Chiang Khong to China

Can a trip from Chiang Khong (on the Thai-Lao border) to the Chinese border at Boten be done in a day? Do the buses or songthaews run every day? I will have Lao and Chinese visas ahead of my trip.

1) Take the boat over the Mekong to Huay Xai in Laos.
2) Everyday, there is at least one bus heading North to Luang Nam Tha, leaving +/- 9am, if it is full by then. Beware: The bus stop is half an hour by TukTuk/Songthaew out of Huay Xai. Buy the ticket at the station (cannot remember the price, but obviously cheaper than at the travel agent in HX). I read on this forum, that since I have done this trip (in Nov 05), most of the road is paved and the trip takes only six hours. For me, it was coughing in the dust for 10hours...
3) in Luang Nam Tha, there are sonthaews bringing you to the border - and I think even a regular bus service running up to Boten in China - but as I haven't done this leg, sombody else has to fill in here... However, it's not really far, probably 1-2 hours...

...in one day? In my days - impossible. Now that the road is paved, if it's really only six hours to LNT, I reckon it is doable, although very long and tiring...

I'd be pretty impressed if everyting aligned to get the task done in a day. Whether its rain, a flat tire, or just the flow of the day, more often than not things just don't link one transporation event to another without a good chance of a glitch (sometimes called an opportunity to explore deeper, rather than wider...)

I wouldn't count on doing it i a day, but it is hypothetically possible... But I wouldn't bet the baby on your "success" of rushing through these beautiful places.

Of course, everyone on this site would encourage you to stop and smell the roses in LNT, or Muang Sing, or Huay Xai.....

You do not need a prearranged visa to enter Laos. You do for China.

There are GHes both in Boten and on the Chinese side. Chinese time is an hour ahead of Lao time. Can't remember if both sides close their border at the same time or at their respective local times.

if youre really pushin it thru, do go all the way to namtha, but get off at the turn off (cant remember the little towns name) and hitch on to boten. lots of traders and chinese use this road, so you oughta be able to hitch it.
accomodation is cheaper on the laos side, so if youre there late consider crossing in the morning so you can get out of mengla and to jinghong in one hit.