Laos - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 733

GETTING TO THAILAND: PAKSE TO UBON RATCHATHANI
Getting to the border Heading to the busy border (open 6am to 8pm) of Vang Tao/ Chong Mek is
straightforward if catching a sŏrngtăaou from Pakse (10,000K per person, 75 minutes, 37km). Less
stressful is the Thai-Lao International Bus (80,000K, three hours, 126km) direct from Pakse's 2km
bus terminal to Ubon's main bus station. Departures in both directions are at 8.30am and 3.30pm. Al-
ternatively, you buy a through ticket to Bangkok (from Pakse 235,000K, 14 hours). This may or may
not involve a bus change in Ubon.
At the border There are ATMs on the Thai side, a market and restaurants. You have to walk a bit
between the two posts but generally it's hassle free. Free 15-day visas are granted on arrival in Thail-
and; to obtain a 30-day Thai visa, you'll need to arrive in the country by air.
Moving on A minibus from Chong Mek to Ubon Ratchathani (80km, 1½ hours) costs 100B, while
taxi drivers charge between 1000B and 1200B.
For more information about crossing this border in the other direction, Click here .
Getting Around
A jumbo to the airport, 3km northwest of town, should cost about 40,000K. Pakse's main
attractions are accessible by foot. Bicycles/scooters (around 15,000/50,000K per day) can
be hired from Lankham Hotel ( Click here ) , which also has Honda Bajas for 240,000K a
day - excellent for super-swift day trips to the Bolaven Plateau.
Champasak
031 / POP 14,000
Many eschew arid Pakse for the riverine charms of this lush southern belle - with good
reason. Thanks to its silkscreen-style mountain, fringed by emerald rice paddies, and the
easy manner of its locals, you may stay a little longer than planned. Among faded colonial
villas there's a sprinkling of high-end style with a boutique hotel and a couple of upscale
restaurants. Champasak's highpoint though is the picturesque ruins of Wat Phu Champa-
sak, and while it won't wow you like Angkor it's a serene spot to visit. If you're looking
for activity beyond the sleepy to and fro of the ferryman and children playing in flower-
choked backyards, you may have come to the wrong place.
The town stirs once a year, usually in February, when pilgrims gravitate here for Bun
Wat Phu Champasak , a three-day Buddhist festival of praying, offerings, traditional music,
Thai boxing, comedy shows and cock fights.