User profile: kmting

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Forums > Travel Yunnan > Lao land border crossing

Just to follow up. You do not need a visa in advance but the worker in Kunming station is lazy and will try to make you go away if you don't have a visa. Complain and persist!

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Forums > Travel Yunnan > Lao land border crossing

Thanks for the info. It is true that you must have an evisa for Laos before buying a train ticket at the station(not sure why if you can buy one on trip.com without a visa). Small queues but both times I've been there are agents buying 50-100 tickets a time.

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Forums > Travel Yunnan > Lao land border crossing

Thanks for the info. It is true that you must have an evisa for Laos before buying a train ticket at the station(not sure why if you can buy one on trip.com without a visa). Small queues but both times I've been there are agents buying 50-100 tickets a time.

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Forums > Travel Yunnan > Lao land border crossing

Has anyone done the Laos border crossing by fast train recently (since it started going straight over the border)and how long one needs to book tickets in advance. I.e. is it as in demand as mainland train tickets are?

And can one book online or only at the Kunming station? I'm presuming the Laos visa is made by hopping off the train then boarding again.

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Forums > Travel Yunnan > Lao land border crossing

I did it two days ago. It was a bit off a nightmare because the visa centre can't handle the thousands of chinese tourists coming every day. After a week or two it may calm down though.

If you do go it's quite likely you may miss the 3pm fast train from boten so prepare for it (I'd recommend a taxi/shared car to luang nam tha which is infinitely nicer than boten which is a hell hole,.and you can take the fast train the next day around 12.30) you could make the earlier 12.15 fast train from boten but you'd need to stay a night in xishuangbanna to make it.

Visa fees are cheaper and easier in US dollars which can be easily changed in Kunming. Also best to have a passport photo for the form or you'll be charged more to scan your passport.

If you are trying to make the 3pm train don't take the 5yuan bus from the Mohan station. Take a taxi directly. It saves crucial minutes to avoid the big queue that may be awaiting. Queue (read scrample) for booth 1. Booth 2 is only for collection. You have to go to booth 1 first. It's very chaotic. A couple of fights nearly broke out. Good times. Boten has almost zero facilities. No toilet. Dust. Dust. And more dust. There are a couple of hotels but really better to go straight to luang nam tha where there is no dust and cheaper and better guesthouses and food.

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I agree that the government manages water resources badly. But there is a complete lack of awareness from most people (not just in China) that water is a resource that has to be processed and is valuable. I have noticed people taking half an hour+ showers, washing their cars and using way too much water for washing the dishes. You can be certain that the richer families in the richers areas proportionaely use far much water than the older Xiaoqus.

Plus, imagine the loss of face cruising in a dusty BMW..

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