Wi-Fi and Telephone
Nowadays, it feels like we would suffocate without Wi-Fi, but the solutions for Laos and Thailand are quite convenient.
Options
- Carry a portable Wi-Fi device, which is actually a very good choice. It is most convenient to pick it up at the airport before boarding and return it directly at the airport upon return.
- Activate international roaming, such as opening the [Belt and Road data package] in China, and use the daily data package provided by the phone for Laos or Thailand. Currently, the cap for each operator is about 25-30 RMB, but I wonder if the days when traveling from Thailand to Laos and from Laos to Thailand should be counted as separate days for each country? Comments are welcome from those who have experience with this.
- Which is what I chose, I entrusted the tour guide to purchase unlimited calls for Laos and a local data card with 1.5G valid for 7 days for 50 RMB, and the Thailand Happy card with unlimited data for 7 days for about 20 RMB. Since I was busy with work, I wanted to save trouble by entrusting everything to the tour guide, and it turned out that both data cards were very useful.
Currency Exchange
Currency exchange was entirely entrusted to the guide, and I really didn’t have to worry about anything other than my documents and clothing. In Laos, the local currency is used, known as ‘Kip (LAK)’. The exchange rate can be found daily through Baidu, with a rough estimate of 10,000 Kip being approximately equal to 8 RMB. I exchanged 100 RMB for 120,000 Kip with the guide. In Thailand, the currency used is Baht, and you can use Alipay and UnionPay at 7-11 convenience stores. Baht is mainly used for night markets and temple offerings. I exchanged 120 RMB for 500 Baht. The usage estimate for Baht is to divide by 4 to get the equivalent in RMB.
Travel to Laos and Thailand5. When visiting temples in Laos such as That Luang, Simuang Temple, Grand Palace, and Xiang Thong Temple, please note: Men cannot wear vests, shorts, or slippers, and women cannot wear sleeveless tops, short skirts, or slippers.
Itinerary:
D1 Hangzhou-Shanghai-Laos Vientiane.
D2 Vientiane (Nam Ngum Lake)-Thailand Udon Thani.
D3 Udon Thani (Red Lotus Sea, Ban Chiang Museum, UD Town Night Market).
