(9) The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to continue to negotiate with China on products to be added to the list of agricultural produce for export under the opium poppy replacement programme. We board a south-bound bus near the LPDR customs house, and as we cruise through town one last time, we cant help but think that if we ever do return to this far-flung frontier town, it will likely be a very different place. Copyright 2023 Stephan Aeschbach - J&C Group. They will not be open to human traffic, an official in Vientiane province told RFA. Laos For example, the Ban Vang crossing in Vientiane province will only allow for the export of minerals to Thailand.The Banghay Border Gate on the border with China will open on Nov. 1 for the transport from Laos of agricultural produce such as sugar cane, bananas, and watermelon, an official in Luang Namtha province said, while an official in Borikhamxay province said that the Thasa-Ath Border Crossing there will facilitate the transport of construction equipment from Thailand.This will be used to build the Nam Theun 1 Dam, and the fourth border gate in Khammouane province will be opened for the export of minerals, the official said.Call to allow human crossingsAlso speaking to RFA, many in Laos called however for all border check points to be opened, citing economic hardships caused by tightened controls amid fears of the spread of COVID-19 from neighboring countries.My children used to go to Thailand to work, but now they cant, so they dont have any income. Read our recommendations and make the most of your stay in Laos. The Mohan border crossing is staffed by border personnel who ask non-citizen travelers a lot of additional questions so expect a delay of up to 2 hours. Boten border crossing | Open Development Mekong $('#spanCopyright').text(theDate.getFullYear()) The only Laotian people we encountered in the hotel were working in the deserted breakfast buffet restaurant, which served you guessed it Chinese food. During our galivant through town, we see the occasional group of Chinese tourists, and there are numerous small bars and Chinese restaurants catering to the visitors. var theDate = new Date(); One of the reasons I prefer to travel overland is that you slowly move between the different places, giving you enough time to gradually ease into a new culture, landscape or climate. We will be glad to hear it. No hawkers, money changers or motor taxis, just a long, dark dirt road leading to the Laos border town of Boten. , A high speed standard gauge train runs each morning from Vientiane via Phonhong, Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang and Muang Xay, taking 3 hours to Luang Namtha and continuing to Boten on the border with China, returning south shortly after midday. The Boten-Vientiane railway is the Lao section of the Lao-China Railway (LCR), running between the capital Vientiane and the northern town of Boten on the border with Yunnan, China.The line was officially opened on 3 December 2021. Yunnan Dunked their trunks until they were drunk. Borders often highlight major disparities in the world dividing rich nations from their poorer neighbors, where your luck depends on which side of the fence or wall you were born into. Comments will not appear in real time. There were occasional construction sites here and which grew more frequent, the closer we approached the bigger towns. Meanwhile, Luang Namtha authorities have banned the entry of haulage trucks travelling to China from other provinces.This means the trucks cannot wait in Luang Namtha while they undergo the necessary export procedures and cannot spend time in the province while waiting for the border to reopen. This is especially important because most other border crossings around the country have been closed for many months, Mr Thongsy added. One of those things was a large signboard detailing handling fees to cross the border, compelling me to prepare 10.000kip just in case. We were riding from Luang Namtha to Boten which is the last 'town' before you cross into China from Laos. Boten - Travel guide at Wikivoyage Price fluctuations in goods in Mekong Delta, Vietnam digital economy growth expected to be highest in Southeast Asia. Scan our QR Code at right or follow us at ThatsBeijing for events, guides, giveaways and much more! cargo App, 2023 JY International Cultural Communications Co., Ltd.ICP20064570, The Communist Divide: Cruising the China-North Korea Border, Shaxi Old Town: One of Yunnans Best Kept Secrets, Centuries Old Yunnan Orchestra Find New Sounds with a Frenchman. bottleneck Home News News Laos launches single window customs system at second border crossing, .. ..Stay in touch with all business news in Laos. Before and through the 1980s, Boten was a small border village that was considered peripheral to state reach. Such documents are typically customs declarations, applications for import/export permits, and other supporting documents such as certificates of origin and trading invoices. At the same time, foreigners cant come in now either, one resident of Khammouane province said.I cant reopen my restaurant now, because there are now tourists, a restaurant owner in Borikhamxay province said, adding, The prime ministers order allows only for the import and export of goods.In January, Lao state media quoted the countrys Tourism Marketing Department as saying 1.02 million Chinese tourists visited Laos in 2019, a year-on-year increase of 27 percent.Reported by RFAs Lao Service. Vientiane Times There are direct cross-border services from Mengla in China via Mohan/Boten to Luang Namtha, the nearest major Lao town. Southeast Asia. