Finally it's possible to travel on railway from Kunming in China to Vientiane in Laos: On April 13 the first trains left Kunming and Vientiane and arrived 10-and-half-hours later at their destination. The 1,000-kilometer rail line, which links the capital of China’s Yunnan province to the capital of Laos, had been completed in December 2021, but due to Chinas’s strict “zero COVID” policies, the border of China and Laos could not be crossed.
Now the fast train between Vientiane and Kunming South Station is running daily in both directions, starting at 8:08 am and arriving at 19.38 in Kunming (China time) and 17.38 in Vientiane. First class tickets for the full journey are available for 760 yuan ($110) while second-class tickets are priced at 470 yuan ($68). Laos-China Railway Company Limited (LCR) have launched an App on Google Play, iOS and Huawei to allow passengers to purchase LCR train tickets on their mobile phones using UnionPay cards. The service is operated with green bullet trains of China Railway and the Lanexang EMU trains of Lao-China-Railway. Find more informations on Hobomap.
For the border checks the passengers have to leave the train in Mohan (China) and Boten (Laos) with all their belongings. The stops will take 90 minutes.
The China-Laos Railway started cross-border passenger services last Thursday, with the first passenger train departing from Kunming, the capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, and heading for the Lao capital Vientiane. pic.twitter.com/efhw3Q85Qq
As locals await relocation and environmentalists raise concerns over impacts on the Mekong’s ecology, the future of the planned Phou Ngoy dam (also called Lat Sua) looks uncertain, "The Third Pole" reports. The run-of-river-dam is planned on the Mekong River in Champasak Province in Laos, about 18 km downstream from Pakse. The project for producing 728 Megawatt of electricity has been developped by Charoen Energy and Water Asia Corporation of Thailand (CEWA) and the South Korean construction companies Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction and Korea Western Power. The dam structure would be 1,300 meters long and 27 meters high with a head of 10.6 meters.
Visualisation of the Phou Ngoy Hydropower Project by CEWA
How many villages along the Mekong are affected?
The US $2.4-billion dollar project would impact more than 200 hectares of land and 88 villages, 57 villages above the dam and 31 below. The most-affected village would be Ban Khonken fishing village, where 811 residents reside in 142 households. They have been told that they will have to relocate for the construction works.
Is there an impact on Vat Phou Unescco World Heritage site?
An official at the Lao Ministry of the Information, Culture and Tourism said according to rfa.org he was worried about the dam’s impact on Vat Phou, a Khmer Hindu temple complex about six kilometers (3.7 miles) from the Mekong River. “If the Lao government and the Phou Ngoy Dam developer really want to build this dam, they’ll have to do the Heritage Impact Assessment, similar to the one for the Luang Prabang Dam Project that has been submitted to UNESCO,” he said.
Is Phou Ngoy Hydropower project economically feasable?
There are doubts, as "The Third Pole" reported in Dezember. Yongpil Seo, country director of the Thai office of Doosan Enerbility, one of the Korean partners, said he thought it was “unlikely” the Korean partners would continue with the project, adding he believed CEWA is currently looking for lower-cost Chinese partners and is struggling to find investment. No power-purchase agreement (PPA) with the Thai state enterprise Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) seems in sight.
Another interruption of the free flow of Mekong river and the way for its fish population; more than 1200 families are forced to move their homes and income resources, and the earthquake risk for the historic town of Unesco-protected Luang Prabang is rising: The construction of a highly controversial hydropower project in Laos has begun. The energy shall be delivered to Thailand.
The development cost of the 1,460-Megawatt facility is estimated at U.S. $ 3 billions. The run-of-the-river dam is planned about 25 kilometers upstream from Luang Prabang, at Houygno village according to the website of Mekong River Commission, located by the upstream Pak Beng hydropower project and the downstream Xayaburi project. The energy will be produced by 7 turbines or generators, each delivering 200 Megawatt. See this introduction video:
Who is behind the Luang Prabang hydropower project?
The Luang Prabang Power Company Limited (LPCL), a company established by Lao PDR and PetroVietnam Power Corporation, is the project developer, finances it and will operate it. In late 2020 an ownership change occurred with the stock ownership of Luang Prabang Power Company Limited changed to the following: PT Sole Co., Ltd. 38 percent; Petro Vietnam Power Corporation 10 percent; CK Power Public Company 42 percent and CH. Karnchang Public Company Limited 10 percent. CK Power Plc (CKP) is the power generation arm of the Thai construction firm CH Karnchang Plc, which built the Xayaburi Dam. So a Thai company is the major shareholder . in July 2021 LPCL signed the Concession Agreement of
the LPHPP with the Government of the Lao PDR, for a concession period of 35 years. LPCL has signed a tariff Memorandum of Understanding with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). EGAT shall be the off-taker of all electricity generated by the Luang Prabang hydropower plant from the scheduled Commercial Operation Date (January 1, 2030).
