I am going to set off on some jungle treking between Lao and Thailand. Are there any GPS TOPO maps for any GPS hand held units?

For Thailand best topo maps I've found are from Royal Thai Survey Dept. I have scanned them and incorporated into hand held GPS.

Any Lao TOPO maps?

Yes, 1:200,000 or 1:50,000 sheets are available at a reasonable price, altho I forget what that is, at the National Map/Geographic Office just to the west of the monster monument, the Patu Xai. The map office is also known by some as the Service Geographic. Entrance is near the old USAID compound at Na Hai Dieo. The building looks like it's about where the arrow is on the attachment, at Google Earth: 17-58-20.95 x 102-37-06.16

Mac

Yes, 1:200,000 or 1:50,000 sheets are available at a reasonable price, altho I forget what that is, at the National Map/Geographic Office just to the west of the monster monument, the Patu Xai. The map office is also known by some as the Service Geographic. Entrance is near the old USAID compound at Na Hai Dieo. The building looks like it's about where the arrow is on the attachment, at Google Earth: 17-58-20.95 x 102-37-06.16

Mac

are these GPS maps?

try the forum at malsingmaps.com, many member submitted gps maps there for download

Yes, 1:200,000 or 1:50,000 sheets are available at a reasonable price, altho I forget what that is, at the National Map/Geographic Office just to the west of the monster monument, the Patu Xai. The map office is also known by some as the Service Geographic. Entrance is near the old USAID compound at Na Hai Dieo. The building looks like it's about where the arrow is on the attachment, at Google Earth: 17-58-20.95 x 102-37-06.16

Mac

are these GPS maps?

try the forum at malsingmaps.com, many member submitted gps maps there for download

I doubt that they're GPS maps as they were done by the Russians some years back, 1980s I think.

Mac

I am assuming that you know where your going and what your doing but my first thought was that there are still sections of the Laos Thai border which have to be demined (generally more in the forested south border areas). (Not to mention that the demining and UXOs in Laos is a long term project given that it was the most heavily bombed country on earth.)

I would be interested in knowing exactly where your going hiking and how much of a off the track jungle trek it will be?

Many people do not know that Thailand has nearly 2,500 sq kms of landmined areas, mainly along the Cambodia border. At the current rates of demined it will take a few decades to clear it all.

Anyway, obviously if your not sure you'll check with the local military in the area your going hiking and or the Thai National Centre for Demining Operations.

Enjoy the trip.

Any Lao TOPO maps?

The Cartographic web site ( http://j.mp/divcoM ) lists maps at 19$ / sheet. Mapstor ( http://j.mp/anBe9B ) from 4$ /sheet and there's a link on this site to download the files for free in ready made Georeferenced map file (OziExplorer for Windows Mobile and PC). All in Russian though for Laos.

Dating from 1980's so presumably same as old Soviet stuff I was using back then. Check on getting all correct permits and uxb safety before going.

Edited July 13, 201016 yr by Digitalbanana

Any Lao TOPO maps?

The Cartographic web site ( http://j.mp/divcoM ) lists maps at 19$ / sheet. Mapstor ( http://j.mp/anBe9B ) from 4$ /sheet and there's a link on this site to download the files for free in ready made Georeferenced map file (OziExplorer for Windows Mobile and PC). All in Russian though for Laos.

Dating from 1980's so presumably same as old Soviet stuff I was using back then. Check on getting all correct permits and uxb safety before going.

These online scanned 1:250,000 scale maps of the Indochina, and Thailand, countries are handy. Click on a sheet, it expands into eight sheets, click again, and you get that 1/8th sheet, click again and again and it expands so that it's a lot easier to read than the originals hard copy.

http://www.nexus.net/~911gfx/sea-ao.html

Mac

We just got an update for the GPS Laos map which now includes the TOPO map as well (price 1.760 THB - including the routable and topo maps for Laos). You can contact us via Eagle GPS (or just click the banner of the sponsors)