Waiting for customers: Laotian workers at a restaurant in the border town of Boten
Fore some years Boten (磨丁市), in the middle of tropical forest, at the border of China and Laos, has been a Ghost City, where travellers found closed hoteltowers and shops or apartment complexes with few life. This after China had asked Laos to stop the casino operations, that had fallen into the hands of organized crime. An exodus of around tenthousand people followed, few remained in Boten, among them a Chinese family, whose children go to school in China (read).
Golden Boten City has been closed down - will it wake up again with help from China? This question was published by this blog in 2013. Now there are strong signs of resurrection. Chinas "One Belt One Road"-Strategy brings two railways to this jungle town:Yuxi-Mohan Railway in Yunnan and the Mohan-Vientiane Railway in Laos are under construction and declared to be operational in 2021. They are part of the planned connection from Kunming to Singapore, a major transport route for the export of Chinese goods and the import of resources.
Boten today looks not very different from the time of Golden Boten City. Guests pay with Chinese Yuan or Alipay, Mandarin is the most important language and the local clocks show Beijing time, 60 minutes ahead of Laos. Lao police cannot be seen, the public order is organized by a Chinese surveillance team, as elmundo.es reports. "It is a city in Laos under Chinese management," comments Huang Huang, worker at a Chinese company. And as the opeing of the two railways is coming nearer, the prices are rising. "We have already bought flats for resale later. Last year the square meter was worth 2,000 yuan. Now it costs 4,500 and all that have been built are already sold", he says. Since 2017 there is a lot of construction work ongoing in Boten. "The idea is to create a city where 300'000 people can live. It will take 15 years. Boten will be one of the most strategic stops on the train", says Yang Kai Chang, the tenant of the old Hotel Jingland. The former Golden casino has been converted into a gem emporium with a lot of Chinese customers, "chandeliers aglow above marble floors and rich red carpets", writes nytimes.com. An old nightclub has been transformed into a duty free mall. With the constructions works the nightlife has come back. Club Eccellente with its transvestite cabaret shows opens the doors as in the old days of Boten sin city.
The new Boten is called Beautiful Boten Specific Economic Zone. According to Laotian media Chinese investors want to pur more than $1.5 billion into the new development. Boten Economic Zone Development and Construction Group, a Chinese company headquartered in Kunming, seems to play an important role. Will Doig, a journalist from New York, describes it in his book "High-Speed Empire: Chinese Expansion and the Future of Southeast Asia". In 2017 he talked to local manager Callan Cheng, who said: “We control all of Boten, the entire city”, According to Doig, "the company is the municipal government, administering Boten’s taxes and finances, public utilities, telecommunications infrastructure, sanitation, emergency services, its hotels, markets and, of course, the duty-free mall. Likewise, nearly everyone working in Boten is on the company payroll. The Lao public sector has minimal involvement." Or in the words of Callan Cheng: “They’ve authorized us to take care of things.”
Sinohydro Bureau 14 Co. has signed a construction contract with Laos Boten Special Economic Zone Development Group to build Boten Central Business District (CBD) (phase II) in Boten. The project covers a total floor area of 500,000 square meters. China and Laos have signed a lot of plans for the Boten Economic Zone, for example "China Laos honing - the overall plan for the construction of the Grinding Economic Cooperation Zone" (中国老挝磨憨—磨丁经济合作区建设共同总体方案) and China Laos honing - the overall plan for the common development of the Grinding Economic Cooperation Zone (中国老挝磨憨—磨丁经济合作区共同发展总体规划). China Haicheng Group 中国海诚集团积 is another company involved according to yn.sina.com.cn. They got funding from Hong Kong Fuk Hing Travel Entertainment Group Ltd according to Vientiane Times. Fuk Hing Travel Entertainment Group? Its leader Wong Man Suen was the partner of the Laos authorities for the closed Golden Boten City. "It comes as a surprise to learn the Lao officials have decided to give Wong yet another chance", writes forbes.com.
