We Visited the Infamous Laos-China Border Town of Boten Call for Applicants: Senior Research Manager EWMI, Development projects - Early Warning System, 9 Tips to Stay Safe Online in the Age of COVID-19, Filling Data Gaps to Support Access to Civil Rights, Education and COVID-19 in the Mekong Region, Section 1: COVID-19 Actions in the Mekong Region, Section 2: The impact of school closures in the region, Drivers of Foreign Investment in Cambodia, Drivers of Foreign Investment in Cambodia (Khmer version), Infrastructure Financing Mechanisms - Public Private Partnerships, SEZs, Infrastructure Development, and Official Development Aid, Regional Human Rights Mechanisms and Special Economic Zones, Case Study: Chiang Khong Special Economic Zone, Water-borne diseases, Dengue Fever, and undernutrition, SDG 9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12 Responsible consumption and production, SDG 16 Peace, justice and strong institutions, Linking technology experts with women environmental defenders to co-create safe spaces. The Mohan border crossing is staffed by border personnel who ask non-citizen travelers a lot of additional questions so expect a delay of up to 2 hours. Get in[ edit] By train[ edit] Boten is the northern terminus of the Lao side of Lao-China Railway from Vientiane and Luang Prabang. It was during the last 30min until the border that things began to change. There were occasional construction sites here and which grew more frequent, the closer we approached the bigger towns. However, ODM cannot guarantee accuracy, completeness or reliability from third party sources in every instance. Clearing Chinese customs is relatively quick, with the border agent asking the regular questions before stamping our passports and pointing us in the direction of the entry checkpoint for the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (LPDR). Please, be respectful of others' point of view and stick to the facts. Importers and exporters must pay tariffs, taxes, fees and service charges electronically at service units of the Banque pour le Commerce Exterieur Lao Public (BCEL) and the Lao Development Bank (LDB), using Smart tax, i-Banking, BCEL One Corporate Banking, money transfer, or cheque. At first it was the occasional truck, then an excavator, and out of nowhere a massive construction site surrounded by hundreds of vehicles parked around huge buildings most of them still unfinished. The bus continued up the road that has now turned into a modern highway reminding me of the ones in Germany or Switzerland. Materials on the Open Development Mekong (ODM) website and its accompanying database are compiled from publicly available documentation and provided without fee for general informational purposes only. Ministry proposes measures to ease bottlenecks at Boten border crossing. Measures To Free Stranded Trucks, Rail Transport To China Outlined 11/03/2022 11/03/2022 J&C Admin 389 Views Boten Border Crossing, Lao Economy, Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh, Laos-China Railway. No hawkers, money changers or motor taxis, just a long, dark dirt road leading to the Laos border town of Boten. Information is publicly posted only after a careful vetting and verification process. January 10, 2022 The border crossing between Muse, Myanmar, and Ruili, China. For example, the Ban Vang crossing in Vientiane province will only allow for the export of minerals to Thailand.The Banghay Border Gate on the border with China will open on Nov. 1 for the transport from Laos of agricultural produce such as sugar cane, bananas, and watermelon, an official in Luang Namtha province said, while an official in Borikhamxay province said that the Thasa-Ath Border Crossing there will facilitate the transport of construction equipment from Thailand.This will be used to build the Nam Theun 1 Dam, and the fourth border gate in Khammouane province will be opened for the export of minerals, the official said.Call to allow human crossingsAlso speaking to RFA, many in Laos called however for all border check points to be opened, citing economic hardships caused by tightened controls amid fears of the spread of COVID-19 from neighboring countries.My children used to go to Thailand to work, but now they cant, so they dont have any income. (The customs officers are so lax, in fact, that they actually let us walk back through the customs checkpoint after already entering Laos to retrieve a forgotten bottle of duty-free vodka, of course.). The Boten border crossing, if you are travelling without your own vehicle, is straightforward. The morning after our arrival, we set out to explore the SEZ in the light of day. Boten-Vientiane railway - Wikipedia ODM makes no representation or warranty, either expressed or implied, in fact or in law, with respect to the accuracy, completeness or appropriateness of the data, materials or documents