Swim in the Mekong at Mukdahan

[serendipityfox]

Is it possible and acceptable to swim in the mekong at mukdahan?

[BOBAKAT]

I think, It is possible everywhere...but , swimming in the mékong is it reasonable ?

[cornishcarlos]

Only after consuming several Mekong whiskys' !!!

Go for it lad...

[manfredtillmann]

my wife spent her childhood swimming in the mekong just 50km up stream. she retrieved snagged nets and bait lines for her father, who comfortably sat in his MOTOR LESS boat rowing across to laos and back many times. she is still alive!

 

what does worry me most about the river these days is the amount of fertilizer and herbicide / pesticide getting washed in along its journey.

we have a number of river fish farms just outside my place and the amount of dead fish, every time the river rises, is just beyond believe.

my recommendation: swim only when the river level falls (like right now) and ALWAYS wear good foot wear because of the massive amount of glass- broken or not - making it's way down stream.

[tifino]

4 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

Only after consuming several Mekong whiskys' !!!

Go for it lad...

 

I've still got one bottle left - and it is now half-bouyant

 

 

another RAAFie mate, on a northern trip, actually jumped in the Mekong, North of Chiang Rai..

 

he wan't to see if he'd make it over to the other side,

... but the Burmese shot at him over the water

 

his photo album also has shots of him standing, posing in some Golden Triangle poppy field.

Lucky the warlords were not at home...

 

[DILLIGAD]

What I have seen of the river is that it is very fast moving and treacherous. If you really want to endanger your life, buy a motorbike here!


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[RBOP]

For recreational swimming I would not recommend it for obvious reasons: Dangerous currents, unseen floating/suspended debris, broken glass , fish hooks, nets,  rebar and other jagged objects etc. Not to mention there is high levels of fecal coliform bacteria and parasites.

[AlQaholic]

The only thing I would be worried about, considering the fertilizer and fecal waste which feeds the microorganisms which in turn feeds worms and amoeba is:

"There are two known brain parasites, the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium, and the amoeba Naegleria fowleri. Taenia solium: The pig tapeworm, Taenia solium, is responsible for the condition known as neurocysticercosis, the most common brain parasitic infection. "

 

The parasite enters the brain area through the mucus membrane in the nose cavity. So if you get a lot of water into that cavity there may be a risk, use nose clips.

Edited September 29, 2016 by AlQaholic

[Paul Laycock]

Only if your off your rocker, have you seen the colour of the water.

[overherebc]

1 hour ago, RBOP said:

For recreational swimming I would not recommend it for obvious reasons: Dangerous currents, unseen floating/suspended debris, broken glass , fish hooks, nets,  rebar and other jagged objects etc. Not to mention there is high levels of fecal coliform bacteria and parasites.

 

So a practice on some of the beaches off Pattaya would be a good idea.

[Paul Laycock]

If you do swim in the Mekong, make sure GreenPeace isn't about, they would keep throwing you back in.

[budrico]

I was stationed in Mukdahan for a year in 1969 at the Radar site. Even though off limits I went with some thais during low water in a boat out to an island and went swimming. Huge mistake. I was sick with the diarrhea and cramps for 5 days. The medic kept shooting me up with muscle relaxants and almost sent me via helicopter to our support base but I recovered. To this day I will not swim in any rivers in Thailand. My system just could not deal with whatever was in that water. 

Edited September 29, 2016 by budrico

[Pepper1959]

When I look at the number of houseboats along the river here in Nakhon Phanom and their outside loos, which of course means everything travels down your way, I would not risk it. Whilst the river is large in terms of volume of water, I am not interested in swimming with poly waffles floating by.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

At this time of year the river is very fast flowing and without local knowledge it would be risky to swim in it. 

[Grubster]

What about Liver Flukes, if they infest the Mekong they are deadly too. I know they have them in inland lakes here in Issan.

[carlyai]

Have a go mate. [emoji10]

Post some pics.

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[DSJPC]

Beware the dreaded Naga!!!

