New Route To Luang Prabang Thru Nan

[jaideeguy]

Wife just heard on Thai news that there is a new route to Luang Prabang [Laos] that you can access from a new road from Nan to the Mekong river then across and directly to Luang Prabang. Can anyone confirm?? and is there a full service customs/immigrations office on both sides??

Thanks in advance.....

Edited December 3, 2011 by jaideeguy

[el jefe]

The crossing near Nan is to Muang Ngeum and has been open as an international border crossing for a couple of years. Maybe what the report said is that the paving of the roads on the Laos side has finally been completed. They've been working on those roads for years.

I think you can get a visa-on-arrival on the Laos side (I've only gone he other way) but you should check with the Lao govt website or the GT-Rider forum to confirm.

[jaideeguy]

Open for a couple of years?? So, Hows the road from Muang Ngeum to Nan and how long?? and is there any secure parking at or near the border crossing??

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Or, can you just drive into Laos there and up to Luang Prabang?

[speleo]

I think you can get a visa-on-arrival on the Laos side (I've only gone he other way) but you should check with the Lao govt website or the GT-Rider forum to confirm.

This thread says that Lao visa-on-arrival was available at the Huai Kon border crossing in October 2010.

It is a 2½ to 3 hr drive from Nan town to the border crossing. It was a very, very quiet border crossing when I visited the Thai side in August 2010. No sign of any secure car parking.

[jaideeguy]

Would be nice if it was a vehicle ferry Winnie, but I think it's only a passenger ferry and after crossing, how far is it to Luang Prabang. I was thinking of an over nighter in Nan, drive to border/take ferry to Lp for 2 nights/then return and another night in Nan before the trip back to CM.

[el jefe]

Open for a couple of years?? So, Hows the road from Muang Ngeum to Nan and how long?? and is there any secure parking at or near the border crossing??

More than a couple according to "Thanyaburi Mac" in the thread linked above. It's 3 years now.

From Nan to the border the road was fine. It's about 125 kms and in your own vehicle you should be able to do it in 2 hours.

Two years ago there was absolutely nothing on that road and nothing at the border. I doubt much has changed. And even if it has, I doubt there is anything that would meet anyone's definition of "secure parking".

The roads on the Lao side, to Pak Beng and Hongsa, were more dust than road then. I'm hoping that's changed but I haven't checked GT-Rider to find out.

Unless they've built a new road connecting Hongsa to LP, you would still have to drive to Pak Beng and Oudom Xai before getting to Luang Prabang. If that is still the only route from Muang Nguem, I can't see how it can be done in less than 9 hours.

[nikster]

Did this route on a dirt bike last week; from the border to Hongsa (Laos), a huge new road is under construction. It's all dust now but it's the size of a 4 lane highway. I was wondering why as on the Thai side, the same old very small road leads to the border and no signs of construction so there's a bit of a disconnect.

I have heard there's a "normal" road now from Hongsa to LP but we didn't take it so don't know details.

We met an American couple at the border who were working for Hongsa Power - they told us the Hongsa coal Power plant is built by the Thai electric company and will be the by far biggest plant of its kind in the region. Renderings at the immigration in Laos showed an absolutely massive construction with three very large cooling towers. Supposed to be operational 4 years from now. Just a guess but once they turn this monster on it's probably going to be over with the rural idyll in Hongsa valley.

[Mekong Bob]

Open for a couple of years?? So, Hows the road from Muang Ngeum to Nan and how long?? and is there any secure parking at or near the border crossing??

More than a couple according to "Thanyaburi Mac" in the thread linked above. It's 3 years now.

From Nan to the border the road was fine. It's about 125 kms and in your own vehicle you should be able to do it in 2 hours.

Two years ago there was absolutely nothing on that road and nothing at the border. I doubt much has changed. And even if it has, I doubt there is anything that would meet anyone's definition of "secure parking".

The roads on the Lao side, to Pak Beng and Hongsa, were more dust than road then. I'm hoping that's changed but I haven't checked GT-Rider to find out.

Unless they've built a new road connecting Hongsa to LP, you would still have to drive to Pak Beng and Oudom Xai before getting to Luang Prabang. If that is still the only route from Muang Nguem, I can't see how it can be done in less than 9 hours.

The little Lao town opposite Huai Kon is "Muang Ngoen"

[folium]

Did this route on a dirt bike last week; from the border to Hongsa (Laos), a huge new road is under construction. It's all dust now but it's the size of a 4 lane highway. I was wondering why as on the Thai side, the same old very small road leads to the border and no signs of construction so there's a bit of a disconnect.