contained or referenced herein or provided. Luang Namtha Tourism Officail Website - Luang Namtha Tourism Officail Enjoy this story? Another official in Luang Prabang province also said that Lao trucks could not cross into China via the Boten border, while Chinese trucks can deliver goods to many places in Laos. Reason for visit? He asked me in the only English he seemed to know. Haulage trucks wait in line at the Boten border crossing in Luang Namtha . Authorities in Laos and China have agreed to reopen the international border crossing between Boten and Bohan on Sunday. China, Vietnam, Laos are hotspots for the criminal wildlife trade: does Asia really care about biodiversity? Star Media Group Berhad [197101000523 (10894-D)], We would love to keep you posted on the latest promotion. Check-in staff are Chinese and rooms are paid for in renminbi. Today's Visits: 12 .mw-parser-output .oo-ui-icon-unesco{background-image:url("https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/WorldHeritageBlanc.svg")}.mw-parser-output .oo-ui-icon-star{background-image:url("https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Cscr-featured.svg")}.mw-parser-output .oo-ui-icon-ftt{background-image:url("https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Writing_Circle.svg/25px-Writing_Circle.svg.png")}.mw-parser-output .oo-ui-icon-dotm{background-image:url("https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/Yes_Check_Circle.svg/25px-Yes_Check_Circle.svg.png")}.mw-parser-output .oo-ui-icon-otbp{background-image:url("https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6e/Right_turn_icon_blue.svg/25px-Right_turn_icon_blue.svg.png")}. (6) The management board of the international border crossing in collaboration with LS and LICD companies to prioritise the passage of trucks carrying agricultural produce, especially perishable products, and speed up the export process using the LNSW system. When we arrive at the border post in Mohan, on the Chinese side of the China-Laos border, it is well after dark. Boten Border Crossing Business China Finance - Banking - Money Government Investments Lao Economy Latest News . It should be at least 14 days.I want the Chinese to be subject to the same rules as before. [1], The border starts in the west at the tripoint with Myanmar on the Mekong river, proceeding southwards via a series of irregular overland lines. China's COVID-19 Border Restrictions Wreak Economic Havoc in Southeast However nothing prepared me for Boten the border crossing between Laos and China. Boten Border Crossing Reopens For 3-Day Test Run - LaptrinhX The border on both sides is predominantly inhabited by minority people groups. [8] There is no railway crossing the border, but the Vientiane-Boten railway and the Yuxi-Mohan railway connect between Kunming with Vientiane opened on 3 December 2021. Boten Border Crossing Archives - J&C Group - Your Trusted Partners In Laos Do you have a new idea that could help transform the Open Development Mekong website? In addition, the opening of the Laos-China Railway in December was a significant boost to trade between the two countries and the value of trade has soared. Disclaimer: Open Development Mekong will thoroughly review all submitted resources for integrity and relevancy before the resources are hosted. China has closed the border crossing due to the spread of Covid-19, meaning that no Lao goods can be shipped across the border for the foreseeable . Travel [6] The boundary then became one between two sovereign independent states. (10) The Laos-China Railway Company, in conjunction with the government of China, to urgently establish an agricultural produce inspection area at Bohan Railway Station, enlarge the freight station on the Laos-China Railway in Oudomxay province, increase the number of containers, and create transparency in the regulations and procedures regarding rail freight services. https://en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?title=Boten&oldid=4647114, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. They will not be open to human traffic, an official in Vientiane province told RFA. One of those things was a large signboard detailing handling fees to cross the border, compelling me to prepare 10.000kip just in case. Boten border crossing | Open Development Mekong We made a short stop for lunch in one of those towns, but I couldnt find any ATM or money exchange close by the bus station, giving me no choice but to skip food and drinks until we arrived in Jinhong. 