The bridge, known as the second Friendship bridge, is 1600 meters (1.0 mi) long and 12 meters (39 ft) wide, with two lanes for traffic. I have been driving on the left all through Thailand, but they drive on the right in Laos. This presents a bit of an issue on a bridge, so the cross over is only on the Thai side. I therefore have to remember to traffic onto the right. As long as the locals understand this rule, of course.

A ‘Visa on arrival’ system is reliably available at most overland crossings between Thailand and Laos, including the Huay Xai, Vientiane, Savannakhet (Where I am), Tha Khaek and Chong Mek entry points. Many border crossings have some form of departure tax, but there doesn’t seem to be one here. Now, a 30-day tourist visa for Laos should cost about US$35 depending on your nationality and the office you use. For reasons I couldn’t figure out, the fee for Canadians is about US$45. (Danger money? Extended insurance? I thought Canadians are supposed to be nice.)

I intend on being in Laos for about, ooh, four hours! But, as far as I can find out, I need a 30 day visa to do it in. (I suppose I could mill around for twenty-nine and a half days and make a dash to the other side, just for the hell of it! OK, maybe not.) All of the border visas are single entry, which is important to remember.

If you look carefully, you can see me!

Oh look! It's another Friendship bridge.

The Mekong river is very wide and a touch murky, but the view across the join of these two countries is incredible. Its estimated length is 4,350 km (2,703 mi). That’s longer than it is from New York to San Francisco. The river starts on the Tibetan plateau, and is the 12th longest river in the world and the 7th longest in Asia.

Looking back across the bridge at Thailand.

Once across the bridge I turn and head towards Savannakhet. It is mid afternoon and I could really do with a beer and a snack of some sort. I’l take a look around and tell you what to expect if you came here.

In reality, this is currently only passable from Thailand to Burma. Up until very recently the Friendship bridge would only allow crossing by foot, despite being a two lane highway on stilts, and your visa would only allow you a day’s worth of time on the Burmese side. The bridge is closed often, mostly due to the trouble on the Burmese side with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). Like the Moreh crossing in the north, I would not be allowed to do the crossing I am about to do. From the Thai side, there is no visa required, only an entry stamp which you would pay US$10, if paid for in dollars, but more (about 500 baht) if paid in Thai currency. None-negotiable.I have to say, I have found that the US dollar is good in most places. Mae Sai/Tachileic, in the north is open daily, but obviously quite a way from Bangkok or this region.

When I started to plot my route through Thailand, I did contemplate going through the northern crossing, but there was something about Burma that I needed to sample. Besides, it would have then made sense to miss Bangkok and cut straight across into Laos. And where’s the fun in that?

So here I am, negotiating the line of people wandering along the road that connects to the bridge. The Friendship Bridge was completed in 1997. Another bridge is planned on the same river.

A look back as I cross the bridge.

The checkpoint on the other side.

Passing through Mae Sot, I join the AH1, which is part of the Asian Highway Network. I have driven parts of this road connection through Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Burma, and now Thailand. Not all of this long Highway is open all of the time, and the Burma section is obviously limited. I fill up the tank at one of the big petrol stations and pick up some food from the side market. It’s suddenly great to see familiar products on the shelves. And proper shops for that matter. It’s about four hours to my next stop, so let’s get going and I’ll fill you in on the way.