I have heard there's a "normal" road now from Hongsa to LP but we didn't take it so don't know details.

We met an American couple at the border who were working for Hongsa Power - they told us the Hongsa coal Power plant is built by the Thai electric company and will be the by far biggest plant of its kind in the region. Renderings at the immigration in Laos showed an absolutely massive construction with three very large cooling towers. Supposed to be operational 4 years from now. Just a guess but once they turn this monster on it's probably going to be over with the rural idyll in Hongsa valley.

Hongsa will be a lignite strip mining and power plant site generating some 1800 MW by 2015 at a cost of some $3.7billion. Majority owned by Thai companies Banpu & RATC (having eased out the original Thai company, see New York based law suits), 95% of the electricity will be sent to Thailand. Funding is via Thai/Chinese banks and the construction will be done by Chinese contractor CNEEC. This explains all the road building.

Hongsa has been developing as an ecotourist spot based around the Sayaburi elephant festival and the large local elephant population (sadly only around 500 now due to the destructive logging of the area), but these are likely to be early casualties of strip mining and power generation. Lignite is one of the dirtiest and least efficient fossil fuels. Banpu's similar lignite operation at Mae Moh, near Lampang, has been highly contoversial due to the degree of pollutants generated, and the subsequent cost of retrofitting some pollution control has meant Banpu has been very interested in developing similar projects in more "amenable" locations such as Hongsa.

Sayaburi or Xayaburi province in Laos is likely to be in the press again this week as the Mekong River Commission meets in Siem Reap Dec 7-9 to discuss the Xayaburi dam on the main course of the Mekong river (downstream from Hongsa). The same nexus of Thai/Chinese construction/banking interests, insatiable Thai electricity demands, tame environmental assessments and huge scope for financial gain means that consensus may be achieved opening the way to Laos building 11 such dams on the main course of the river with significant impacts on the environment, wildlife and 60 million people downstream whose livelihoods and nutrition depend on the river, but seem to carry little weight against the gravy train of vested interests.

Shortsightedness seems to know no bounds. Enjoy the Mekong valley while you can.

[el jefe]

Open for a couple of years?? So, Hows the road from Muang Ngeum to Nan and how long?? and is there any secure parking at or near the border crossing??

More than a couple according to "Thanyaburi Mac" in the thread linked above. It's 3 years now.

From Nan to the border the road was fine. It's about 125 kms and in your own vehicle you should be able to do it in 2 hours.

Two years ago there was absolutely nothing on that road and nothing at the border. I doubt much has changed. And even if it has, I doubt there is anything that would meet anyone's definition of "secure parking".

The roads on the Lao side, to Pak Beng and Hongsa, were more dust than road then. I'm hoping that's changed but I haven't checked GT-Rider to find out.

Unless they've built a new road connecting Hongsa to LP, you would still have to drive to Pak Beng and Oudom Xai before getting to Luang Prabang. If that is still the only route from Muang Nguem, I can't see how it can be done in less than 9 hours.

The little Lao town opposite Huai Kon is "Muang Ngoen"

GT Rider maps call it Muang Ngeum. WikiTravel lists it as Muang Ngeun. Glad to know there's a third option.

[silverhawk_usa]

Open for a couple of years?? So, Hows the road from Muang Ngeum to Nan and how long?? and is there any secure parking at or near the border crossing??

More than a couple according to "Thanyaburi Mac" in the thread linked above. It's 3 years now.

From Nan to the border the road was fine. It's about 125 kms and in your own vehicle you should be able to do it in 2 hours.

Two years ago there was absolutely nothing on that road and nothing at the border. I doubt much has changed. And even if it has, I doubt there is anything that would meet anyone's definition of "secure parking".

The roads on the Lao side, to Pak Beng and Hongsa, were more dust than road then. I'm hoping that's changed but I haven't checked GT-Rider to find out.

Unless they've built a new road connecting Hongsa to LP, you would still have to drive to Pak Beng and Oudom Xai before getting to Luang Prabang. If that is still the only route from Muang Nguem, I can't see how it can be done in less than 9 hours.

The little Lao town opposite Huai Kon is "Muang Ngoen"

GT Rider maps call it Muang Ngeum. WikiTravel lists it as Muang Ngeun. Glad to know there's a third option.