What happens tro the people living around the dam area?
More than 1,200 families in Oudomxay province will be forced to move to make way for the project. The dam will flood a dozen villages on the bank of the Mekong River in Nga district, including Lath Han, Khok Phou, Yoiyai and Phonsavang. Also residents of Houei Yor village, Chomphet district, in Luang Prabang province are affected. Residents of Nga district in Oudomxay province and Chomphet district in Luang Prabang province say authorities are shortchanging them for the land and other property they would lose. Oudomxay officials offered 100 million kip (U.S. $8,500) per hectare of farmland to locals, said a Nga district resident.
What happens to the historic town of Luang Prabang and ist famous temples - a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Unesco has demanded a Heritage Impact Assessment, because there were concerns. Dams will encircle Luang Prabang’s urban area. " I can see a nightmare scenario where dam operators aren’t talking to each other, a massive weather event pours through northern Laos and sudden dam releases from these dams cause an unnecessary flooding event around Luang Prabang,” said Brian Eyler, director of the Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia programme. “The Xayaburi dam would act like a plug in the bathtub, not allowing the water out to the downstream if its flood responses weren’t ready for those sudden upstream releases. It’s a complicated but possible scenario.” The Luang Prabang dam would be the first in the Lower Mekong Basin to encounter water discharged from the 11 mainstream Chinese dams, including the massive 5,850 MW Nuozhadu dam. Upstreams of Luang Prabang the Mekong also merges with the Nam Ou, a river with a cascade of seven hydropower dams built by PowerChina.
By signing the World Heritage Convention, countries pledge “not to take any deliberate measures which might directly or indirectly damage the natural and cultural heritage” of a site and to “ensure the protection and conservation of their Outstanding Universal Value and other heritage values.”
The dam will be built in an earthquake-prone zone. “We are very worried about the seismic fault only 8.6 kilometers from the Luang Prabang dam site,” said leading Thai seismologist Punya Churasiri. “It is too dangerous to go ahead with this project.”
How is the progress of the construction works so far?
อัปเดต 2023, โครงการก่อสร้างเขื่อนหลวงพระบาง ห่างจากมรดกโลกหลวงพระบาง ประมาณ 25 กม. **โดยทุนไทย** - Update 2023, Construction work has begun on the Luang Prabang hydropower dam on the Mekong River in Laos.#เขื่อนหลวงพระบาง#แม่น้ำโขงpic.twitter.com/o4QkhN5Q6y
In March 2021 Xinhua reported that the preparatory work was already 80 per cent complete. Among the work was the construction of an 11-km access road, a 500-metre bridge over the Mekong River, three temporary ports, as well as some transmission lines and a small electricity station. Bangkok Tribune shows pictures of the construction progress.
What could stop the construction of Luang Prabang hydropower plant?
The dam has been criticised by environmental groups and the government in Thailand, which will feel the effects on its Mekong border with Laos and beyond. “Surely effects for Thailand include fish loss, the fluctuations of dams cutting the river ecology, the unnatural water flow and the sediment loss until the water becomes blue,” said Niwat Roykaew of Thailand’s Chiang Khong Conservation Group, adding that it will impact fishing communities. Thailand’s authorities have received pressure from environmental groups to not purchase power from the Luang Prabang dam and other projects. But: "Environmental and heritage reviews are unlikely to stop the
Lao government forging ahead with its hydroelectric plans", wrote Milton Osborne.
Updated informations about Luang Prabng hydropower plant you can find on Hobomaps.
Trip in a local train (green train) from Vang Vieng to Kasi with sights
See the timetable and fares on Hobo Maps. They update the timetable every month.
Tickets can be purchased up to 3 days in advance at the stations and each person can only buy 3 tickets at a time. You have to present passenger identification documents and Covid-19 vaccination certificate, your name will be printed on the ticket. Payment must be in cash. If you don’t have a ticket, you should arrive at least two hours before departure time because you have to queue for ticket purchase and again for entry to the station and then go through security checks.
There are also ticket sales offices in central Luang Prabang and on the ground floor of the shopping mall Vientiane Center in central Vientiane. Each person can only get 2 tickets. Payment can only be made by UnionPay card or by QR Code (OnePay, UnionPay, Alipay and Wechat) at a POS machine. A service fee of 20,000 kip per ticket is charged. Hours are 10:00 am to 12:00 noon and from 12:30 pm to 15:30 pm each day.
Discover Laos Today offers a online ticket booking system for Laos-China railway. In Vientiane you can self-collect the ticket at Discover Laos Today office at ASEAN Mall from 9 am to 5 pm or they deliver to your hotel for 3$/way. In Luang Prabang you can self-collect at Discover Laos Today office at MyLaoHome Hotel and Spa behind Joma Bakery from 9 am to 5 pm or you get the ticket delivered to your hotel.
