Gallowspole Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 Please note that the Friendship Bridge is closed until the 31st July due to some meeting in Laos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 What is your source? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallowspole Posted July 20, 2005 Author Share Posted July 20, 2005 What is your source? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Nong Khai Immigration. The office is still open for extensions but the bridge is closed from now until the 30th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Boy Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 time to get that rusty old canoe out George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astral Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 (edited) Is this why it is called the FRIENDSHIP bridge? Good example of friendship. Seriously, it sounds like the border between Gibraltar and Spain. For years that was open on the Gibraltar side, but closed on the Spanish side. I expect the Thai's are open for business, but are advsing people that they cannot cross because the Lao side is closed. Edited July 20, 2005 by astral Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 A few off topic posts was removed. No politics here, please. Thanks /Admin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaiChai Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 Can I ask a sensible question: Why is it closed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roamer Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 closed due to Asean Regional Forum. We refer to decree of Prime minister office of Lao P.D.R, We would like to inform that due to ASEAN Regional Forum, there will be no overland travel into or out of Vientiane and no passengers of international flights allowed out of the airport from the 20-30JUL.05 Please find below details: 1. All airlines passengers are allowed to travel with transit Vientiane airport for connecting flight to next destination(abroad/next country or next provinces) but not allow to get out of airport. 2. Not allow all tourists(FIT/GROUP) to travel to Vientiane by overland or river, etc... 3. All Tourists(FIT/GROUP) who stay in Vientiane before 20JUL.05, need to move out of Vientiane before 20JUL05. 4. All tourists /Passengers visit Vientiane by Day trip is not allow from 20-30Jul.05 5. Journalist not holding permit and related ducoment approved by Department of information, Ministry of Foreign Affair is not allow to enter in to Vientiane. So if you were planning a trip think again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 closed due to Asean Regional Forum. Was there no notice given of this????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roamer Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 closed due to Asean Regional Forum. Was there no notice given of this????? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Same deal as last year I guess. Its been known for a long time the forum would be taking place but they left it until last week to announce details of travel restrictions. Note it applies only to Vientiene, not to the rest of Laos, though thats probably not much use to anyone thats heading to Nong Khai. And certainly anyone with flights booked in or out of Vientiene has some head scratching to do. And we thought that the Thais were good at dreaming up daft laws or restrictions....amatuers!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Croc Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 closed due to Asean Regional Forum. Was there no notice given of this????? I guess the terrorists they're trying to thwart would come in before the closure if notice was given. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samran Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 (edited) closed due to Asean Regional Forum. Was there no notice given of this????? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Cause it is still a communist dictatorship thats why Edited July 20, 2005 by samran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pseacraft Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 I think it's odd to close the Friendship Bridge since it isn't in Vientiene city proper. Silly communists...I wonder if the water crossing in Nong Khai proper is closed too. They must be trying to show their support to their home grown factions instead of letting in any outsiders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsaanAlex Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 Who will they be purging? Haven't they sorted out the Hmong yet? IA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonnyJ Posted July 21, 2005 Share Posted July 21, 2005 (edited) closed due to Asean Regional Forum. Was there no notice given of this????? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Cause it is still a communist dictatorship thats why <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yes. I don't think they are really worried much of muslim terrorists. Sure it could be teorethically possible to bomb Vienchang, but really...There's a whole set local terrorists/freedomfighters/dissidents to the suppressive gov of their own. What about the locals lao/thai? Normally going about their busisnesses on the border, no passports needed. I can imagine the boat traffic going about across the Kong now... legal or not... What a joke. Maybe it keeps the politicians happy... Edited July 21, 2005 by sonnyJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausiekid Posted July 21, 2005 Share Posted July 21, 2005 Looks like 4th country to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausiekid Posted July 21, 2005 Share Posted July 21, 2005 world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pschef Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 Hi Everyone I am right now staying in Vientiane, we have no knowledge of the previous posts. I can say however that security is at a all time high, soldiers all over the city. No actual cerfew but the bars have been told they must close at 9pm until after the sumit meeting on the 31st. I am informed also that certain places of interest will be allowed open to govenment ministers and members of Asean deligations. better get the pinstripe out, boy what a crock. dont we just love Asia??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jockey Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 Hello Everyone, There are many inaccuracies written on this forum, and this is one of them. I crossed the friendship bridge on Wednesday 20th July. I have my passport stamped on 20th. So is the bridge to be closed AFTER 20th or perhaps I along with the hundreds of others I saw crossing just lucky? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hutanbakau Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 I just got back from Nong Khai to K Kaen. The bridge is indeed closed till 30 June, inclusive, NOT till 31 July as stated in the first email on this discussion topic. Anyone whose visa runs out b4 that should go to the N Khai immigration office for 2 week extension; it's only about 1 km from the Thai end of the bridge. Take with you a passport-size photo, your passport (obviously), and photocopy of the page of your passport with your photo' on it. Also unstaple your immigration card and photocopy that together with the page of your passport with your latest immigration stamp on it. The fee for the 2 week extension is 1900 baht so take that along too (it might be expensive but woth avoiding the hassle). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hutanbakau Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 I just got back from Nong Khai to K Kaen. The bridge is indeed closed till 30 June, inclusive, NOT till 31 July as stated in the first email on this discussion topic. Anyone whose visa runs out b4 that should go to the N Khai immigration office for 2 week extension; it's only about 1 km from the Thai end of the bridge. Take with you a passport-size photo, your passport (obviously), and photocopy of the page of your passport with your photo' on it. Also unstaple your immigration card and photocopy that together with the page of your passport with your latest immigration stamp on it. The fee for the 2 week extension is 1900 baht so take that along too (it might be expensive but woth avoiding the hassle). <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Sorry folks, I meant July not June ; how time flies when you're having fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MekhongKurt Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 At least there's some consistency this time compared to the last time I was in Vientiane 2 or 3 years ago during some regional meeting and the border was closed -- but the airport was open to one and all. I'm curious about the bars closing early. Last time I was in Vientiane, the hours of stand-alone bars were extremely restricted -- yet the head waiter in one of the fancy hotel bars told me that were the hotel's managers to so desire, that bar could be open 24/7! Does seem to be another case of the Laotian authorities shooting themselves in their collective foot with overkill. . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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