Another option; the exit stamp in my passport says "Nam Nguen". I remember this as a problem when I exited Vietnam and entered Laos at Nameo (east of Viengxay). They asked where I was going to exit Laos and I told them "Muang Ngeun", but they couldn't find it in their computer.

[NxaiPan]

Did this route on a dirt bike last week; from the border to Hongsa (Laos), a huge new road is under construction. It's all dust now but it's the size of a 4 lane highway. I was wondering why as on the Thai side, the same old very small road leads to the border and no signs of construction so there's a bit of a disconnect.

I have heard there's a "normal" road now from Hongsa to LP but we didn't take it so don't know details.

We met an American couple at the border who were working for Hongsa Power - they told us the Hongsa coal Power plant is built by the Thai electric company and will be the by far biggest plant of its kind in the region. Renderings at the immigration in Laos showed an absolutely massive construction with three very large cooling towers. Supposed to be operational 4 years from now. Just a guess but once they turn this monster on it's probably going to be over with the rural idyll in Hongsa valley.

Hongsa will be a lignite strip mining and power plant site generating some 1800 MW by 2015 at a cost of some $3.7billion. Majority owned by Thai companies Banpu & RATC (having eased out the original Thai company, see New York based law suits), 95% of the electricity will be sent to Thailand. Funding is via Thai/Chinese banks and the construction will be done by Chinese contractor CNEEC. This explains all the road building.

Hongsa has been developing as an ecotourist spot based around the Sayaburi elephant festival and the large local elephant population (sadly only around 500 now due to the destructive logging of the area), but these are likely to be early casualties of strip mining and power generation. Lignite is one of the dirtiest and least efficient fossil fuels. Banpu's similar lignite operation at Mae Moh, near Lampang, has been highly contoversial due to the degree of pollutants generated, and the subsequent cost of retrofitting some pollution control has meant Banpu has been very interested in developing similar projects in more "amenable" locations such as Hongsa.

Sayaburi or Xayaburi province in Laos is likely to be in the press again this week as the Mekong River Commission meets in Siem Reap Dec 7-9 to discuss the Xayaburi dam on the main course of the Mekong river (downstream from Hongsa). The same nexus of Thai/Chinese construction/banking interests, insatiable Thai electricity demands, tame environmental assessments and huge scope for financial gain means that consensus may be achieved opening the way to Laos building 11 such dams on the main course of the river with significant impacts on the environment, wildlife and 60 million people downstream whose livelihoods and nutrition depend on the river, but seem to carry little weight against the gravy train of vested interests.

Shortsightedness seems to know no bounds. Enjoy the Mekong valley while you can.

While the Hongsa area of Laos looks doomed due to the development of lignite strip mining at least there was some good news today about the Mekong valley.

Looks like the MRC has backed down from a full blown confrontation over the Sayaburi dam, see attached.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203501304577086012500372618.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Hopefully this is just a face-saving exercise and the new environmental report will drag on a while. Strange though because the MRC rejected the environmental impact assessment report it commissioned last year as it was too straightforward about the likely problems involved with damming the main stream of the Mekong. We then had the joke of a report by the notoriously "open-minded" and generous in its views Swiss company Poyry, all done in less than a month which raised endless issues with the dam and then promptly ignored them to enable the Laos government to continue construction as they had "done" an environmental report.

So humble pie time for Laos, an undignified silence from the Thai side (apart from the cancelling of some expensive Christmas shopping), and while Cambodia has been ambivalent, Vietnam had everything to lose and nothing to gain so must be jubilant.

Some kudos should be given to Clinton (and I have been no fan of her's in the past) and the US State Dept who at the very least gave the issue a major public airing which is likely to have contributed to today's decision.

[Pikey]

I used this crossing about a month ago in my truck and went to LP via an overnight at Oudom Xai as the Hongsa/LP route is currently unpaved.

One thing to note, and this only applies to trucks/cars, not motorbikes, is that you should have previously obtained an International Driving Permit for your vehicle at the licencing centre on the Hang Dong road prior to making your trip. I didn't have this doc and entered Laos at Muang Nguen no problem but when exiting at the Friendship bridge at Vientiene/Nong Kai, I had hassle both on the Laos side and the Thai side. Not major but a hassle nonetheless which involved the customs dudes inspecting the truck for matching VIN numbers and me being shuffled between offices whilst it got sorted.

Cheers,

Pikey.