The Laos-China Railway Company Limited's Facebook page has info on how many tickets remain available for sale. https://www.facebook.com/LaosChinaRailway/
On the fast trains passengers are allowed to carry a baggage up to 20 kilogram. On ordinary trains there is no baggage limit.
Nam Ha National Protected Area covers over 2,000 km², and reaches a height of more than 2 kilometers above sea level, this protected area in Luang Namtha province is home to a multitude of animal species. It is especially popular with bird enthusiasts as there are more than 300 species that have been recorded here.
The park counts three rivers which drain into the Mekong: the Nam Tha, Nam Fa and Nam Long.
How to get there: There is an airport in Luang Namtha with flights daily from Vientiane via Lao Airlines and Lao Skyway. Buses run regularly from all towns nearby and from Luang Prabang and Vientiane. The bus station is on Route 3, locate 10 km from the town center. A smaller bus station near the town services to Muang Sing, Muanglong, Viengphoukha, Nalae. With the High Speed Train from Vientiane you travel to Natuey Train Station, then take ataxi to Luang Namtha Province for 30 minutes.
Nam Dee Waterfall is 6km from Luang Namtha town, you can access it on foot or on two wheels. There you can watch villagers make bamboo paper and clothes, which they dye with indigo, a natural dye method traditionally used.
Since May 2022 Laos is open for international tourists again. Evisa and Visa on Arrival are available. Citizens of some countries can enter Laos without a Visa for 15 to 30 days. For example: Cambodia, Switzerland, Thailand, Vietnam. For details choose your country here. The Visa now costs around 40 USD for 30 days.
It's recommended to have a travel insurance which covers Covid-19.
You do not have to be vaccinated for entering Laos. But if you are not vaccinated you have to show a PCR test, which is maximum 48 hours old. If vaccinated you have to show your vaccination pass.
See also the informations by The Laotian Times
Due to the fuel crises in Laos it's not recommended to travel with the own car or motorbike.
Trip in a local train (green train) from Vang Vieng to Kasi with sights
Just in these days the blogger Nomadic Notes has published his review of the operations of China-Laos-Railway inside Laos: A review of the Vientiane to Boten train. The first thing that stood out for him was in Vientiane "the station name is only shown in Lao and Chinese". But he found signs and announcements inside the station in Lao, Chinese and English. He discovered no food shops inside, just some food vendors outside the station and a vending machine inside. At the toilets he discovered the absence of toilet paper.
Vientiane City 2 Bus Service has startet a bus route from Morning Market to the Vientiane Railway Station of #chinalaosrailway. It leaves Morning Market at 6.30 am.
@jorgeuef on instagram shows us this video, starting at Vientiane station:
#chinalaosrailway right now operates two kinds of services: Express trains, which serve only the following stations: Vientiane, Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang, Muang Xai, Na Teuy and Boten. And local trains stopping at all stations, which are in service for the moment. Laos-China Railway Info has published the timetable. Here we learn, that the local trains serve the stations of Phonhong, Kasi, Muang Nga and Na Mor. Here we can also find the chart of the ticket prices. Tickets are only sold at the stations or at offices in Vientiane and Luang Prabang, notes futuresoutheastasia.com.
Ride the Laos China Rail (Vientiane to Nateuy) on Youtube:
@miwmiw.05 on instagram shows Phonhong Railway Station (Lao: ສະຖານີລົດໄຟຄວາມໄວສູງໂພນໂຮງ):
Since its launch in December 2021, the China-Laos Railway has handled over 3.09 million passenger trips as of May 23, the Chinese state agency Xinhua reported. Some 2.71 million passenger trips were registered in the railway's China section starting from Kunming, provincial capital of the country's Southwest Yunnan province, in which 23.5 pairs of passenger trains were operated per day on average, according to the China Railway Kunming Group Co Ltd. The amount of passenger trips on the railway's Laos section has increased steadily to reach 380,000, with nearly 5,000 recorded on the peak day.
The China-Laos-Railway has been built to connect Kunming in China with Vientiane in Laos. But due to the Covid-19-pandemic passengers can still not travel across the border from and to China. So Laos still misses the income from Chinese tourists. Only freight trains can use the whole railway line.
For Laos rising debts are the consequence of the investment in the China-Laos-Railway. The annual amount of debt-service payment has risen from US$1.2 billion in 2018 to US$1.4 billion this year. This has been revealed by Minister of Finance Bounchom Ubonpaseuth, addressing National Assembly members on June 20. He assured that the government would not allow the country to slide into default.
Lately Laos has not only been strucked by Covid-19-Pandemic but also by rising fuel prizes due to the Russian war in Ukraine. Therefore Asia Times has published an article with the title Perfect storm of turbulence for indebted little Laos. It said: "Slow Covid recovery, rampant inflation and unsustainable debts are shaking the credibility of nation’s communist rulers."
