billyhouston

No 5 above is a real pain in the neck. I'm a tourist, I do not work but I'm constantly in and out of LaoPDR and Myanmar over the winter. This really makes it awkwardfor people who move around a lot. Making life difficult for tourists is not the way to increase arrival numbers.

In Thailand it's 1-2-call and the Bht 300 card I bought in March will expire in Dec 2007. The 25,000Kip M-Phone card bought around the same time also expires in Dec 2007. Once you use the Bht 300 card it adds 30 days (or maybe 28) activation time to any you already have as well as giving you Bht 300 credit.As far as I am aware the SIM (number) does not expire, that's why they need to go to 10 digits Different value cards add different activation periods but I cannot remember what these are. I normally use Bht 300 cards. Coverage in Lao is not great

I'm not sure that's entirely true. When I leave Thailand I make sure to buy a top up card and, when I next arrive, simply do the top up at the airport. Any unused credit expires after, in the case of a 300Baht card, 30 days as I recall but the number is reactivated as soon as you next top up. In Lao PDR, on the other hand, when you top up after being away for any time, the credit is reinstated. Likwise I buy a top up card before I leave so as to be ready for the next visit. That's 1-2-call in Thailand and M-Phone in Lao, by the way.

Although others have been very satisfied with Bangkok Air, this has not been my experience. Their prices are generally high (very high if you fly to Samui, where they own the airport.) so you can save money if you fly AirAsia

I too would recommend NokAir to Udon Thani, it's just a pity that they are so late releasing their timetable and seats. They have also had a problem with International credit cards recently, necessitating a phone call to Thailand. In spite of that they are my preferred airline. Dragon Lodge is great and very central. Villa Ban Lao is a little way out, maybe 2Km from town and I prefer to be in the Temple District of the old town. Sayo Guest House is a great old French house though far from visitor friendly. Don't like Bangkok Airways because, for one thing, they are expensive (look at the cost of flying to Samui) so I fly from Luang Prabang to Chiang Mai with Lao airlines. Visit LaoPDR a couple of times each year and spend perhaps 5 weeks there. It's a fabulous laid-back country with wonderful people. [some people who need to exit Thailand in order to get a new 28-day visa use Lao PDR for a 'visa run'. If that's all they do, they are missing out]