[el jefe]

I used this crossing about a month ago in my truck and went to LP via an overnight at Oudom Xai as the Hongsa/LP route is currently unpaved.

One thing to note, and this only applies to trucks/cars, not motorbikes, is that you should have previously obtained an International Driving Permit for your vehicle at the licencing centre on the Hang Dong road prior to making your trip. I didn't have this doc and entered Laos at Muang Nguen no problem but when exiting at the Friendship bridge at Vientiene/Nong Kai, I had hassle both on the Laos side and the Thai side. Not major but a hassle nonetheless which involved the customs dudes inspecting the truck for matching VIN numbers and me being shuffled between offices whilst it got sorted.

Cheers,

Pikey.

Pikey, how is the road between Pak Beng and Oudomxai?

And isn't there better, and more up-to-date info, on GT Rider?

Edited December 11, 2011 by el jefe

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I used this crossing about a month ago in my truck and went to LP via an overnight at Oudom Xai as the Hongsa/LP route is currently unpaved.

Which crossing? You mention Oudom Xai but I don't think you can get there from the Nan crossing. So assuming you just mean the regular one at Chiang Khong, then up to Oudom Xai, then down to Luang Prabang?

When you say 'unpaved' (between Hongsa and Luang Prabang) does that mean 'impassible' (perhaps in the rainy season)? It looks like the most direct route. (Though of course it's a long drive from Chiang Mai to Nan, too.)

[NxaiPan]

I used this crossing about a month ago in my truck and went to LP via an overnight at Oudom Xai as the Hongsa/LP route is currently unpaved.

Which crossing? You mention Oudom Xai but I don't think you can get there from the Nan crossing. So assuming you just mean the regular one at Chiang Khong, then up to Oudom Xai, then down to Luang Prabang?

When you say 'unpaved' (between Hongsa and Luang Prabang) does that mean 'impassible' (perhaps in the rainy season)? It looks like the most direct route. (Though of course it's a long drive from Chiang Mai to Nan, too.)

As the lignite mine/power plant construction gears up you will find the LP-Hongsa route improves rapidly and with the transmission line planned to run from Hongsa via Nan to Lampang there should also be some marked improvements on the Thai side also. So some good will come of Hongsa's destruction.

[silverhawk_usa]

I used this crossing about a month ago in my truck and went to LP via an overnight at Oudom Xai as the Hongsa/LP route is currently unpaved.

Which crossing? You mention Oudom Xai but I don't think you can get there from the Nan crossing. So assuming you just mean the regular one at Chiang Khong, then up to Oudom Xai, then down to Luang Prabang?

When you say 'unpaved' (between Hongsa and Luang Prabang) does that mean 'impassible' (perhaps in the rainy season)? It looks like the most direct route. (Though of course it's a long drive from Chiang Mai to Nan, too.)

You most certainly can. You go from Nam Nguen to Pak Beng, crossing the river by a small ferry, and Pak Beng to Oudamxai. Except for some construction near Pak Beng, it is excellant road all the way. It was a year ago when I did it from Oudomxai to Nan, so Pikey can advise on the current construction status.

[el jefe]

I used this crossing about a month ago in my truck and went to LP via an overnight at Oudom Xai as the Hongsa/LP route is currently unpaved.

Which crossing? You mention Oudom Xai but I don't think you can get there from the Nan crossing. So assuming you just mean the regular one at Chiang Khong, then up to Oudom Xai, then down to Luang Prabang?

When you say 'unpaved' (between Hongsa and Luang Prabang) does that mean 'impassible' (perhaps in the rainy season)? It looks like the most direct route. (Though of course it's a long drive from Chiang Mai to Nan, too.)

"Impassable" depends on the vehicle you're using and the time of year.

As Silverhawk says, Nan to Oudom Xai is easy.

If you're trying to get to LP, whether you cross at Muang Nguen (can we stop arguing about its official name) or Chiang Khong depends on where in Thailand you are starting from, what route you want to take thru Thailand, whether you got all your paperwork done beforehand, and how much of a rush you're in.

Winnie, look at a map.

[nikster]

Hongsa will be a lignite strip mining and power plant site generating some 1800 MW by 2015 at a cost of some $3.7billion. Majority owned by Thai companies Banpu & RATC (having eased out the original Thai company, see New York based law suits), 95% of the electricity will be sent to Thailand. Funding is via Thai/Chinese banks and the construction will be done by Chinese contractor CNEEC. This explains all the road building.

