Ubon To Pakse, Secure Parking At The Border?.

[johnlk]

Hi all,

just booked the bus tickets to Ubon for next week when the GF and I will be making a 5 day trip to her home town just outside Ubon.

I want to combine the trip home with an overnight stay in Pakse (for visa-run purposes), but I have a couple of questions;

We will rent a motorbike when we arrive in Ubon, and I am hoping we can use it to get to the border and leave it parked securely while we go into Laos. Does ayone know if there is any secure parking anywhere near the border crossing?

It would be for the best part of 2 days and just the one night.

Secondly, I want to be prepared for the actual crossing, so am I right when I say i will need $35 for the Laos visa-on-arrival? I am a UK passport holder.

I will take some passport photos with me too, just in case.

[tig28]

Its about 80 Klm from Ubon to Chong Mek. That"s a pretty solid trip on a small-engine hired motor cycle. Many buses do the run.$35 US shall cover the Lao visa -- by memory I paid about 1,500 Bt.last time. Strangely only Canadians pay more --- go figure??

How do you intend to get from the border to Pakse?

Can offer no comment on secure parking -- sorry.

[SantiSuk]

There used to be, and probably still is a twice daily VIP bus from Ubon to Pakse that waits for you to go through the border. About 3 hours including the border form filling. We last used it 2 years ago. It then cost 200 or 250 baht one way and was very comfortable and easy. Goes from the main Ubon long distance bus station on the ring road near Big C. Try calling up the Ubon TAT office for information or another number to call.

We have also done that route on public buses - Warin Chamrap bus station to Phibun bus station then songthaew to Chong Mek border then a 1 k walk through the border to a songthaew station the other side of the border for the last 60k (ish - can't remember precisely) to Pakse. Slow (allow 4-5 hours) but cheap as chips and interesting. Thai wives do not understand why falang like to rough it occasionally though!

We have left a hire car on the street at Chong Mek outside 24 hour restaurants close to the border post for a few days jaunt into Laos but I would not advise that particularly and my wife was horrified at my risk-taking. Usually I try to find a decent hotel where I can tip the car park attendant 200 baht to keep an eye on my vehicle - but I know of no such hotel close to Chong Mek.

It would be dam_n useful if here was some secure parking.

[BlueScouse]

I have just returned from a trip to Pakse.

Parking for cars can be had next to the place where Thais get their border pass for going to Pakse.

Cost was 200 baht per night. Don't know about motorbikes.I wouldn't advise going there from Ubon

on a small motorbike. The road from Phibun to Chong Mek is being widened to a 4 lane highway.

Bus goes from Ubon to Pakse about 8am and costs 200 baht.

Visa for a Brit costs $35 or 1500 baht. You will need one photo. Your girl will also need her passport.

If she hasn't one,then she will need a border pass.Also needs a photo and her ID Card.

From the bus station in Pakse you can get a tuk tuk to your hotel.

I would suggest you book your hotel before you go,as many are now full.

I f you do go on your motorbike,then after Laos Immigration,about 50 metres down the road,are many minibusses

for hire.About 8oo baht to your hotel,or 2500 baht all day.Me and the wife had already booked at the Arawan

Hotel,1300 baht, so we went touring first.Just the two of us and the driver.Went to coffee and tea plantations

aand 4 waterfalls.See this website

http://www.paksong.info/waterfall_at_the_bolaven_plateau.php

Arrived at hotel at 4pm.Couldn't book for the next night as full,so driver took us around to find another.

Second night stayed at the Pakse Hotel,run by a Frenchman and his Laos wife.Converted movie theatre.Cheapest room about 950 baht.

Went to Wat Phu near Champassak.

In both hotels the room service and bar shut around 9.30-10 pm.

Very enjoyable time,will be returning to Laos next March.Then we will take our children with us

[johnlk]

Thanks for your help guys.

It will be a small-engined bike we hire, but the GF lives half-way between Ubon and the border, so we won't need to make the trip all in one go.

I did look into the International bus last month when we was in Ubon, but I wasn't sure the bus would wait at immigration for those needing a visa on arrival. Besides, we will need a bike while we are there at her home. I actually prefer the roughing it, mostly because of the extra freedom to be had.

Once we are in Laos we will use the local public bus to get from the border to Pakse, I'm sure that won't be difficult to figure out once we're there.

BlueScouse, is that parking place actually on the Thai side, or somewhere in-between the two immigration posts? It does sound ideal as long as we don't need to take the bike through.

And thanks for the point about booking a room. Can anyone recommend a site for accomodation in Pakse, and maybe even a site with a downloadable map too.

Many thanks again for the help.

[BlueScouse]

Parking is on the Thai side,about 100 metres from the border post.

Google Pakse Hotels and you will find a few names.

[SantiSuk]

www.travelfish.org/country/laos. Maps. accom and travel hints

[johnlk]

Great, we are all set now,

Thanks again for the help.