3. Border crossings however are an exception, because you transition between countries that can often be very different from each other. New COVID-19 Cases Reported Across Chinese Mainland, Maxime Tondeur on Helping Travelers Explore Beyond in China, Citizens from These SE Asian Countries Are Allowed Back in China, Explore Lesser-Known Middle Kingdom Stories with New Podcast 'China Untold', These Drunken Elephants are the Story the World Needs Right Now, 11 Health & Fitness Communities to Join in Beijing This Summer, WATCH: Turbulence on Shanghai-Beijing Flight Injures 2. But theres more to Boten than railway construction; Chinese-financed hotels, apartment complexes and tourist attractions including a jungle park and ancient city, are all planned or currently under development, according to promotional brochures from Yunnan Haicheng Group, the SEZs main developer. The border then turns sharply eastward and continues overland, before turning sharply northward, continuing in that direction for some distance, before again turning eastward and terminating at the Vietnamese tripoint at the Shiceng Dashan peak.[2]. Laos to Open its Border with China This Week - Laotian Times The amount of revenue collected from tariffs/fees paid at the Boten International Customs Checkpoint on the Laos-China border exceeded 661.5 billion kip in 2022, which was 28.33 percent more than the target figure. Old Sound, new ground: An inter-nation collaboration hitting highly cultural and entertaining notes. Boten ( in Lao, Mdng in Chinese) is a border town at the north edge of Luang Nam Tha Province, Northern Laos. [9] Historical maps There are two trains, both leaving in the morning, traveling to the length of the line from Vientiane, taking about 3.5 hours. This railway was opened in December 3, 2021 and you can also travel by this train from Vientiane to Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng. Boten is a rough and ready border town. (9) The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to continue to negotiate with China on products to be added to the list of agricultural produce for export under the opium poppy replacement programme. Driving In Laos: What License Do I Need ? The only Laotian people we encountered in the hotel were working in the deserted breakfast buffet restaurant, which served you guessed it Chinese food. (5) Establish NTMs measures for transit goods to be exported to China to facilitate the export of Lao goods. The Import and Export Department suggested 10 measures to be carried out in conjunction with other relevant sectors, as follows: (1) Appoint a special taskforce to formulate specific measures. Crossing the Border - Immigration The border crossing was designed beautifully and almost resembles a golden temple. Its counterpart on the Chinese side is Mohan. Vientiane Times - Boten border crossing reopens for 3-day - Facebook Copyright 2023 Stephan Aeschbach - J&C Group. Boten: From Dawn till Dusk - Global China Pulse Because of Covid, as of Dec 2021 no trains cross the border: the nearby road crossing remains open but . Disclaimer: by clicking the Submit button, it is deemed that you consent to the rules and terms set forth in the, Lao tourism ministry gears up for influx of Chinese visitors, Laos-China Railway records robust growth in cargo transport, China Ireland's largest trading partner in Asia: statistics. I had just left Luang Namtha three hours earlier and border the only bus heading to Jinhong in China. Image by Matthew Bossons/Thats, Hotel staff enjoying a morning dance. Migrant workers from China in Boten. This website is built on WordPress using the JEO Beta theme and CKAN as back-end for structured data. Please re-try again. (8) The relevant public sector to formulate regulations on the transport of goods by rail, especially with regard to the entry and exit of goods at all stations on the Laos-China Railway. This is especially important because most other border crossings around the country have been closed for many months, Mr Thongsy added. This meant that hundreds of trucks were stranded at the Boten International Checkpoint in Luang Namtha province, with the queue stretching for about 20km, according to the Laotradeportal. Copyright 2023 Stephan Aeschbach - J&C Group. Yes, there is a new railway from Vientiane to Boten border crossing in the north of Laos. Vientiane Times Chinese authorities have reopened the border crossing from Boten into China for a three-day test run after it was closed on October 5 when Chinese truck drivers returning from Laos tested positive for Covid-19.During the test run from November 15-17, all truck drivers in Laos are required to fully comply with the measures laid down by the Chinese Taskforce on Covid-19 Prevention and Control, officials on the Lao side of the border said.If Lao authorities can ensure that truck drivers strictly follow the rules and no Covid cases are detected during these three days, Chinese authorities will reopen the border, a Lao border official, Mr Thongsy Kanthachak, told Vientiane Times on Monday. You, passport I heard someone saying and turned around to face a guard who was looking at me. Yes just me I responded swiftly with a smile. The people who designed the city really