[manfredtillmann]

15 minutes ago, DSJPC said:

Beware the dreaded Naga!!!

apparently it got caught by a bunch of us soldiers in the 60's. every barber and soup kitchen around here has a pix on the wall of some 15+ gi's holding that 'thing'.

legend is - they are all dead now...............

but i have seen manta's caught right here big enough to over - lap an modern ute. this is from 2014.

 

[DSJPC]

18 hours ago, Terdsak said:

Depends whether the thought of swimming among the untreated effluent of a million Chinese latrines upstream bothers you.

 

That's a great point!!!

[DSJPC]

18 hours ago, manfredtillmann said:

apparently it got caught by a bunch of us soldiers in the 60's. every barber and soup kitchen around here has a pix on the wall of some 15+ gi's holding that 'thing'.

legend is - they are all dead now...............

but i have seen manta's caught right here big enough to over - lap an modern ute. this is from 2014.

 

 

Impressive pic!...did u see the pic of the 220-lb. carp caught in Thailand this week?...yes, I have that photo of the US GI's and the huge Naga...I doubt they're all dead, but it makes a good story...would be nice to know the facts on that...

[manfredtillmann]

3 hours ago, DSJPC said:

 

Impressive pic!...did u see the pic of the 220-lb. carp caught in Thailand this week?...yes, I have that photo of the US GI's and the huge Naga...I doubt they're all dead, but it makes a good story...would be nice to know the facts on that...

start digging - for the facts i mean - and keep me posted. my wife is convinced they all got 'punished'.

saw the carp pix, not my thing, really, and caught out of a farm from land. that 'big - flipper' above got caught out of a LONGBOAT !!! , buddha only knows how the guy managed that.

anyway, my rule, if the fish is big enough to surf on i will not swim with it.

have we heard back from the op or all we all just chatting among ourselves?

[DUNROAMIN]

Hi, I live not far from Mukdahan and quite often check out the Mekong River. I personally would not swim in it during high level time, due to all the debris coming from up stream and god knows what else, sometimes what you see on top can be ten times bigger underneath. I have swam during the low water season at a beach just north of Mukdahan. This area was good as the locals make money here by keeping the area clean for swimming and dining. This area is ideal as it is shallow water (1.5m)  for about 100 mtr. I believe the beach area is only accessible during low water season. Hope this helps

Cheers

[DSJPC]

16 hours ago, manfredtillmann said:

start digging - for the facts i mean - and keep me posted. my wife is convinced they all got 'punished'.

saw the carp pix, not my thing, really, and caught out of a farm from land. that 'big - flipper' above got caught out of a LONGBOAT !!! , buddha only knows how the guy managed that.

anyway, my rule, if the fish is big enough to surf on i will not swim with it.

have we heard back from the op or all we all just chatting among ourselves?

rather impossible to discern the facts about that...many GI's from many locations, names unknown, etc....

[ghworker2010]

Ive done it before at M. Go for it son

[serendipityfox]

A great spread of answers, thanks.

Any inexpensive hotels with pools, in case i bottle it?

[DUNROAMIN]

13 hours ago, serendipityfox said:

A great spread of answers, thanks.

Any inexpensive hotels with pools, in case i bottle it?

Mukdahan Riverview hotel, has revolving restaurant, same street as Muk Inter hosp, and Ploy Palace main street near KTB bank (blue)

[Gary A]

I once went swimming in the river Chi. Swimming wasn't the idea but since the boat sank, we had no choice. We did make it to the other side of the river where the Thais had a camping spot. Going back across is when the boat sank. Since all the food and booze was consumed, we didn't lose any. My girlfriend at the time couldn't swim so I had to tow her to shore. Luckily no one drowned. We suffered no ill effects.

[eng911]

Go to the nice public pool in behind Tesco on the back streets. The pool is nice and the food and drinks are cheap. They even rent swimsuits for the kiddies. 

[DILLIGAD]

Go to the nice public pool in behind Tesco on the back streets. The pool is nice and the food and drinks are cheap. They even rent swimsuits for the kiddies. 

Sounds like a fair exchange!


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[khwaibah]

OP wants to do what where. If this is not a troll post it should.