from yunnan to Laos and Thailand by boat.

Yes, there are cruise boats between Jinghon and Chiang Saen in northern Thailand. You can retreive previous posting by searching under 'Chiang Saen' or Jinghong. My understanding of these cruises are that you don't actually get to 'visit' Laos.

Also search the China branch. The boats are comfortable cruise ships, do not stop in Laos or Burma, just pass thru. Visa on entry in Thailand. Trip costs about $100, takes 7 hours.

I did this 2 years ago, on a regular Chinese freighter.
Routing as follows:

- Jinghong to Guanlei by a small bus (6 hrs). Freighters leave from Jinghong only if water levels permit.
- Guanlei - Chiang Saen by freighter.

There are a couple of decent hotels in Guanlei, should you not be able to spend the night on the freighter. You can ask right down by the pier for passage, or at the immigration office, or in a hotel. I think I paid around U$ 40.00 - 50.00 For this you get a cabin, which you may have to share.
Food included, but bring snacks.

Guanlei is an international exit point, a ship's officer will take you and the passenger list/cargo manifest to Chinese Imm. to get you stamped out.
The duration of the boat ride down the Lancang River (Mekhong) depends on the stops along the way, it took me 4 days, a bit slow, be we had wait for 4 trucks of garlic somewhere, and spent the night in a small Burmese port for some reason or other, and the boat developed a problem with the anchor winch.

You get dropped off right at Thai Imm. in Chiang Saen. I also was able to exchange my remaining Yuan into Baht in one of the shops in Chiang Saen. No problem at all.

The trip is far more scenic than anything else further south.

Thanks, everyone.

KFC your trip is the sort of things, i like.

Question: if you get a visa for Laos are you allowed to stop for few days or a week? and then, carry on to Thainland?

Thanks

The cargo ships can no longer take passengers. You must take the official boat so the government can get their money. THey do not stop at a Lao port. You can go to Laos by land from China, then by boat if you want.

Fred, I didn't know this. Pity.
I don't know about the official boats Fred mentions. 7 hrs for the trip sounds really fast, especially when water levels are low. The freighter skippers were real pros and had to work hard not to ground their boats.

The freighter I was on stopped in several "ports" in Myanmar and Laos along the way. None of which had international immigration facilities. These "ports" consisted of a dirt track down to the water, no pier of course. Cargo was loaded/unloaded via wooden planks. There always seemed to be some sort of an official looking guy around. In a port, I think it was called Wang Pao or so, I was offered a shore visit for a 100.00 Baht "visa and entry stamp waiver fee". Didn't go, though, so the official who spoke decent English came on board with his 2 dogs this evening with some dynamite moonshine for me. No hangover the next day !!!

Even if you have to take the official boat now - the trip is well worth it. 10 times more scenic than the Huay Xai-Pakbeng-Luang Prabang section of the Mekhong.

Yes, a pity, the old way sounds more fun. Our boat flew 4 flags, China Burma Laos thailad. Soft seats, hot lunch. It was 2 westerners and a bunch of Chinese young ladies going t BKK to work in a factory (I hope they weren't going to be slaves or hookers).

I might be too late, but check out:
mekongcruising.com
Chinakindnesstours.com
Boats from Jinghong to Luangprabang