A list of all planned station has been published by Wisarut. This blogger has matched it with a list published by Bounthone Sanasinh:
0. km Zero at Lao - China Border at Lao - China Friendship Tunnel (友谊隧道)
1. Boten (磨丁个车站, ສະຖານີບໍແຕນ); the Southern end of Friendship tunnels - km 3 + 020
2. Na Teuy (纳堆个车站, ສະຖານີນາເຕີຍ) km 15+400 2
3. Na Mor (纳磨个车站, ສະຖານີນາໝໍ້) km 30+940
4. Na Thong (那通个车站, ສະຖານີນາທອງ); km 40 + 675
5. Muong Xai Station (孟塞个车站, ສະຖານີເມືອງໄຊ) the provincial capital of Oudomsay province - km 69 + 550
6. Ban Na Khok Station (班纳科个车站, ສະຖານີບ້ານນາກອກ)
7. Muong Nga (孟阿火车站, ສະຖານີເມືອງງາ) km 115 + 720
8. Huoi Han Nga Station (会汉河 个车站, ສະຖານີຫ້ວຍຫັນງາ)
9. Luang Prabang (琅勃拉邦个车站, ສະຖານີຫລວງພະບາງ) - km 170 + 200
10. Xieng Ngeun Station (相嫩个车站, ສະຖານີຊຽງເງີນ) - southern suburb of Luang Prabang - km 179 + 150
11. Sala Patu Station (沙拉巴土个车站, ສະຖານີສາລາພາທູ) km 211 + 620
12. Muong Kasi (孟卡西 个车站, ສະຖານີເມືອງກາສີ) - km 240 + 090
13. Ban Phatang Station(班帕当 个车站, ສະຖານີບ້ານພາຕັ້ງ) - km 268 + 250
14. Vang Vieng (万荣 个车站, ສະຖານີວັງວຽງ) - tourist spot - km 285 + 100
15. Wang Khi station (万基个车站, ສະຖານີວັງຂີ) - km 312 + 175
16. Phonh Hong (丰洪个车站, ສະຖານີໂພນໂຮງ) - Provincial Capital of Vieng Chan - km 344 + 575
17. Ban Phonh Sung (班芬送个车站, ສະຖານີບ້ານໂພນສູງ) km 374+650
18. Vientiane Neua - (万象北个车站, ສະຖານີວຽງຈັນເໜືອ) Northern Vieng Chan capital - km 390 + 050
19. Vientiane (象北 个车站, ສະຖານີວຽງຈັນໃຕ້) - km 408 + 240 - Lao National University of Laos at Ban Don Noun, Viengchan Capital
22. Vientiane Tai (万象南 个车站, ສະຖານີວຽງຈັນໃຕ້) - clearly the station near National Stadium at Lak 16 at km 412 + 300 - not in the list of starting yet since this has been terminated at km 409+000
23. Thanaleng East (塔拉能东 ท่านาแล้งตะวันออก) - clearly the station near Tha Nalaeng station at km 425+000 - not in the list of starting yet since this has been terminated at km 409+000
Maps published in an early stage of planning:
Line from border between Laos and China at Boten (Map 1)
Detail of Line at Boten (Map2)
(Map 3)
Line west of Oudomsay airport (Map 4)
Line south of Oudomsay (Map 5)
Line near Luang Prabang (Map 6)
Line south of Luang Prabang< (Map 7)br>
The line crosses N13 north of Nam Ngum Lake, south of Vang Vieng (Map 8)
The line follows N13 west of Nam Ngum Lake (Map 9)
North of Vientiane the line follows N13 national road (Map 10)
The line crosses the Mekong and the border to Thailand at Nong Khai, Vientiane and its airport at the left (Map 11)
Planned is an electrified single track (standard track gauge) with a distance of 427,7 km. There will be 162 bridges with a total distance of 68.093 km, 72 tunnels with the distance of 183.978 km. Maximum speed for cargo will be 120 kph, maximum speed for passenger trains from Boten to Vang Vieng will be 160 kph, from Vang Vieng to Vientiane capital 200 kph. 33 stations are planned, but first only 21 stations will be built. These will allow trains passing each other. 11 stations will offer passenger services.