played into the whole Southeast Asia theme with houses and even high rises built to look like temples from Laos or Myanmar. News article summaries are extracted from their sources, as guided by fair-use principles and are copyrighted by their respective sources. Work for Us | (KPL) Laos-Japan Human Resource Development Institute (LJI) within the National University of Laos, supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), ASEAN Japan Center, Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO) Vientiane Office, Department of SME Promotion (DOSMEP), and Ministry of Technology and Communications (MTC), launched the "LJI SUSU Scale-Up Batch 2", under the Business Development Programme in Vientiane on July 14. Double 11 Hotel Flash Sales: City Break or Yunnan Adventure? 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Boten The Boten border crossing in Luang Namtha province in Laos is shown in a 2017 photo. Boten is the northern terminus of the Lao side of Lao-China Railway from Vientiane and Luang Prabang. Boten is a rough and ready border town. 0. There are no street lights, and dense jungle-y shrubbery abuts the pothole-stricken, occasionally unpaved road. Image by Matthew Bossons/Thats. (2) The Luang Namtha Provincial Administrative Office should use the mechanisms recommended by the taskforce to solve the problem of traffic jams in Luang Namtha province and coordinate with neighbouring provinces in the systematic allocation of trucks to cross the border. The Boten International Checkpoint is the second-largest import and export border in Laos. But in hindsight I wanted to make sure I had a seat on the bus and the price also included a ride on the tuk tuk from the town center to the long distance bus station as well. A very long bus ride from Jinhong (Xishaungbanna) to Dali. If data were an open forest would anyone use it? Invalid captcha response. Imports and exports at other international borders are still processed manually. The Boten border crossing is a major travel and trade route between Laos and China, so it is essential that it is reopened as quickly as possible so that earnings from exports are not lost. One of the reasons I prefer to travel overland is that you slowly move between the different places, giving you enough time to gradually ease into a new culture, landscape or climate. (7) The Ministry of Public Works and Transport to improve the roads running from Oudomxay and Bokeo provinces to the Boten border crossing. The railway continues on the Chinese side from Mohan to Kunming via Jinghong and Pu'er. We thank you for your support. For tourists, the most used train stations will be Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane. How to get from VIETNAM to LAOS? Tickets | 2023 The Boten-Vientiane railway is the Lao section of the Lao-China Railway (LCR), running between the capital Vientiane and the northern town of Boten on the border with Yunnan, China.The line was officially opened on 3 December 2021. [7], There are two border crossings. Luang Namtha - Travel guide at Wikivoyage I quickly handed over my Thai Passport with the Chinese visa bookmarked using the arrival pass I filled out earlier. Laos launches single window customs system at second border crossing, Cryptocurrency Trade Adds Millions of Dollars to State Budget, Call For Proposals to Update ECCIL Website. To learn more about the system architecture, read our documentation. We boarded the bus once again in order to reach the Chinese side of the border. The first meeting of the Trade and Logistics Advocacy Working Group will be held on 7 June 2023. Travel I told him and listed some of the places I planned to visit. Boten - NSEC B2B You can book train tickets in Laos online or at the railway station 3 days before departure of the train. Some 600 trucks loaded minerals and mineral products, rubber and other agricultural products are parked on the Lao side of the border waiting to transport goods to China, Mr Thongsy said.After the border closed, banana plantation operators in Laos distributed hundreds of tonnes of free bananas to local people as the fruit could not be shipped across the border before it spoiled. China, Copyright 1995- Considered a piece of President Xis flagship infrastructure project, Boten will become the first stop inside Laos along the Laos-China railway network, which will connect Kunming to the Laotian capital of Vientiane. Big things are happening in Boten, and it may very soon be difficult to refer to the settlement as a 'town.' According to the New York Times, debauchery debuted in the city back in the early- to mid-2000s, when a company registered in Hong Kong signed a 30-year lease to develop the town into a tourist destination. I should have bought the ticket at the station as the hotel marked up 30.000 kip on top of the regular 90.000 kip ticket price. The Chinese border crossing at