Travelling To China From Chiangmai

[bangkok blue]

Hi all,

Thought about checking out China.... Friend of mine said could do by train in less than 48hrs... Obv gonna have to go through Laos, maybe Bhurma.... Where would I be from Chinese boarder? Any ideas as to how I would get from there to Guilin or Beijing?

Thanks for any tips.

[Spoke]

The easiest (aside from flying there) should be the boat from Chiang Saen (Chiang Rai) to Jinghong (Yunnan province). I understand that it runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays but it only if there are enough customers. From Jinghong you have train connections to the rest of China. If you go this way then you do not need to get Laos or Burmese visas. There is no train service from Thailand to China. Your only other options would be bus through Laos.

[ChouDoufu]

there is no rail service from jinghong, or anywhere in southwest yunnan province. from jinghong you must take (fast and cheap) bus to kunming. from there you have

rail connections to the rest of china. you can reach china by rail from hanoi, with connections to kunming (yunnan) or nanning (guangxi). i'm not sure it is possible

for non-chinese to use the land border from myanmar.