7 major tunnels are planned: Lao - China Friendship tunnel (友谊隧道 and 玉磨铁路友谊隧道): 9,68 km, 2,51 km on Lao side of border while 7,17 km on Chinese side. Start of construction in June 2016 by China Railway Second Bureau.
Kong Lang tunnel (空琅村隧道, 8150 meter)
Wa Nu Mountain (努瓦山隧道, 8185 meter)
Phu Kluea (福格村隧道, 8880 meter)
Ka (卡村隧道, 8005 meter)
Sen tunnel (森村隧道, 9405 meter)
La Meng tunnel (拉孟山隧道, 8055 meter)
According to the plan, there will be 11 stations for passenger use. 3 will be built in Oudomxay's Namor, Xay and Nga districts. 2 more stations will be built in Luang Prabang and Xieng-ngeun districts in Luang Prabang province. 3 will be constructed in Kasy, Vangvieng and Phonhong districts in Vientiane province and the main station will be in Vientiane. A goods transport depot will also be built in Vientiane.
The total project cost is estimated at 38.7 billion yuan (over USD 6 billion), which is about 90.6 million yuan (approx. USD 14 million) per kilometre. The Lao government has obtained a loan of about USD 480 million from China to pay its share of the investment cost. Somsavat Lengsavad, Laotian deputy prime minister, said the Chinese government has earlier offered Laos a loan with a three-percent interest rate, adding that Laotian government also asked the Chinese government to reduce the rate. He did not mention what the agreed-upon interest rate was. Laos will back the loan with five of its potash mines. Somsavat said after calculation, Laos has determined that it will be able to pay it back to China within five years instead of 30 years as Laos has five mines.
Construction contracts were awarded as follows:
1. Boten - Meuang Xay (Oudomxay, 88.65 km): China Railway No.5 Engineering Group (owned by China Railway Group Limited)
2. Meuang Xay (Oudomxay) - Nam Seu Bridge (68.8 km, including Mueang Xai station yard): China Railway International Group (owned by China Railway Group Limited)
3. Nam Seu Bridge - Phou Sanen Hill (65.6 km, including Bridge across Sue river): China Railway Baju Group Company (owned by China Railway Group Limited)
4. Phou Sanen Hill - Ban Pa Village (61.49 km): Sinohydro Group
5. Ban Pa Village - Phonhong (79.5 km): Power Construction Corporation of China
6. Phonhong - Vientiane (65.7 km, (including Phone Hong station yard): China Railway Erju Co., Ltd (owned by China Railway Group Limited)
In a twodays-meeting after the collaps of Xepian-XeNamnoy dam the government of Laos has decided to inspect all Hydropower dams in the country and to suspend any new investment in its hydroelectricity projects so it has time to review a longer-term development strategy and plans. This is reported by Vientiane Times.
Inspections are carried out into all dams, those that are complete and those whose construction is underway, reports The Nation. The investigation committee is chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Government Inspection Authority, Dr Bounthong Chitmany. The meeting also agreed to establish a high-level committee, supervised by Dr Bounthong, to investigate the responsibility of state authorities for the dam failure, as well as those in charge of issuing warnings ahead of the disaster. Laos will invite international experts for this investigation.
Search for missing people still onging. The deputy secretary of Attapeu’s provincial committee, Meenaporn Chaichompoo, has admitted that “we can’t find 1,126 people”, notes The Diplomat. Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith admitted it was the worst disaster faced by the small Southeast Asian country in decades. The latest report about the situation in Sanamxay district by UNO.
The eight villages most affected by the flood are all contaminated by Unexploded Ordnance (UXO). At least 94% of the villages in Attapeu province are contaminated by UXO, says Unicef.