Mohan is several hundred meters away (for 5 RMB golf carts can take you a lousy few hundred meters between the border crossings). (3) The Luang Namtha Provincial Administrative Office to hold talks with LS Company, LICD Company and Hua Phan He Hao Company regarding allocation of land owned by them which has not been used as a car park and jointly create regulations for the management of a temporary car park. var theDate = new Date(); Khaosan Pathet Lao (KPL) - 80 Setthathirath rd, Vientiane, Lao PDR -Tel (856-21) 21 5402, 25 1090- fax 21 2446. The inside reminded me more of an airport than anything else, equipped with modern hi-tech machinery like passport and body scanners. Such documents are typically customs declarations, applications for import/export permits, and other supporting documents such as certificates of origin and trading invoices. There are still signs of Botens seedier past today, in the form of a couple questionable drinking establishments, but theres little doubt that Boten has moved on: We do not see a single slot machine on our visit and locals tell us the gambling is truly and fully done. This is especially important because most other border crossings around the country have been closed for many months, Mr Thongsy added. It does involve filling out forms and waiting in lines, and keep in mind that this area is hot most of the year, so dress lightly. While there are a number of hotels scattered around the growing town center, the one we end up in is new, fancier than were used to and clearly catering to Chinese visitors. A hotel in Boten that is popular with Chinese visitors. Customs revenue on freight rise steeply at Boten border crossing | The Star Customs revenue on freight rise steeply at Boten border crossing Laos Wednesday, 01 Feb 2023 12:59 PM MYT More freight passes through the Boten International Customs Checkpoint in Luang Namtha province. The ChinaLaos border is the international boundary between China and Laos, which runs for 505km from the tripoint with Myanmar in the west to the tripoint with Vietnam in the east. Lao PDR Director General of the Export and Import Department, Ms Manivone, said the government had assigned the Ministry of Industry and Commerce as the representative of the Central Trade Facilitation Committee to coordinate with other ministries to investigate the situation at the border and discuss ways to solve it by the end of December 2021, which resulted in more trucks being able to enter China. The border crossing between Laos and China at Boten and Mohan is also open to road traffic. It may be that Lao truck operators are signing deals with companies to deliver goods from Laos, especially in the northern provinces, to the Laos-China border at Boten, the official speculated. The route will be part of the KunmingSingapore Railway, otherwise known as the Pan-Asia Railway Network, and is expected to eventually link China to all of mainland Southeast Asia. There are direct cross-border services from Mengla in China via Mohan/Boten to Luang Namtha, the nearest major Lao town. (KPL) On World Population Day, UNFPA Asia-Pacific Regional Director, Bjorn Andersson, stresses on why it is important for governments to ensure population and development policies are centered on gender equality and human rights, thereby enabling and empowering women to make independent decisions about their reproductive health. 4863 China has announced the closure of international border crossings connecting it to Luang Namtha Province in Laos due to local outbreaks of Covid-19. On the 200- to 300-meter walk to the next checkpoint, it becomes abundantly clear that were on the frontier. Lao trucks unable to enter China at Boten border crossing Have you found a technical problem or issue on the Open Development Mekong website? Laos to Reopen Border to Travelers From China Under Streamlined COVID Boten-Mohan border crossing Archives - jclao.com Haulage trucks wait in line at the Boten border crossing in Luang Namtha province. The future now: development. This feature is part three of ourNovember 2019 cover story,The Borderlands: Dispatches from the Edge of China. To read more interesting stories from the edge of China,click here. Written in English by Richard Finney. China-Laos border - Wikipedia Laos, China officially to reopen Boten- Bohan international border crossing Bangkok bar in Boten. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The modern, centrally-operated and efficient system was initiated at Boten by the Ministry of Finance on May 23, to streamline the import and export of goods at this busy border crossing between Laos and China. - VT. VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/Asia News Network): The government will take action to tackle the problem of congestion at the Boten International Checkpoint, through which haulage trucks from Laos must pass to enter China.