Chiang Kong to Savannaket and back.

**crackerjack101** · 12-12-2016, 03:34 PM

2-3 hours to Mukdahan. The road was good and all really easy. Checked into the Riverfront Hotel which is about 20 minutes from the bridge. Really friendly lady, the owner, welcomed us and we were soon settled in simple clean and comfortable rooms. 2 double rooms on the 3rd floor plus undercover parking and breakfast cost us 1800.
Within 30 minutes the girls had gone shopping as, like so many border towns, the riverside road is just a mass of stalls and shops selling just about everything. Not as anarchic as Mae Sai but it all looked good.
The hotel has a really nice open deck/lounge area on the ground floor with a few tables and chairs where you can sip a can of Leo (50 baht) and watch the world go by.

I like this place.

**crackerjack101** · 12-12-2016, 05:27 PM

Sitting organising the paperwork for tomorrow morning I find that my departure card has gone missing. FUC.

Hopefully I can just fill out a new one and not get any serious hassle.

It must be sitting in one the hotel reception desks. Bugger.

**crackerjack101** · 14-12-2016, 09:28 AM

Up the next morning for a really good breakfast on the 6th floor of the hotel with sweeping views of the river.
A really nice spot and I was sorry to leave.
The Riverfront is definitely a h0tel I'd return to.

We drove to the bridge and put the car into the undercover parking on the left hand side before you get to the offices. We'd been told it was about Thb100 a night but the woman hit us for Thb200 a night. Never mind.

Walked over to immigration and had to report to the supervisor for a new departure card, no problem.

Through Thai Imm. and a 20 minute wait for the bus across the bridge.

Thb1,500 for the Lao visa and then got attacked by about 30 bus and tuk tuk drivers. We picked one at random and got taken to the Consulate, about 10 minutes away. We did a deal with the driver and he agreed to wait at the consulate and then take us on to the Avalon where we'd booked in for a couple of nights. Thb for the 3 of us from the bridge to the consulate to the hotel seemed fair, especially as he ended up waiting for over an hour.

The free tourist visa, currently on offer is, I am sure a very good thing for folk wishing to visit the Land of Smiles but it creates one hell of a fucin queu at the Consulate.

We got there at about 09.30 and I finally got to the desk just before 11.00
Bloody hot as well.

Thb5,000 for a Non Imm O - Spouse. Pick it up at 14.00 tomorrow.

The girls enjoyed the shade of the trees and a couple of cold beers each.

All done and off to the Avalon Residence for a shower, a cold one and a bit of a relax.

**Auroria** · 14-12-2016, 09:55 AM

Sounds like a great relaxed trip. Would love to see pics if possible.

**crackerjack101** · 14-12-2016, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by Auroria

Sounds like a great relaxed trip. Would love to see pics if possible.

Cheers. We might add pics later once we've got home. She has taken loads so, we'll see.

**Auroria** · 14-12-2016, 10:57 AM

Fantastic, thank you.

**crackerjack101** · 14-12-2016, 03:40 PM

Well that was easy.
Got a tuk tuk from the hotel to the Consulate at 13.00. Was number 43 in the queue. By 14.00 there were at least another 100 behind me.
The gates opened promptly at 14.00 and I walked out with Non Imm O Multi at 14.10

Back to the hotel and a cold beer. All good.

The Avalon Residence is good. Clean and cool with balcony and downstairs a decent little bar selling odd beers at fair prices.

2 doors down they have a cafe which does a limited selection of Lao/Thai and western food. It was all right.

However, across the road there's a family doing baguettes from dawn 'till noon, then bbq chicken and sticky rice until about 15.00 Very tasty.

The staff in the Avalon are very friendly and helpful. The wifi works fine. and the price is decent.

Book your tuk tuk through the hotel reception and you get a fair price and no haggling. On the street it can be a pain.

So, all good.

We'll set off for home tomorrow with an overnight in Khon Kaen.

**Topper** · 14-12-2016, 04:56 PM

Great read CJ!

**Norton** · 14-12-2016, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by crackerjack101

So, all good.

Great. Enjoy the trip home. Was nice spending time with you, wife and her friend.

**crackerjack101** · 14-12-2016, 07:58 PM

Cheers Norts and CSFF.

We've decided to stop off in Khon Kaen for the night to break the trip and then make a big push the following day.

This looks interesting; Mai Thai Guest House. Run by a bloke called Ronnie, apparently anyway we've booked and we'll see.
It's on Booking.com if you're interested.

http://www.booking.com/searchresults...ROVvQod7-0PBA&

small point to note;

we were checking out with the Avalon Residence this evening, paying up etc before an early start tomorrow morning and the extremely pleasant manager said in a very subdued voice "there will be a 3% service charge for using your Mastercard".

THIS SHIT DRIVES ME MAD.

One kept one's cool and explained that I'd booked through Booking.com as always and there was no mention of a banking surcharge.

It's peanuts, I know but the whole thing gets me going.

Anyway, he called his boss etc etc and we didn't get the surcharge of about Thb 150.

Good.

So they got a tip of Thb500.

**Norton** · 14-12-2016, 08:19 PM

Originally Posted by crackerjack101

This looks interesting;

Looks ok. Never stayed there.

Welcome to Mai Thai

Normally stay at Pullman. A bit pricier but very good.

**crackerjack101** · 14-12-2016, 08:30 PM

Originally Posted by Norton

Looks ok. Never stayed there.

Welcome to Mai Thai

Normally stay at Pullman. A bit pricier but very good.

I was browsing and it caught my eye. The pics on Booking.com look good and I was particularly interested in the food pics....

Anyway, the girls will like the little pool if we get there in time.

**beerlaodrinker** · 14-12-2016, 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by Norton

Originally Posted by crackerjack101

This looks interesting;

Looks ok. Never stayed there.

Welcome to Mai Thai

Normally stay at Pullman. A bit pricier but very good.

me to, a 5 star hotel with 3 star price, German craft beer in the basement as well, I'm due a sneaky trip to KK soon I reckon

**crackerjack101** · 14-12-2016, 08:45 PM

Ah well we'll check it out the next time.

**crackerjack101** · 16-12-2016, 09:59 PM

The Mai Thai was great.

Ronnie, the host and his lovely wife were charming.

When I asked Mrs. Ronnie when we could eat her reply was "when you're hungry.' Excellent

.

The rooms were clean and comfortable, the beer cold and the company great.

If you like the 'family run guest house" environment this place is it.

Walking distance to some huge market with a massive food area apparently, though I stayed at the bar.

We thoroughly enjoyed our evening festivities and our stay overall.

Heartily recommended.

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