Lao Government has issued a warning for people living along Nam Ou river near Luang Prabang, reports @PichayadaCNA. It says the water level of Nam Ou 2 dam has reached crisis point and urges local residents to prepare for evacuation. The dam is part of a seven-dam cascade developed by China’s Sinohydro Corp. Warning notice has been issued on Friday (Jul 27) by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as well as the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology. See Nam Ou Hydropower Google Map
WARNING: Lao government issues warning about Nam Ou 2 dam near touristy Luang Prabang. It says water level has reached crisis point and urges local residents to prepare for evacuation. The dam is part of a seven-dam cascade developed by China’s Sinohydro Corp pic.twitter.com/VCoTuzyq2R
Latest situation in Sanamxai, Attapeu province:
-11,034 people affected
-3,060 registered in shelters
-at least 131 missing
-at least 19 killed
-6,400 displaced
-Immediate food needs of 96 tonnes a month
According to UN report, read Laos dam collapse affects more than 10,000 people: UN report
27.7.2018
The Laotian prime minister Thonglun Sisoulit said on Wednesday (Jul 25) 131 people are still missing, as channelnewsasia reports. He attributed the collapse of the dam to “heavy rainfall” and “possibly faulty construction” according to rfa.org. Ian Baird, a professor of geography at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an expert on Laos, told RFA’s Lao Service Wednesday that the project partners should be held responsible for the collapse of the dam, noting that heavy rains should not have been enough to cause the tragedy. “It was caused due to poor management of the reservoir water of the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy Dam. It is the middle of the monsoon rainy season, so heavy rains should be expected during this time of year.” Minister of Energy and Mines, Dr Khammany Inthirath, told the media that the collapse of the Saddle Dam was likely due to substandard construction, as Laotian Times reports.
Dam operator Korea Western Power Co. said one of the auxiliary dams - "Saddle D" - broke under heavy rain. But according to a timeline the firm provided in a report to a South Korean lawmaker and obtained by AFP, it said "11 centimetres of subsidence was found at the centre of the dam" as early as Friday.
At least three thousand people in Laos are still in need of rescue, clinging to trees and sitting on rooftops, after Xe Pian Xe Namnoy dam burst, flooding villages and killing at least 19, reports theguardian.com.
24.7.2018
Hundreds of people are missing and an unknown number dead after the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy dam collapsed in south-east Laos, media are reporting. The collapse at the hydroelectric dam in Attapeu province late on Monday sent flash floods through six villages. Lives have been lost, thousands of homes are destroyed and several hundres of people are missing, as jclao.com reports. Sanamxay district governor Bounhome Phommasone told RFA’s Lao Service on July 24 that around 4,000 residents of seven villages in Sanamxay have now been moved to higher ground, with approximately 2,000 taken to the area of district offices and the rest moved to safety in other places.
According to Pichayada P. the following villages were hit by the flashflood: Yai Thae, Hinlad, Mai, Thasengchan, Tha Hin and Samong.
The US$1.2 billion dam is part of a project by Vientiane-based Xe Pian Xe Namnoy Power Company, or PNPC, a joint venture formed in 2012 between a Laotian, a Thai and two South Korean companies, according to the project's website.
The main Thai stakeholder in the project, Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding, said it had received a report from the dam's operator that a "saddle dam", measuring 770m long and 16m high, had collapsed, reports BBC. A spokesman for SK Engineering & Construction, a South Korean company with a stake in the project, told the BBC a small supply dam - not the main dam - had been partly lost due to "unexpected heavy rainfall".
The dam is a key component of the country’s controversial ambition to become the “battery of Asia” by selling power to its neighbours, reports theguardian.com. Eleven large hydropower dams on the main Mekong River, and 120 tributary dams, are planned over the next 20 years.
According to jclao.com a signed letter from Mr Lee Kang Yeol, Head of the Resettlement Office of Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Power Company, has been spread around social media in Laos, warning that part of its dam is likely to break. Reuters reports that an official of SK Engineering & Construction said the company ordered the evacuation of 12 villages as soon as it became clear that the dam would collapse.
