Wait, is there legit mobile internet here? I didn't think any cell phone companies had 3g networks... We could definitely use a backup internet at the house and I'd gladly pay for a broadband card. Anyone know anything about this?

Side note.... Going to Bali tomorrow, anyone have any last minute advice?

From what I know there is 1 card for all of Thailand except Bangkok, and different card for Bangkok. All I know about is the all Thailand one. I think it`s like 8K (might be off here) which includes a couple months, then 800 baht a month after that. A friend of mine in phuket used it and said he got very good reception everywhere and no disconnects. It`s called the air card I think?

I saw some kits being advertised at 7-11s, probably not 3G though? GPRS is kinda pricey but still should be enough to keep up to 4 tables going on most sites imo.

I saw the interview with Ron F and Adam G in some poker magazine, bluff maybe, in the reader-write-in-section. LOL @ all the talk about hookers, oh god.

wtk

lol wtf, I never mentioned hookers once. That must have all been Ron.

http://www.totalgambler.com/theplaye...ker_scene.html

Adam G: 'I try to play three to six hours per day. I usually play two.'

i no believe uuu

I think that was supposed to say three to six hours per week

I'm writing a guide for people coming to Vientiane for visa runs. What sort of information would you guys be interested in or want to see included?

what happens at the border(friendship bridge probably most popular?), how to get laos visa, how to get to city and where to stay.

how to get to consulate/embassy(i dont even know what the difference is but i read that there is one and you should only go to one of these )
what to bring there with you and how the process goes
what days to avoid(mondays are crowded and remember to check laos/thai holidays)
what to do while waiting for the visa
what happens at the border when you head back

Since he took care of all of the normal questions, I'll ask the fun ones.

Nightlife?
Drugs?
Fun stuff to do, see?
Restaurants?

I was in Vientiane a few years ago and found the nightlife to be a bit lacking but had a fun day visiting Buddha Park and the Beer Lao brewery. I remember having some good French food as well, but can't remember the names of any restaurants.

any good wh0rehouse and where is it

"Drug use in Laos will result in heavy fines and expulsion at best, and imprisonment or even execution at worst. "

A "secret" Lao law says that foreigners cannot have sexual relations with Lao nationals other than their spouses. The penalty, if caught, is US$500 for first time, though as the text of the law is not available, may be much more (the US embassy says $5000); the foreigner may be jailed or deported and the Lao woman may find herself in jail - and that is really the last place anyone would want to be here. If you take a girl to your room and she robs you this law makes it almost impossible to obtain assistance from the police. Foreign women should note that, while rare, there have been cases of the police enforcing this law on both genders. Bar tenders are happy to provide stories of angry tourists confronting girls in the same bars they picked them up the night before! Anyway, many hotels do not allow foreigners to take girls to their rooms, as it is officially prohibited. Those that do allow it must have some financial arrangement with the local police - this is Laos where the only thing more powerful than the Law is money.

from wikitravel.

does it work like this WhoIAm?

Has anybody been to Vietnam on a visa run?

I was going to go to Vientiane but now I'm not so sure

I was in Luang Prabang with some friends and we rented bikes for the day to visit a waterfall. We brought some weed with us and I, of course, managed to get lost on the way. By the time I got there my friends got caught by some police/security guard guy and he wanted $500. My friends negotiated down to $200 and the guy let them take his motorbike back to the hotel to get money lol. I remember going to some place called Vietnam Bar which was like the only place open late and it was basically a drug den. I don't think the laws are as tough as they say but maybe they've gotten worse in the last few years since I've been.

I am guessin you need a new visa too and not just to leave/come back?

Yeah I need a new TV. I basically wasted the one I got in Phnom Penh by taking a trip to Macau. I think the only embassy in Vietnam that gives out tourist visas is in Hanoi so if anyone has specific info about that city I'd greatly appreciate it.

Yes it was in PokerPlayer (UK) Jan edition.

I thought they may have been interviewing some of you guys on here, very good read.

"Coming here is a no-brainer – especially when you can live on $ 1,000 a month and party three nights a week."

Ron, teach me how to do this.

"Bringing a girl to Thailand is like bringing sand to the beach."

This was good.

im sure he is not including party expense in his $1,000 a month nut.

girls r cheap compared to west but are not exactly free either.........................lol.

From my blog:

The Final Word on Sex with Foreigners

]Yes, it’s illegal for Lao nationals to stay overnight with foreigners of the opposite sex. It doesn’t matter if she’s a hooker, your fiancé, or a misunderstanding—if you’re not married, it’s technically illegal.

Foreigners sleeping with foreigners and Lao-on-Lao sex is ok.

I’ve spoken about this with several other foreigners who have been here longer than I have. The only confirmed cases we’ve heard of in Vientiane were foreigners living with their Lao girlfriends. None of us had heard of a single verified case of anyone getting fined for a one-night fling or relationship where the Lao girl did not live with the guy in Vientiane.

This has happened in Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, which are much smaller than Vientiane.

I’ve known two foreign women who have openly lived with their Lao boyfriends without incident.

If you bring a girl back to your hotel/guesthouse, there is almost no chance of getting in trouble for it, but it is possible. If you can’t afford the $500 (or possibly more) fine, keep it in your pants.

How do people deal with this? Some people only date other westerners, some live with their girlfriends from surrounding countries, and some live with their Lao girlfriends in other countries (usually Thailand). I even heard about a guy who officially employed his girlfriend as a live-in maid. If you have a Lao girlfriend, you will probably be fine as long as she doesn’t move in with you or make a habit of staying over.

fixed your quote

edit: unless you're dealing with kilos of heroin or meth or are Burmese or something.

Kind of a wierd question, prob already asked but anyway... I know that the general mentality over their approve prostitution. If i dont at all and its against my principals, will i still be able to bring many chicks at my hotel room?? ( can pay her taxi... Not bs) but i dont want to pay for sex. Lol thanks