses taxi shift change troubles
Posted byYep...though I'm more used to getting hassled than ignored. I thought we were all walking atms to these guys! Haha...anyway, it really depends though, because those taxi drivers that constantly pester you in places like Vietnam often rip you off, but if you go for the ones that are not specifically looking for fares they'll actually use the meters. Of course, taxis are better than motorcycle taxis though since they are less likely to rip you off. Also, you can almost always find a taxi or something else when you need one in those countries, even during rush hour. Something that's hard to do in Kunming and even Shanghai...
Also, apart from the occassional three-wheeled scooter or electric scooter driver willing to drive you somewhere, there are few alternative forms of transport in Kunming apart from the standard forms you'd see in the west: buses and taxis (and eventually, a subway). Only on the outskirts of town will you find motorcycle taxis who congregate around tourist spots such as the Nationalities Village, but these guys don't pick up fares inside town, probably because they aren't allowed to, I presume.
Kunming addresses taxi shift change troubles
Posted byWhat i find that's totally bizarre to me is that in a developing country like China, no taxi driver follows a foreigner like would happen in neighboring Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia or elsewhere. In those countries, you don't look for the taxis, they look for you! In Kunming and China in general, you can walk down the street and no taxi driver will ever stop for you unless you want them to.
Yunnan preparing warily for China smoking ban
Posted byTell the people to look at the signs and see what their reaction is! If they don't react, tell them that they can't read (which is what I would assume, if someone was just so oblivious to a sign right above their head).