Analysis of XePian-XeNamnoy dam break - what we know so far
The following analysis has been published in Chinese here by author 徐泽平 郑璀莹, translated an rewrited:
Around 20 o'clock on July 23, 2018, the dam break occurred. The Xe-Namnoy reservoir (total storage capacity of 1.043 billion m3) was broken by the D dam with a height of 16 m. The dam flood flooded the Sanamxay area of Attapeu province in southern Laos. Villages. According to the emergency letter issued by the owner PNPC, the media reported that the flood discharge reached 5 billion m3.
The project consists of three dams, Xe-Namnoy (see Youtube), Xe-Pian and Houay Makchanh, five auxiliary dams, water delivery systems and powerhouses with a total installed capacity of 410 MW. The Houay Makchanh reservoir has a controlled drainage area of 81km2. The dam is a concrete overflow dam with a maximum dam height of 8.5m, a dam axis length of 1789.0m and a dam crest elevation of 814.5m. The water is led to the Xe-Pian reservoir through the diversion channel. The Xe-Pian reservoir has a controlled drainage area of 271km2. The dam is a composite dam of concrete gravity dam and clay core wall rockfill dam. The maximum dam height is 48m, the dam axis is 1307.0m long, the dam crest elevation is 799.5m, and the total reservoir capacity is 2000. The Xe-Pian Reservoir is connected to the Xe-Namnoy Reservoir through a 7.96km diversion canal. Xe-Namnoy is a large reservoir with a controlled drainage area of 522km2. The dam is a clay core wall rockfill dam (Fig. 5). The maximum dam height is 73.7m, the dam axis is 1600m long, the dam crest elevation is 792.5m, and the total reservoir capacity is 1.043 billion m3.
The dam that breaked was the D dam (Saddle Dam D) on the southwest side of the Xe-Namnoy Reservoir. The D dam is an earth dam with a dam height of 16m, a dam axis of 770m and a dam roof width of 8m. According to a report received by AFP on the 25th, a South Korean congressman reported that on July 20th, the D dam had "11 cm subsidence in the middle" A spokesperson for the Western Electric Power Company said: "It is unclear why some of the dams have sunken and cracked. But all of this happened in heavy rain." On July 23, the PNPC issued an emergency letter to the government authorities, pointing out that due to the severe heavy rain in the area, the reservoir water overflowed the dam crest of D dam. At 12 noon, the local government ordered the downstream villagers to evacuate. At about 8 o'clock that night, the D dam collapsed, and the reservoir water poured down and flowed westward into the Xe Pian River. Due to the limited capacity of the Xe Pian channel, the floods flow out of the river. Many villages in the Sanamxay area are flooded, including Mai Village, HinLath Village, ThaSengchan Village, Thahintai Village, Sanong Village, Thae Village, Phonsa-ath Village and Nongkhae Village. Among them, Hinlath Village and Mai Village are the most seriously affected.br>
In general, the continuous heavy rainfall caused by the monsoon season and the tropical storm Son-Tinh is the direct cause of flooding and dam failure. The Global Disaster Alerting Coordination System (GDACS) issued the Orange Warning for the Tropical Storm in Son-Tinh on July 15, 2018. The affected areas include the Philippines, China, Vietnam and Laos. The Ban Veunkhen hydrological site data, which is not far from the disaster area, shows strong rainfall due to the transit of the Son-Tinh tropical storm on July 20-21. The water level in the rivers increased rapidly and reached its peak on July 24.
As early as July 20, PNPC discovered the structural defects of the D dam dam crest. According to the description in this report, the defects of the dam crest structure are mainly cracks and subsidence. The cracks are mainly longitudinal cracks along the axis of the dam and transverse cracks partially perpendicular to the dam axis. The causes of the crack at the top of the dam may include:
1) The dam body is not densely packed, and the wet deformation of the dam body after the reservoir is stored causes uneven subsidence in the upstream and downstream directions of the dam body, thus showing cracks in the direction of the dam line at the dam crest.
