thanks for the info,

finally I did the visa in Pakse, 50$ for the next day,
from Luang Prabang I took the Hanoi bound bus to Ninh Binh

if you're looking for options.....i stayed at silver gold garden suvarnabumi,
booked thru agoda for $17. (in lat krabang)

they have a large van for free pickup/drop off at the airport, big enough
for large bike boxes, and they stored my box while i toured for a month.

easy ride from there east to chachongsao, then northwards to cross
into laos at loei. can cycle across the bridge, and no tea money.
lat krabang also has a rail station near the airport, could go east to
aranyaprathet, or to hua lumphong station to transfer to the
chiang mai train.

I was in Thailand (Bangkok-Chiang Mai-Sukhothai) until yesterday and all was normal. Except much less tourists than usual which is great (the time before I was in Thailand all those huge organized tour groups of Chinese were letting me crazy).
I been in both touristic and local places in Thailand for the past 30 days and touristic places were very pleasant. And on the other hand places like clubs and bars where generally only or mainly local go where full (places like "drinking culture" in Chiang Mai). To tell the truth also many bars with foreign tourists were pretty full.

I been hanging around the night market of Mawlamyine yesterday night and it was also pretty full of people and active .

I was planning to stay 4 weeks in Myanmar anyway, then , seen the current situation I'll see what to do.
I know about "no Thingyan festivities" but I can't seem to find the news about "banned people to be in large groups".

Anyway hope they don't restrict too much my Italian passport (but I know that they will). I didn't go to Italy for 2 years now...I know that often they just ban the citizenship(the passport you are holding), so stupid.. anyway.. whatever

OP, 4 nights in Chiang Mai is enough.. Save one for Samui, or BKK, or wherever..

As to Krabi144.... , if you've really been on Chang, or Lanta like in other posts, why don't you recommend places, beaches, costs, etc.. Suitable advice for the OP instead of just trying to be forceful and always correct??.. Helping people who've never been there is what this forum is about.

You push all these places but never really offer up any information. So where would you recommend on Koh Chang then and why, how long did you go, slow ferry, fast ferry, prices and portions....

When we're you last in KPG or Samui

You would be doing buses from Chiang Mai to the Lao border. You can stop in Chiang Rai or not if you want. To be honest, I like Chiang Rai, but many find it only vaguely interesting. Overnight at the border in Chiang Khong, cross the border to Huay Xai and take the boat the next day.

The cheap slow boats are just that. Often crowded and not very comfortable for such a long trip. Remember that the trip is 2 days with 7-9 hours each day on a boat in uncomfortable seats. Many people buy a cheap pillow from a market before boarding and that will certainly help. The scenery is lovely at points and also quite dull for hours at a time. As said above: not spectacular. You will overnight in Pak Beng, an appropriately "not spectacular" town/village with insistent touts, which adds both time and money to the trip... and aggravation for some regarding said touts.

There are boats with more comfortable seating available, like the Nagi mentioned above, for higher prices which is what I would have done if I had known. The boat trip does seem to be a "right of passage" for SE Asia travelers and many love it. To be honest, if I knew what to expect, I would have skipped it. Since then I have chosen the flight from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang or vice versa every time and spending the days saved somewhere in Laos or Thailand.

The boat trip from Muang Ngoi to Muang Khua is more scenic, much shorter (5 Hours) and a better choice in my opinion. You can add to it by getting to Nong Khiaw from Luang Prabang by bus or mini-van spend a few nights there then take the 1-hour boat from Nong Kiaw to Muang Ngoi. Spend a night or 3 there and then take the 5-hour boat trip to Muang Khua. All 3 places offer scenic walks to local villages and waterfalls.

It is not cheaper to buy in Thailand it used to be the case but not so these days and is normally cheaper to book in advance. Bangkok and Chiang Mai could work both have plenty to offer. You might have to fly back through Bangkok to Chiang Mai from Trat I am not sure. Personally I would leave Bangkok until the end especially if that is your departure point. I don't think any Chinese airlines fly internally in Thailand. Air Asia probably offer the most flights. But Thai/Bangkok Air also fly many routes.

I agree w/ poster #3. This is the time for the most expensive airfare imaginable. For SE Asia it's cheapest to fly into Bangkok, then connect on a separate budget airline to PP or Luang Prabang.

To me highlights are the places most people think they should see, which may or may not be places that appeal to you. In Laos, Luang phabang would be the highlight, but I much prefer quieter rural destinations, which might appear second rate to others, but also tend to be cheaper. Your trip should be based around what you want to get out of each country.
I do agree that it might be an idea to do the trip in reverse for the reasons given. Also because the weather in Koh Chang is not great in the summer, and won't be the best place for beach time at the end of your trip.

As someone else said, Chiang Mai, Pai, an island, a couple of days in Bangkok to finish sounds about right. Try & go for 4 weeks if you want to do more than 1 island. You'll need a bit more spending money than I did by the sound of it lol. Starling online bank don't charge for ATM withdrawals & purchases (but you always pay the Thai bank charge), Halifax Clarity credit card the same. Have fun :-)

Our first trip to SEA consisted of just 3 destinations over a 3 week period. Singapore ( got a flight, accommodation deal) Bangkok and Chiang Mai. It was only after that trip that we started venturing further into SEA.

Places don't go away but sometimes life gets in the way and you don't get back. Other times you keep going back to the same places.