Hongsa has been developing as an ecotourist spot based around the Sayaburi elephant festival and the large local elephant population (sadly only around 500 now due to the destructive logging of the area), but these are likely to be early casualties of strip mining and power generation. Lignite is one of the dirtiest and least efficient fossil fuels. Banpu's similar lignite operation at Mae Moh, near Lampang, has been highly contoversial due to the degree of pollutants generated, and the subsequent cost of retrofitting some pollution control has meant Banpu has been very interested in developing similar projects in more "amenable" locations such as Hongsa.

...

That's worse than I expected...

The corporate press release - which we had plenty of time to study while waiting 2 hours for the entry procedure for our bikes - reads like a sad joke. It's trying to talk up the benefits of this plant but kind of ends up doing the opposite. It's a classic villain in a James Bond movie plot, except Bond is missing to ride in at the last minute and save the day. The press release shows a picture of happy, displaced, compensated villagers; If I remember correctly, everyone got about $500. And it does not fail to mention that 20 bicycles were given to local kids! Think about it... 20 bicycles... !!! Gee, thanks, please go ahead and destroy the valley now...

I think right now the feeling in Hongsa valley is that the plant provides lots of business and jobs.

Edited December 13, 2011 by nikster

[KJH]

Hongsa will be a lignite strip mining and power plant site generating some 1800 MW by 2015 at a cost of some $3.7billion. Majority owned by Thai companies Banpu & RATC (having eased out the original Thai company, see New York based law suits), 95% of the electricity will be sent to Thailand. Funding is via Thai/Chinese banks and the construction will be done by Chinese contractor CNEEC. This explains all the road building.

Hongsa has been developing as an ecotourist spot based around the Sayaburi elephant festival and the large local elephant population (sadly only around 500 now due to the destructive logging of the area), but these are likely to be early casualties of strip mining and power generation. Lignite is one of the dirtiest and least efficient fossil fuels. Banpu's similar lignite operation at Mae Moh, near Lampang, has been highly contoversial due to the degree of pollutants generated, and the subsequent cost of retrofitting some pollution control has meant Banpu has been very interested in developing similar projects in more "amenable" locations such as Hongsa.

...

That's worse than I expected...

One sad thing about this (given the well publicised health problems / environmental pollution associated with the lignite plant at Mae Moh) is the apathy/total lack of opposition to this development from Thai Environment activists and people in Nan.

The corporate press release - which we had plenty of time to study while waiting 2 hours for the entry procedure for our bikes - reads like a sad joke. It's trying to talk up the benefits of this plant but kind of ends up doing the opposite. It's a classic villain in a James Bond movie plot, except Bond is missing to ride in at the last minute and save the day. The press release shows a picture of happy, displaced, compensated villagers; If I remember correctly, everyone got about $500. And it does not fail to mention that 20 bicycles were given to local kids! Think about it... 20 bicycles... !!! Gee, thanks, please go ahead and destroy the valley now...

I think right now the feeling in Hongsa valley is that the plant provides lots of business and jobs.

Yeah, the Laotians I met when I travelled through Ta Souang / Hongsa in Oct 2009 seemed resigned to the fact that the power plant would be built, and that they would gain very little from it.

Back to the road... There are 2 roads that go north from Meuang Ngeorn.

The first, the nice 'new' tarmacced one has been open over a year now. After 40km or so theres a small ferry crossing. The Chinese were supposed to have built a bridge too but they didn't. (I'm not sure how true this is but I remember reading something on the i-net about construction being halted because the Chinese govt had demanded that the Laos govt give the Chinese construction workers/engineers rights to settle in Laos afterwards...and Laos refused..)

If you're in a car you will probably have to pay the ferry captain a bit extra to take you across (or wait until a lorry arrives...) Once you've crossed the Mekong it's around 10-15km to PakBeng, and from PakBeng you can either drive to Udomxai/LPB (or, if you find somewhere to leave the car in Pak Beng, take a boat to LPB)

The other road, the big wide dirt track that some people are also talking about goes to Hongsa, then to TaSoung (a small ferry port) from where you can take a boat to LPB. This is the road I took in Oct 2009. I wouldn;t recommend going this way unless you have a pick up / 4WD. From Hongsa there are dirt track / old logging roads that lead to Xaiaburi / Meuang Nan (the Laos one) and on towards LPB but I don't know what they are like as I was told not to take them. They would make for a great off road motorbike trip though...