2) Due to the problem of the material or construction quality of the dam, the central part of the dam (the bottom of the saddle mouth) and the bank slope are unevenly deformed, so that the crack perpendicular to the axis of the dam is formed. Usually, the crack is mainly distributed in the abutment part.
3) There are defects in the seepage control measures of the dam body. Under the condition of high water level, there is osmotic damage inside the dam body, and the dam top collapses after the fine particles in the dam body are lost.
From the management perspective, Laos has a tropical and subtropical monsoon climate, and the rainy season is from May to October. A clear flood control plan should be formulated to timely dispatch operations according to changes in water and rain conditions to avoid flooding and dams. These specific operational schedules are still unknown. However, according to the emergency letter and the scene photos issued by the PNPC on July 23, the reservoir was full and the water flow over the D dam, eventually this was leading to the collapse of the D dam.
For earth-rock dam projects, one of the most important causes of collapse is external erosion damage caused by the diffuse roof, and the other is the internal erosion damage caused by seepage. For earth-rock dam projects, in addition to ensuring the reliability of the dam structure design and construction quality, the capacity and reliability of the flood discharge facilities should be highly valued.
The project investor was PNPC (Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Power Company) and construction began in February 2013. It was planned to start production in 2019. PNPCs shareholders are Korea SK Construction Co., Ltd. (SKEC, holding 26%), Thailand Ratchaburi Power Generation Company (RATCH, holding 25%), Korea West Power (KOWEPO, holding 25%) and Laos Holding State-owned Enterprise (LHSE, 24%).This joint venture has been formed in March 2012. PNPC invested about US$1.02 billion. PNPC has signed a franchise agreement with the Lao government. After the beginning of the commercial operation of the power station, it will be franchised for 27 years. 370MW of electricity will be sold to the Thai Electric Power Company (EGAT), and 40MW of electricity will be sold to Laos Power Company (EDL).
The government of Laos has already completed 51 hydro-electric dams, another 46 are under construction. Most of these projects began in the last 10 years, with the government arguing hydropower could lift landlocked Laos out of poverty, notes The Diplomat .
Chinas and Laos' flags at Xayaburi construction site, 25.1.2015
China is involved in roughly half of Laos’ hydropower projects, whether on the main channel of the Mekong River or its tributaries. According to data from International Rivers, Chinese dam projects in Laos include the $2.4 billion Pak Beng dam (to be constructed by China Datang Overseas Investment), a $2 billion seven-dam cascade on the Nam Ou River (under development by Sinohydro Corporation), the Nam Khan 3 hydropower project (also by Sinohydro), and the Nam Beng dam (China Electrical Equipment Corporation).(Source: The Diplomat)
XePian-XeNamnoy dam break: After saddle dam D broke in July 2018 the flood devastated Sanamxay district in Attapeu province. More than 11 000 people affected, more than 1000 were missing. Laos was confronted with the worst disaster in decades. Analysis, why the dam broke http://treasuresoflaos.blogspot.com/2018/07/xepian-xe-nam-noy-dam-in-laos-collapsed.html.
Lao Power for Thailand: New dams on Bolaven Plateau affect the Dong Hua Sao National Biodiversity Conservation Area. (15.2.2013)
The Pak Beng Hydropower Project: The Pak Beng hydropower project is proposed on the Mekong mainstream in the northern territory of Lao PDR. The run-of-river project with capacity of 912 MW and the average annual generation of 4,775 GWh is expected to produce power for domestic supply and export. The dam is located between the Jinghong hydropower project in China and the Xayaburi hydropower project in Laos. See theesse videos by Mekong River Commission (MRC):
In 2018 Thailand’s EGAT (The Thai Electricity Commission) deferred a decision on signing the power purchase agreement for the Pak Beng dam until the country’s energy development plan was completed. EGAT had originally agreed to buy 90 percent of the electricity from the dam. The Chinese dam-builder Datang Overseas Investment "appears likely to lose its Thai partner EGAT", writes thethirdpole.net (14.6.2018).
