R&R in VV

[9999]

Loei to Udon abut 3 hrs
Udon to Nong Khai abou 1 hr to 1 1/2 hrs.

I'd prolly go Loei - to Nong Khai direct along the Mekong.

Leaving early in the morning to do the drive again, CM to Nong Khai. Will be doing loei - Nong Khai.

Maybe get some more pics inside Thailand, but no fun in VV this time, just hurry up and get visa - get the fuck out of Laos - meander back through the north back to CM. Vientianne blows and droving around Laos on backpack buses aint for the missus who is 6 months up the duff.

And MysticPaki mate, if you;re still around, I'll see if the name of that Guest House pops up.

[Loy Toy]

Fantastic thread mate, great pictures and info.

Thanks for sharing.

[9999]

Cheers LT. Thinking of going back between xmas and new years. Gotta go on a visa run about that time.

[Vientianeboy]

You are incredibly lucky that you were not picked up by the local police. This often happens in Vang Vieng.

[9999]

^ Maybe so if you're a chump

[Vientianeboy]

Don't need to be a chump - that is a silly comment. A number of bar owners/restaurant owners have set up westerners before. It happens quite a lot. As I live here, I have a pretty good idea what happens.

[9999]

You might live there but you sound pretty naive. Outside of the capital tourists smoking opium is rampant. What % do you think get stitched up? And what are the consequences? A bribe of $500 should get you out of trouble if you're stupid enough to get caught. Tell us some real examples of people you know who have been busted?

"Incredibly lucky' not to get picked up is a silly statement. Clearly the vast majority of tourists taking opium in Laos have no trouble at all. Did you get all your info from google?

[Satonic]

You might live there but you sound pretty naive. Outside of the capital tourists smoking opium is rampant. What % do you think get stitched up? And what are the consequences? A bribe of $500 should get you out of trouble if you're stupid enough to get caught. Tell us some real examples of people you know who have been busted?

"Incredibly lucky' not to get picked up is a silly statement. Clearly the vast majority of tourists taking opium in Laos have no trouble at all. Did you get all your info from google?

Completely agree. 90% of the time I spent there I was indulging in things I shouldn't and didn't get one run in with the law.

The idiots running around openly doing stuff are gonna get caught, like anywhere.

[9999]

Yeah, and it's pretty easy to pick your spots and with a tiny bit of street smarts find the vendors that are not in cahoots with the cops. Of the 30 or so people I spoke to doing it not one had a problem. The only guy I met with a problem was in Chiang Mai, he said got set up in VV and was held by the cops until he coughed up $500. He was the loud mouth type and was getting around a bar he'd never been to asking where to buy weed and yaba.

Best off doing it where you bought if from. You know, the places that discreetly sell it off the 'special' menu.

[Vientianeboy]

I would say a good 5% get scammed. I will tell you something - if I saw you taking illegal substances I would report you to the cops before you could blink. Drugs are illegal in Lao and there is no excuse for promoting them. Go to Xieng Khouan and have a look at the damage caused by opium. We don't need people like this in Lao.

[9999]

^ Well you're just a square snitch then aren't you. Opium has been a way in life long before your do gooding arse got there. Obviously I would stay right the fuk away from pompous arse cunts like you. Are you one of those idiots that gets around in brand new 4WD vehicles with pens and pads and imposes your western opinion on people getting about with their lives. What a patronizing cock you are. I suppose you think you;re over there changing things for the good of mankind when you're actually making things worse. NGO types and fukers like you piss me off and Laos does not definately need them. The inflated prices they charge me for opium to support their families is more than you've ever done. So fuk off.

[9999]

You are incredibly lucky that you were not picked up by the local police. This often happens in Vang Vieng.

I would say a good 5% get scammed.

So taking a 20/1 risk for a small fee is 'incredibly luck'. More like <0.5% anyway. From what authority do you speak? Have you seen the affects of Beer in Vientiane??? If it eren't for western influence rampant alcohol abuse would not be a problem. The only reason opium is illegal is to appease the wanka seppos and their war on drugs and holding a country they came in and fuked right up for aid ransom. The Laos people don't give a fuk about this law and continue to do what they have been doing for centuries. And it's their choice to make money off it from tourists.

MODS, please MKP all the posts from when the fly by night do gooding fukwit came in and destroyed a qulaity travel thread.

[Vientianeboy]

What a hoot, referring to your own thread as a "quality thread'. You are a legend in your own underpants. If you think the residents in VV don't care, I suggest you read the comments made by the owner of the Mulberry Farm
Laos, Vang Vieng tourism | Tubing hurting town and culture

No, I do not work for an NGO. I told you, I live here! Your limited vocabulary is clearly a reflection of your intelligence.

[Satonic]

I guess there is no chance in sharing a spliff with you then VBoy, that's a shame you really sound like someone I'd like to hang out with.

If your ever in Thailand there are openings for farangs to go into bars and restaurants and grass up the farang owners if they go near the fridge. You'd have a great time.

[Vientianeboy]

I guess there is no chance in sharing a spliff with you then VBoy, that's a shame you really sound like someone I'd like to hang out with.

If your ever in Thailand there are openings for farangs to go into bars and restaurants and grass up the farang owners if they go near the fridge. You'd have a great time.

Silly analogy for obvious reasons. You just don't get it, do you? Have you been to Xieng Khouan? Have you seen the problems caused by drugs, both yaba and opium?

