Basics - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 30

TO MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE
From Thailand Though there are buses and trains from Bangkok via Hat Yai into Malaysia,
these routes are currently advised against because of political unrest in southern Thailand;
check the latest situation before travelling (see box, p.819). The western routes are safer,
particularly from Satun, from where you can take local transport to Kuala Perlis and Pulau
Langkawi or Alor Setar; also by ferry from Ko Lipe to Pulau Langkawi.
From Indonesia Several routes by boat from Sumatra including: Medan to Penang; Dumai to
Melaka; Tanjung Balai to Port Klang; from Pulau Batam and Pulau Bintan in the Riau archipelago
to Johor Bahru and Singapore. From Kalimantan, you can take a bus from Pontianak to Kuching
(12hr) in Sarawak. Or you can cross into Sabah on a ferry from either Pulau Tarakan (3hr) or
Pulau Nunukan (1hr) to Tawau - a day's bus ride southeast of Kota Kinabalu.
From Brunei Direct boats from Bandar Seri Begawan to Limbang and Lawas (Sarawak), and
Pulau Labuan (just off Sabah). Also, direct buses from Bandar Seri Begawan to Miri in Sarawak
(via Seria and Kuala Belait) and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah (8hr).
TO MYANMAR BURMA
Check the status of border crossings before you travel.
From Thailand There are five border crossings: Ranong-Kawthaung, Three Pagodas Pass
(Sangkhlaburi-Payathonzu; day-trips only), Ban Phu Nam Ron-Htee Khee, Mae Sot-Myawaddy
and Mae Sai-Tachileik.
From China Organized tour groups can cross between Ruili (Yunnan province) and Muse.
TO THAILAND
From Malaysia and Singapore Travel to some areas of southern Thailand (such as Hat Yai) is
not recommended (see box, p.819); check the latest situation before travelling. The safest
routes are by minibus from Kangar to Satun and by boat from Kuala Perlis and Pulau Langkawi
to Satun, and from Langkawi to Ko Lipe.
From Laos There are five main border crossings: Houayxai to Chiang Khong; Vientiane across
the first Friendship Bridge to Nong Khai; Thakhek to Nakhon Phanom; Savannakhet to
Mukdahan; and Pakse to Chong Mek.
From Cambodia Six border crossings: Poipet to Aranyaprathet; by bus from Sihanoukville via
Koh Kong and Hat Lek to Trat in east Thailand; across the two border crossings from Pailin
(easiest at Phsa Prom and one further north at Daung Lem) to Chanthaburi province in
northeast Thailand; via the Chong Chom-O'Smach border pass to Surin; and the little-used
Sa Ngam-Choam crossing.
From Vietnam By bus from Vietnam, via the Lao Bao Pass, Savannakhet in Laos and then
across the Second Friendship Bridge to Thailand.
TO VIETNAM
From Laos Six border crossings: the Lao Bao Pass and the Cau Treo pass, near Vinh (buses
via both from Vientiane and Savannakhet to Da Nang or Hue); the Bo Y crossing (from Attapeu
to Kon Tum in Vietnam's Central Highlands); Tay Trang (from Muang Ngoi to Dien Bien Phu);
Nong Het Nam Can (from Phonsavan to Vinh); and the remote, seldom-used Na Meo crossing
(east of Sam Neua).
From Cambodia Four crossings: Moc Bai (buses from Phnom Penh, and from Moc Bai on to
Ho Chi Minh City); two crossings just north of Chau Doc in the Mekong Delta (boat or bus); and
the Xa Xia/Ha Tien border crossing near Kep and Kampot in Cambodia to Ha Tien in Vietnam.
From China Three crossings: Lao Cai (from Kunming in China by bus, or by direct train from
Beijing to Hanoi); Mong Cai (by bus from Guangzhou); and the Huu Nghi border crossing
(by bus or train from Pingxiang or Nanning).

Garuda Jakarta T 021 2351 9999, W garuda-indonesia.com.
Indonesia's national airline. Frequent flights from Denpasar and its hub at
Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, plus numerous domestic and
regional destinations.

Jet Star Asia Singapore T 800 6161 977, W jetstar.com. Daily
flights from Singapore to Bangkok, Bali, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong,
Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Manila and Phnom Penh, and less
frequent flights to Siem Reap.