Sawadee Khrup, TV CM Friends,

When we get our bedraggled human's ass back to Chiang Mai from Laos, we'll do a post on the main Visa forum if we have anything helpful to say (that forum, thanks to Khun Lopburi3, does seem always quite up to date re Vientiane). But, yes, they are charging 1000 baht per entry as of April 20th.

But : Chiang Mai specific : we've had lots of discussion here in the past on the two bus companies providing Chiang Mai - Udon Thani VIP service, with, ioho, Oosuksatour coming out the winnter.

This time, we're a bit unhappy to note that the Oosuksatour bus seemed not as large as before, and a bit bedraggled itself, not as comfortable as before. No tall katheoy in mini-dress this time; long delay in getting water to us on the outbound leg. We find out tonight how the return service to Chiang Mai is.

Would be interesting to know if the other company has upgraded its buses.

best, ~o:37;

Yes, but what about the lives of dogs over there? Seems to me that you might see something of their situation. And they should be more likely to speak to a stranger if he is bedraggled.

Sawasdee Khrup, TV CM Friends,

Just came back on Oosuksatour VIP from Udon Thani, arrive CM today a litle before 9am or so : this time the bus was a "Scania" brand, not a "Hino," but I regret to say the seats, again, seemed narrower than on our November last year run to UT and back via Oosuksatour, and the bus more "run down." Service better this time, but no mini-skirted kathoey in at least four-inch platform heels serving.

Reply to CMX follows :

best, ~o:37;

Yes, but what about the lives of dogs over there? Seems to me that you might see something of their situation. And they should be more likely to speak to a stranger if he is bedraggled.

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun CMX,

Well, we didn't see many dogs in Vientiane: just a few inside little shops, and none on the streets. But that, probably, reflects several factors : all related to wanting to minimize outside exposure to ferocious heat and very polluted air in most of Vientiane (except for where our hotel was):

1. we only moved between three places : Thai consular services building; the Mekong Sunshine Hotel on the main road by the Mekong at the northern end of that road (Rue Sithane intersection); and, the "Talat Sao," or "morning market," and the bus station opposite it. We explored Vientiane's Wats and Museum years before, one delightful November.

2. so we weren't a roaming in the gloaming, and going into rural neighborhoods where, we assume, you'd find the usual canine mange-buckets flopping around the sois. Or ... would you ?

Unfortunately, independent of the degree of our own "bedragglement," "talking" to dogs is not a gift we have, but we sense, without being able to prove, that the Orang in us, like our human, loves dogs, and likes to play with them, but considers them relatively non-interesting compared to the much more spiritually evolved beings known as "cats." Even before the cosmic orango-tango that blended our two souls and minds into two entities sharing a human body, my human had special empathy with cats, special "psychic vibes," but never the same with almost all dogs.

From our point of view, out cat "owns us" : not the reverse.

best, ~o:37;

My girlfriend came back from Udon the other day on Sakapong companies bus, the AC failed 1 hour out of Udon, They couldn't fix and continued on, Several foreigners on the bus complained about it to the driver and phoned the bus company, the company said it was the drivers responsibility to repair it and they couldn't send another bus. The AC did eventually start working 6 hours into the trip well after the sun went down, Oosuksatour buses are in much better condition than Sakapongs and their customer service is a lot better.

BUT the 2 companies alternate days for VIP so you don't have much choice really. I have been travelling to and from Udon 2-3 times a month using these companies and sometimes have to get the standard buses. I've had all sorts of nightmare journies including breakdowns, cramped with people standing in the alleys, and air con dripping water constantly with no space to move, I arrived wetter than a day oo song kran and not happy. But theres no other cheap way to get there, right? So got to suck it up and curse and fume silently.

So got to suck it up and curse and fume silently.

It is so much fun to travel with people doing that I can hardly wait to get on the bus again. All those people who sleep, read books, listen to music, chat, meditate, daydream or just space out, really do not know what they are missing since they could be cursing and fuming silently. It is all about the journey, not the destination, or is it?

orang! You should have told me you were going to VTE. I was there... and just got back today! lol

I've been wondering about the Bus to Udon. How clean is it? Like the little potty in the back of the bus. I had been thinking of doing a train ride, but someone sent me a picture of the toilet on the train.

I'm pretty mysophobic so I might just shell out for Nok air. lol

As for dogs... depends on where you are, but I barely ever see soi dogs(at least where I am - the "suburbs" lol). Most dogs there have homes...or someone decided a BBQ was good for that weekend...

I have notice quite a bit of soi cats... they sound like... I dont know how to really describe it. Like a half small child, ghost, thing crying out. Sounds nothing like a cat. lol

orang! You should have told me you were going to VTE. I was there... and just got back today! lol

I've been wondering about the Bus to Udon. How clean is it? Like the little potty in the back of the bus. I had been thinking of doing a train ride, but someone sent me a picture of the toilet on the train.

I'm pretty mysophobic so I might just shell out for Nok air. lol

As for dogs... depends on where you are, but I barely ever see soi dogs(at least where I am - the "suburbs" lol). Most dogs there have homes...or someone decided a BBQ was good for that weekend...

I have notice quite a bit of soi cats... they sound like... I dont know how to really describe it. Like a half small child, ghost, thing crying out. Sounds nothing like a cat. lol

My mates missus comes from Vietienne and the reason for so few dogs is they eat them there my mate and his missus tricked us after coming back form a familly gathering they bought us some bar b que and we ate it and his bird laughed and said in her non english accent GALLY eat the dog Gally eat the dog

Yep they fed me dog and you know what the only reason i stopped eating it was the intestines the actual meat was very tasty.

So next time you in Laos just count how many dogs you see it wont be many for sure not like here in Thailand

If anyone needs to go to vietinene on the 5th May back on the 8th let me know by PM

My mates missus comes from Vietienne and the reason for so few dogs is they eat them there my mate and his missus tricked us after coming back form a familly gathering they bought us some bar b que and we ate it and his bird laughed and said in her non english accent GALLY eat the dog Gally eat the dog

Yep they fed me dog and you know what the only reason i stopped eating it was the intestines the actual meat was very tasty.

So next time you in Laos just count how many dogs you see it wont be many for sure not like here in Thailand

Reminds me of some small meat pies I was eating in Lao. After the third day of eating them, a neighbouring stall holder, obviously with some familiarity of western ways, shouted "No mister, LAT, LAT" Obviosly rat pies then. The pastry was OK, but the rat was tasteless with the consistency of cardboard.