Crossing the Border from Thailand to Laos

Crossing the Border
Chiang Kong, Thailand, to Houayxai, Laos

NOTE: The information in this post was written in 2009. In the years since, a modern bridge and immigration facility has been built in northern Thailand/Laos. As such, the border crossing featured below is a thing of the past.

Six hours after leaving Chiang Mai by bus, we arrived in the small border town of Chiang Kong, located on the shores of the Mekong River. A quick tuk tuk ride later we were standing in a line to get our passport exit stamps from a small booth on the side of a dusty road.

Once stamped, we headed down a hill to a dock area, bought a ticket from a tent for double what the locals pay and boarded a dinky wooden speed boat.

Once another dozen people got on board, the boat departed Thailand and made the two minute journey across the Mekong to the shores of Houayxai: the Laos border town. Some passengers had to step in shin-deep water to get off the boat.

I jumped the few feet onto the shore and had Carrie pass our bags over. We walked up a small barely-paved road for around 25 feet before hitting the arrival section, which was nothing more than two small office windows and a few tables with benches to write on.

Welcome to Laos

Unlike other countries where you must have your visa before leaving home, Laos offers visas on arrival.

For $35 per person, payable in US dollars or Thai Bhat (for a $10 surcharge), the Laos government gives you the legal right to stay in the country for 30 days without leaving (aka, a single-entry visa). Want to go check out another country and come back? Another $35 please.

We filled out the forms, provided the passport photos that we’ve been carrying around since NYC, paid the cashier and moved onto the adjacent window for a passport stamp.

With all paperwork taken care of, all that was left to do was finish walking up the small hill, show the one police officer at a guard post that we had our stamps and visas and enter Houayxai.

Carrie and I were joking that we couldn’t imagine a border anywhere with one single guard. What happens if someone runs by? Do they chase after him/her and leave the border unguarded? Do they just shrug their shoulders and say meh? Who knows!