The Pak Lay Dam Project: On 13 June, the Government of Laos formally notified the Mekong River Commission (MRC) of its intention to construct the Pak Lay dam on the mainstream of the Mekong River. The notification triggers the Prior Consultation procedure under the Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation
and Agreement (PNPCA) of the 1995 Mekong Agreement. Pak Lay is the fourth Mekong mainstream
dam to be submitted for the procedure.
At least 1,000 families from 20-some villages in northwestern Laos’ Xayaburi province will be forced to relocate if the Pak Lay Dam project will be realized, reports rfa.org. The villages that will be affected the most by the dam building are Bane Tha Liev, Bane Pak Tung, Bane Nong Kay, and Bane Hune Ngam.
Sinohydro and CEIEC agreed to construct the Pak Lay hydropower project at Xayaboury and signed a memorandum of understanding in 2007. The project is to be funded by China's Export-Import Bank, through a $1.7 billion loan, this according to china.aiddata.org.
Nam Theun 2 dam: U.S. $1.3 billion Nam Theun 2 (NT2) hydropower dam, constructed in central Laos’ Khammouane province to generate foreign currency through electricity exports to Thailand. The dam is a trans-basin diversion power plant that uses water from the Nam Theun River, a tributary of the Mekong, and releases it into the Xe Bang Fai River, wrires rfa.org. Roughly 6,200 people, mostly ethnic minorities and indigenous people, have been forced to relocate to make way for the project’s reservoir.
The Xayaburi dam: The $3.8 billlion Xayaburi dam with 1,285 MW generation, is scheduled to be completed in 2019. According to geologist Dr. Punya Charusiri of Chulalungkorn University in Bangkok, “The Xayaburi dam poses a potential danger because there are active faults close to the dam site.” He added that construction “should never have started at such a site without further research into its seismic risk.” (Source: The Diplomat)
Laos has signed a 32-year land lease with investors to develop the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydroelectric project according to emergingfrontiersblog.com. Lao Deputy Natural Resources and the Environment Minister Akhom Tounalom signed the agreement with the chief executive officer of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Power Co, Young-Ju Choi, in Vientiane. Construction of the project in Attapeu and Champasak provinces is expected to start in July, with commercial operation planned for February 2019, project officials told The Vientiane Times. The initial investment cost of the project was about 2,100 billion kip (7.8 billion baht). The firm is a joint venture between the Lao government, which has a 24% stake, SK Engineering and Construction Co (26%), and the Korea Western Power Co and Thailand-based Ratchaburi Electric Generating Holding Plc with 25% each. The hydro dam is designed to produce 390 megawatts. Around 90% of the energy will be sold to Thailand with the rest for domestic consumption.
In this project, 1,000 MCM of water, which is received from Houay Makchan Dike and Xe Pian Dam, will be stored in Xe Namnoy Dam. The dams are located on the Bolaven Plateau while the power plants are installed at the base. The flow of water from the height of 630 meters by a 13.5-kilometer headrace tunnel to the powerhouse at the bottom of the Xe Kong Valley enables the generating of electricity. The water will then be discharged into Xe Kong River, notes teamgroup.co.th. Xe Kong River flows into Mekong River.
Thousands of people have been forcefully moved from their old villages between 1996 and 2001 along the Xe Pian and Xe Namnoy rivers to make way for two dams that were being planned at that time, the Houay Ho and Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy hydropower projects, as International Rivers reports. The dams then were not built because the Korean developer’s original plans ran aground during the Asian financial crisis. Two villages, Ban Houay Chot and Ban Nong Pha Nouan rejected the resettlement packages and stayed behind. Now this villagers are confronted with the beginning work. Unclear is, which consequences the project has for ethnic minority people in Cambodia living downstream along the Xe Kong River.