[Satonic]

I have been to a lot of places that have problems with drugs, I have also seen a lot more problems caused by the taxed drugs.

But that wasn't my point, I just thought its pathetic that you would run squealing to the nearest cop if you saw someone smoking a joint, drinking a mushroom shake, eating a 'special' pizza etc etc

[Vientianeboy]

Satonic, at least it is possible to have a halfway sensible discussion with you unlike with the op who really appears to a self interested twat.
There are victimless crimes which, in my opinion, are the business of the perpetrator. Buying opium means that it had to be grown somewhere. The Lao Govt is currently trying to eradicate the opium crops of the GT. Buying this encourages others to grow it. As it is largely hill tribes and Hmong who grow opium this contributes to an increasing tension between Hmong and the Lao Govt. Further Lao is an underdeveloped country. Relying on drug money should be discouraged. Do you want Lao to become another Colombia? I don't. You see, every action has a reaction . People like 9999 don't bother thinking about that when they indulge themselves. Perhaps they do and don't give a shit. Well, I live here and I do give a shit.

[terry57]

Good information 9999, last time I was in VV there where lots of tourists so you where lucky to get it Quiet.

Great beer the Dark Lao and also the French rolls for Breaky where Tops.

[terry57]

The Lao Govt is currently trying to eradicate the opium crops of the GT.

I think your conveniently not acknowledging that the cops are getting a nice little earner out of all those businesses in VV that sell gear and thats why the vast majority of tourists are left alone to get stoned.

They grab one here and there just so they can say there making an effort but everybody knows its a load of wank.

Your intentions are good but the place is corrupt as fuk with the vast majority of law makers and enforcers living well of the drug smuggling and drug taking in VV.

Every visitor to VV is offered drugs so why aren't the cops enforcing the law. ?

The answers not hard is it.

[Satonic]

Satonic, at least it is possible to have a halfway sensible discussion with you unlike with the op who really appears to a self interested twat.
There are victimless crimes which, in my opinion, are the business of the perpetrator. Buying opium means that it had to be grown somewhere. The Lao Govt is currently trying to eradicate the opium crops of the GT. Buying this encourages others to grow it. As it is largely hill tribes and Hmong who grow opium this contributes to an increasing tension between Hmong and the Lao Govt. Further Lao is an underdeveloped country. Relying on drug money should be discouraged. Do you want Lao to become another Colombia? I don't. You see, every action has a reaction . People like 9999 don't bother thinking about that when they indulge themselves. Perhaps they do and don't give a shit. Well, I live here and I do give a shit.

You do argue a fair point, and on the smaller scale a lot of the young backpacker like tourists that Laos attract go there specifically for the mushrooms and opium, when I owned my guest house the guys moving onto Laos that was all they would speak about.

I'd be interested in just how motivated the govt really are to eradicate the crops.

And Terry yes... dark beer Lao, less than the price of chang here for a large bottle and a great great beer.

[9999]

Vientiane Boy is clueless. He lives there, wow, his said it like 50 times, must want a badge or something. If he's ever had a beer then he's a complete hypocrite. Thinking he's the model expat Laos people want in their country and being the opium police and thinkng it's him that determines the type of people Laos wants in their country. Typical ignorant twat. All the while taking advantage of hte local population acting as his slaves to live his luxurious lifestyle in a 3rd world country that smokes opium as an inherint part of their culture.

And if you wanted a sensible discussion you wouldn't have started off with such idiot statements VB. You're just trolling. VV has done nicely from the tourist trade and you choose the one reference that is against it to base your whole argument on.

Now go exploit the population and have a beer too, I'm sure you got plenty of mates over there to have one with. And please, tell us one more time you live there, just in case we didn't hear or pick it up from your avatar. It's so impressive, maybe you should shout it from the rooftops of the slums you lord over.

And yes, according to the vast majority of members, this is a quality travel thread. What have you contributed VB apart from findng something to troll about? You've failed to address any of my points and just keep dribbling 'drugs are bad mkay'

[9999]

What % of opium smoke in Laos is done by foreigners? I suppose that won't get answered by the expert who wants everyone so desperately to know lives there, it wouldn't support his self-important line.

[Vientianeboy]

No doubt the police are corrupt - well some of them anyway. So are some of the local officials, which is why the owner of the Organic Farm has difficulties.
Satonic, the Lao Govt is pretty committed to getting rid of drugs. The main reason for this is not an altruistic one, but rather that foreign aid, particularly from the US is linked to this policy.

9999, as I said, you think you are a legend in your own underpants. Do you notice how when someone lacks the nous to construct a proper argument they accuse people of being trolls? Highly amusing.

I also find it amusing how you automatically assume I am a westerner.

[9999]

When did I say you were a westerner? And yes it would be a fair assumption given the demographics of this websites. LOL I spose you're an Indonesian female.

So why have you not addressed any of my points? Do you drink beer? What affect does alcohol have on the Laos people. How long has opium been an inherint part of the culture?

I go to a country where the local people themselves offer me a product which I consume. You think this is wrong and would do anything in your power to destroy my life because of it.

And what are you doing for the betterment of Laos, to be on such a moral high horse?

BTW I've had several supporting messages saying how much of a tool you are being. That is how I judge the quality of this thread, fedback from other posters, nothing to do with my underpants you seem so obsessed about.

[9999]

Satonic, the Lao Govt is pretty committed to getting rid of drugs.

Wrong. The US government is. The Laos government couldn't give a shit.