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce and other government bodies recently met to discuss the problem and suggest measures to ease the situation should it reoccur. Crossing the border from Laos to China at Boten - On Trails One businessman said that the bottleneck period coincided with the peak export of agricultural produce to China, when his company sends produce to China under the opium substitute crop programme. We thank you for your support. The railway continues on the Chinese side from Mohan to Kunming via Jinghong and Pu'er. https://en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?title=Boten&oldid=4647114, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. This meant that I had to walk around 3km to the hostel which I thankfully bookmarked on my phones offline map. The future now: development. Boten border crossing / Bounchanh Sinthavong / Chanthachone Keolakhone / Laos / Luang Namtha Hundreds of trucks carrying machinery and equipment for construction of the Laos-China railway have entered Laos after being delayed at the border, a senior government official has said. Here the scene of chaos continued, but instead of cars, people were lining the streets, most of them Chinese tour groups eagerly waiting to get home. Head of the Boten International Customs Checkpoint, Mr Vilakone Kettavong, recently attributed the increase in revenue to the growing volume of imported [] The Boten border crossing is a major travel and trade route between Laos and China, so it is essential that it is reopened as quickly as possible so that earnings from exports are not lost. Its counterpart on the Chinese side is Mohan. At first it was the occasional truck, then an excavator, and out of nowhere a massive construction site surrounded by hundreds of vehicles parked around huge buildings most of them still unfinished. Laos is set to fast-track entry for travelers from China beginning Sunday, relaxing controls on a northern border crossing previously tightly shut to prevent the spread of COVID-19, under relaxed quarantine policies that worry some ordinary Laos, sources in the country told RFA.Under a recent agreement between the two countries, Chinese nationals from COVID-free provinces will now be permitted to enter Laos by the Boten border gate if they have tested negative for COVID-19 and been quarantined for 14 days in China, an official of the Department of Civil Aviation in Laos told RFA this week.They will also have to be quarantined for 48 hours in Laos after crossing the border, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was unauthorized to talk to media.Laos, with ambitions to become the Battery of Southeast Asia, has drawn billions of dollars in Chinese investment in hydropower dams and other big-ticket projects under Beijings $1.3 trillion Belt and Road Initiative to build infrastructure and support trade.China is Laos largest foreign investor and aid provider, and its second-largest trade partner after Thailand.The border opening is only for Chinese traveling to Laos, however.At present, Lao nationals are not allowed to leave the country, except for workers, students, and Lao residents with family members living in other countries, an immigration officer from the Ministry of Public Security said.And even these will have to submit an application with the embassy of the country to which they wish to travel, with the application approved by Lao authorities as well, the officer said.An official from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport meanwhile added that Chinese travelers to Laos had actually been allowed entry into Laos for some time already.Officially, the border will open on Nov. 1, however, the official said.This fast track or Green Lane will then open a week later for Vietnamese travelers, with other foreign nationals allowed entry on a week-to-week basis after that, he said.Monitoring period 'risky, too short'Many in Laos voiced concern over what they called the short period of quarantine required of Chinese entering the country, with one resident in the capital Vientiane calling the two-day period of observation in Laos risky, and too short.The newcomers should be monitored for a longer period of time, he said.COVID-19 is very dangerous, and it spreads quickly, another Vientiane resident said, adding, I dont agree with the 48-hour quarantine. This list is unfortunately incomplete. Disclaimer: by clicking the Submit button, it is deemed that you consent to the rules and terms set forth in the, Lao tourism ministry gears up for influx of Chinese visitors, Laos-China Railway records robust growth in cargo transport, China Ireland's largest trading partner in Asia: statistics. On the 200- to 300-meter walk to the next checkpoint, it becomes abundantly clear that were on the frontier. Boten-Vientiane railway - Wikipedia 12:57 PM MYT. Crossing the Border - Immigration The border crossing was designed beautifully and almost resembles a golden temple. These are processed and cleared by government agencies in an integrated manner, resulting in time and cost savings. According to statistics from the Ministry of Planning and Investment of LPDR, a total investment of USD500 million has been made in the Boten Beautiful Land Specific Economic Zone (the regions official name) and 100% of the development is being managed by Chinese firm Yunnan Haicheng Group. Boten Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Luang