The dam projects are situated in Dong Hua Sao National Biodiversity Conservation Area, Read more about this Area on visitlaos.org and see photostream and comments by Ben. 1996 there was conducted a wildlife and habitat survey.
Nearby is Xe Pian National Biodiversity Conservation Area. The Xe Pian National Protected Area (NPA) stretches out over 240,000 hectares in the Provinces of Champasak and Attapeu and touches the National border of Cambodia. It is one of the most important nature reserves in Laos. It has extensive wetlands and is home to rare wildlife such as elephants, gaur, sun bear, Asiatic black bear and the yellow-cheeked gibbon.
Joma Bakery: 14/4 Setthathirat Road. Very nice sandwichs and great coffee, say reviews on tripadvisor.com. "Delicious pastries, sandwiches, quiche, muesli, fruit, shakes", adds Lonely Planet. Daily papers from Laos and Thailand and Wi Fi, mentions chiengfa.com
Maison du Café: 70 Pangkham Road. Coffee from Laos, Brazil, Kenya and Colombia. And also tea! And also a travel agent, discovered the tranquilo traveler
Chinese:
Heng Boun and Chao Anou Road are the heart of Vientianes chinatown.
Le Silapa: 17/1 Th Sihom. Excellent, according to reviews on tripadvisor.com
La Cave des Châteaux: Big wine choice, romantic terrace. The wine is wunderful and the kitchen excellent according to reviews on tripadvisor.com. See picture by talesfrom30b
Le Provencal: Nam Phou. "Pizza margheritas freshly baked in a wood fired oven. Yummy.", comments edfaigman on tripadvisor.com. Don't await too much, it's a French bistro, not more.
La Terrasse: 55/4 Nokeokoummane Road. "French-European food, great desserts, good family restaurant, very popular with expats, excellent bread", notes the blog Apocalypse Lao.
Italian:
Aria Italian Culinary Arts: Excellent, according to reviews on tripadvisor.com
L'Opera: Homemade pasta.
International:
Douang Deune: Francois Ngin Road. "Excellent Lao, Vietnamese, and Thai food" with Western classical music, notes frommers.com
Khop Chai Deu: 54 Setthathirad Road. In an old French colonial villa, Lao and European dishes. "Khop Chai Deu is the crossroads for expats, backpackers, and tourists", describes frommers.com and notes tasty barbecue and good Lao sections - also "an extensive range of fried insect dishes including crickets and larvae". See their Facebook page. See a video about their lunch buffet
That Dam Wine House:
The Spirit House: Good cocktails with Mekong View, say reviews on tripadvisor.com
Japanese:
Yulala Café: Heng Boun Road. "Cute japanese restaurant and best chocolate desserts", say reviews on tripadvisor.com
Just for fun: 51/2 Pamkham Road. Vegetarian dishes. "A good option for committed veggies", comments frommers.com and also a Lao handicraft store.
Kong View Restaurant: On the riverside, west of Vientiane - take a Taxi.
Nang Kham Bang: Khoun Boulum Road. Very godd review by mmm-yoso!!!
Nok Noy: Fa Ngum Road (corner of Nokeokoummane Road). Noodle shop.
Kualao: 141 Samsenthai Road. In an old colonial villa.
Lotus Restaurant: Nokeokoummane Road. In a house in colonial style.
Makphet: Setthathirat road. This restaurant trains homeless youth and is run by Friends International. It sells also a cookbook "From Honeybees to Pepperwood". "A foodies heaven", say reviews on tripadvisor.com.
Pho Zaab: Lao noodle soup - beef and pork noodles with herbs, lime juice and chili
Vilaylac:
Thai:
Full Moon Café: "Boasting Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Indian daily specials, this is the place to go if you're not sure which Asian country's cuisine you want to sample", recommends Frommers .
Linda Sathaphorn: 306/18 Saphanthong Road. Very popular by Thais. with a shaded courtyard, notes lonelyplanet.com
Picture by 
Picture by 
Picture by 
Picture by 
Picture by 
Picture by