On the Nan side the road is pretty good as far as Tung Chang. Then it narrows and becomes a typical rural mountain road. Steep and winding with blind corners. The last 6km or so before the Thai-Laos border has lots of ruts and potholes.

[el jefe]

Back to the road... There are 2 roads that go north from Meuang Ngeorn.

The first, the nice 'new' tarmacced one has been open over a year now. After 40km or so theres a small ferry crossing. The Chinese were supposed to have built a bridge too but they didn't. (I'm not sure how true this is but I remember reading something on the i-net about construction being halted because the Chinese govt had demanded that the Laos govt give the Chinese construction workers/engineers rights to settle in Laos afterwards...and Laos refused..)

If you're in a car you will probably have to pay the ferry captain a bit extra to take you across (or wait until a lorry arrives...) Once you've crossed the Mekong it's around 10-15km to PakBeng, and from PakBeng you can either drive to Udomxai/LPB (or, if you find somewhere to leave the car in Pak Beng, take a boat to LPB)

The other road, the big wide dirt track that some people are also talking about goes to Hongsa, then to TaSoung (a small ferry port) from where you can take a boat to LPB. This is the road I took in Oct 2009. I wouldn;t recommend going this way unless you have a pick up / 4WD. From Hongsa there are dirt track / old logging roads that lead to Xaiaburi / Meuang Nan (the Laos one) and on towards LPB but I don't know what they are like as I was told not to take them. They would make for a great off road motorbike trip though...

On the Nan side the road is pretty good as far as Tung Chang. Then it narrows and becomes a typical rural mountain road. Steep and winding with blind corners. The last 6km or so before the Thai-Laos border has lots of ruts and potholes.

Meuang Ngeorn

That's the 5th different spelling.

In all seriousness, thanks KJH. This was all great info.

[Mekong Bob]

Back to the road... There are 2 roads that go north from Meuang Ngeorn.

The first, the nice 'new' tarmacced one has been open over a year now. After 40km or so theres a small ferry crossing. The Chinese were supposed to have built a bridge too but they didn't. (I'm not sure how true this is but I remember reading something on the i-net about construction being halted because the Chinese govt had demanded that the Laos govt give the Chinese construction workers/engineers rights to settle in Laos afterwards...and Laos refused..)

If you're in a car you will probably have to pay the ferry captain a bit extra to take you across (or wait until a lorry arrives...) Once you've crossed the Mekong it's around 10-15km to PakBeng, and from PakBeng you can either drive to Udomxai/LPB (or, if you find somewhere to leave the car in Pak Beng, take a boat to LPB)

The other road, the big wide dirt track that some people are also talking about goes to Hongsa, then to TaSoung (a small ferry port) from where you can take a boat to LPB. This is the road I took in Oct 2009. I wouldn;t recommend going this way unless you have a pick up / 4WD. From Hongsa there are dirt track / old logging roads that lead to Xaiaburi / Meuang Nan (the Laos one) and on towards LPB but I don't know what they are like as I was told not to take them. They would make for a great off road motorbike trip though...

On the Nan side the road is pretty good as far as Tung Chang. Then it narrows and becomes a typical rural mountain road. Steep and winding with blind corners. The last 6km or so before the Thai-Laos border has lots of ruts and potholes.

Meuang Ngeorn

That's the 5th different spelling.

In all seriousness, thanks KJH. This was all great info.

Here's the deal: The Lao town opposite Thailand's Huai Kon town (Nan Province) is Muang Ngeun (official standard romanized Lao, National Geographic Department of Laos). It translates as "Silver City". In official standard romanized Thai, it would be spelled Mueang Ngoen. Those who read Thai script may look at the Lao script and mistake the "n" consonant for the "m" consonant - it's a common error.

The river that flows southward into the big reservoir in central Laos is the Nam Ngum River, not to be confused with the Lao word for silver.

There are no alternate spellings of these placenames in the original Lao script. The only variable is the way in which these are romanized.

Hope this helps.

[Greenside]

What are the formalities for taking one's own vehicle into Lao? In light of this thread I was thinking that it would make an interesting diversion when we go to Isaan next year.

[el jefe]

What are the formalities for taking one's own vehicle into Lao? In light of this thread I was thinking that it would make an interesting diversion when we go to Isaan next year.

Different requirements at different crossings.

That's probably a pinned topic in the GT Rider forum.

In any case, more detail and more current info than you'll find here.

And much less interest in how to spell place names.