Namtha, Lao National Taskforce Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, Luang Prabang Film Festivals Lao Filmmakers Fund Awards Funding To Eleven Local Film Projects, Laos Eonomic Growth Outlook Stable For 2019, 2020, Idle Factories, Empty Trade Zone Highlight Coronavirus Impact on Southeast Asia, Laos Cancels Public Events Including Lao New Year Celebrations on COVID-19 Fears. The Chinese taskforce has asked all truck drivers in Laos to quarantine for 21 days, wear personal protective clothing, and clean and disinfect their trucks before handing them over to Chinese drivers on the Chinese side of the border, he said.Some Chinese truck drivers had tested positive for Covid-19 because truck drivers in Laos were not fully complying with the virus control measures laid down by the Chinese taskforce, Mr Thongsy said. Imports and exports at other international borders are still processed manually. Laos Visa Application Form Entry Requirements Australian Citizens British Citizens Canadian Citizens Indian Citizens Us Citizens Driving In Laos: What License Do I Need ? The Boten border crossing is a key location for travel and trade between Laos and China. Check-in staff are Chinese and rooms are paid for in renminbi. There are no street lights, and dense jungle-y shrubbery abuts the pothole-stricken, occasionally unpaved road. News article summaries are extracted from their sources, as guided by fair-use principles and are copyrighted by their respective sources. [8] A second crossing is at Lantouy further northeast (only for Chinese and Laotian citizens). According to the New York Times, debauchery debuted in the city back in the early- to mid-2000s, when a company registered in Hong Kong signed a 30-year lease to develop the town into a tourist destination. In the 2000s, the town went through a brief casino boom with Chinese punters flooding across the border, but the Laos government clamped down in 2011. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Being the only Chamber in Laos representing European interests and having active involvement since 2011, here we are the obvious choice when you need help or advice. There is an international border crossing at Boten (China-Laos); currently, Boten International Checkpoint (Laos-China) has already opened! Because of Covid, as of Dec 2021 no trains cross the border: the nearby road crossing remains open but . Boten: the Renaissance of Laos's Golden City - The Diplomat LAOS: Long-awaited China Railway Opens for Trade Another theme park I thought to myself as I counted the elephant and peacock statues dotting the palm lined streets. Cell phone flashlights are essential. It only took 5min and I was through the immigration minus 10.000kip to pay for the privilege. Mini-adventure: The Laos/China Border Crossing - Mohan/Boten - jttouring Boten - NSEC B2B The bus continued up the road that has now turned into a modern highway reminding me of the ones in Germany or Switzerland. See Laos#Get in for details. , Laos Could Lose Millions With Closure Of Boten Border Crossing , Historical maps of the border from west to east in the International Map of the World, Operational Navigation Chart and Tactical Pilotage Chart, late 20th century: China, Vietnam and Laos Sign the Treaty on Definition of the Tri-Junction Point of the National Boundaries, "International Boundary Study No. J&C Group is active in Insurance, Marketing, Investment, Real Estate and Joint-Ventures, offering employment to over 100 local & international staff members. Have you found a technical problem or issue on the Open Development Mekong website? Authorities in Laos and China have agreed to reopen the international border crossing between Boten and Bohan on Sunday. [1], The border starts in the west at the tripoint with Myanmar on the Mekong river, proceeding southwards via a series of irregular overland lines. Jinhong, also known as Xishuangbanna is a major tourist destination for local Chinese, who come here to experience an exotic and tropical place without leaving the country itself. (KPL) Governments of Laos and China have officially agreed to reopen the Boten-Bhan international border crossing on Jan 8. This is especially important because most other border crossings around the country have been closed for many months, Mr Thongsy added. Huge Truck Backlog At Chinese Border Due To Covid Screening 10/02/2022 J&C Admin 309 Views Boten Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Luang Namtha, Boten-Mohan border crossing, Lao Economy Hundreds of trucks loaded with goods are stranded at the Boten-Mohan crossing on the Laos-China border, with strict Covid screening procedures causing long delays. Big things are happening in Boten, and it may very soon be difficult to refer to the settlement as a town. Declared a Specific Economic Zone (SEZ) in 2003, Chinese businesses have moved in to help develop the area as part of Chinese President Xi Jinpings Belt and Road Initiative. The inside reminded me more of an airport than anything else, equipped with modern hi-tech machinery like passport and body scanners. 34 China Laos Boundary", "Laos Encyclopdia Britannica Overview", "The Land Boundaries of Indochina: Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=ChinaLaos_border&oldid=1095610023, This page was last edited on 29 June 2022, at 10:09. J&C Group is active in Insurance, Marketing, Investment, Real Estate and Joint-Ventures, offering employment to over 100 local & international staff members.
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