BOLIKHAMSAI IMPROVES FOUR ECOTOURISM SITES

Information, Culture and Tourism Department of Bolikhamsai province, in Lao PDR, will improve four ecotourism sites that could be linked up with trips to other destinations in the country.

Lao News Agency reported the four ecotourism sites that will be developed are Meuangmoun Choumthong area in Viengthong district, the Kaengsaitean area in Khamkuet district, Thamphasing cave in Bolikhanh district and the Nam Tone waterfall in Pakkading district.
The province’s deputy governor, Souvanny Xayana, said Bolikhamsai province has a high potential for ecotourism with many tourist sites scattered around the province.
“We have a plan to improve and develop tourism sites to support the influx of both domestic and foreign tourists.”
inside no 1The issue hindering their development is the lack of adequate transport between the destinations.
He added: “An ecotourism site in Thaphabath district has already been developed and has attracted tourists from both nearby provinces and neighbouring countries. It has generated income for local people.”
Bolikhamsai is located in the heart of the country bordering Xiangkhouang province to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Khammouan province to the south, and Thailand to the west. The province includes the Annamite Range, stretching east to Vietnam, while to the west is the Mekong River that marks the border with Thailand.

BOUN KHAO PHANSA CELEBRATED IN LAOS

“The festival is an important opportunity to make merit for me and my family. I usually join my mother to attend almsgiving at the temple every Buddhist Lent,” a resident of Phonsinuan village named Ms Kaikeo said after she finished presenting her offerings.

This was her special day as she had to get up at 5am to prepare her offerings for the monks and novices for Boun Khao Phansa.
The monks told her that her actions were one way to seek mindfulness and happiness in this life and the next, but it is also about making merit for spirit relatives and those who transgressed or acted badly in a past reincarnation.
Each year of Buddhist Lent (Boun Khao Phansa ) believers get up early to take their buckets with offerings and a couple of large candles to go to the temples at seven in the morning.
These offerings will provide convenience for the monks and novices during the three months of studying the Buddha’s teachings, keeping the precepts and pausing for meditation.

At 8am, senior monks in local temples gave five commitments to lay people to encourage them to make merit and give blessings.
After that believers are allowed to give arm directly to monks, before they sprinkle water from a small bottle onto the ground to ask Ngamae Thorani (a female guardian spirit living under the Earth), telling her to transfer their words to their relative spirits to come to receive their offerings.
During Buddhist Lent monks and novices have to stay in their monasteries to study the Buddha’s teachings, keep the precepts, meditate and live up to their commitments for the duration of the rainy season.
Also, monks and novices are banned from travelling except in the case of specific urgent matters in the scripture such as family illness but even then they are only allowed to leave the temple for a period of seven days.
Monks and novices are also prohibited from returning to lay life outside the temple while ordinary people are prohibited from getting married during this period as it is believed that they won’t achieve success in their family life if they marry during the rainy season.

NEW BOAT TRIP SERVICE BETWEEN LAOS – THAI

Luang Prabang province’s Public Works and Transport Department deputy director, Bounkhong Souksavat, told Vientiane Times that the project had the potential to improve the living standards of communities on the river.

The river trip from Luang Prabang to Chiang Khan district in Loei province would span 290 km, while the same journey by road covers 410 km. There are no regular tourist related river trips on this section of the river.

The only established river trip, that attracts international tourists, starts in Huay Xai on the border with Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai province and passes through Pak Beng on the way to Luang Prabang.

inside no 1The deputy director said: “Lao and Thai consultants will join a Lao team to survey the currents, volume of water, depth and other factors that would determine if boat tourism is feasible. They would also study seasonal phases of the river to ensure year-round safe navigation .”

The big issue of water volume relates to upstream dams.  The control dams have over water flow makes it difficult for locals to determine accurately safety margins for boat drafts. The river is now artificially controlled and this means long stretches of the river from Luang Prabang may not be navigable year-round, or the level could drop significantly without much warning.

Authorities of Loei province, Thailand, recently toured Luang Prabang with their Lao counterparts to investigate the concept of opening tourist riverboat services.

At a recent meeting, officials agreed to use technical consultants from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, along with Lao consultants for the survey. The survey will be completed by the end of the year.

BOUN KHAO PHANSAA LAOS

Boun Khao Phansaa, which marks the beginning of “Buddhist Lent”, is celebrated yearly on July. A legend said that, there was once a group of six monks walking during the rainy season. They were careless about where they put their feet, stepping on frogs and crushing new rice plants. This angered the farmers who complained to the Buddha. The Buddha made the rule for the Sangha, the community of monks, to observe Khao Phansaa, which means “entering the rainy season.” The traditionally lay people are not allowed to get married until the end of the Buddist Lent which is less making parties during three months Khao Phansa. Many take time away from work to make merit for deceased relatives. They also offer robes to become novices or monks.
During this time devout people often abstain from alcohol. They pray for assistance and guidance to encourage merit and happiness in their lives. It encourages them to follow the five major Buddhist vow to follow the precepts (five rules of conduct):
· You shall not kill lives
· You shall not steal or cheat
· You shall not commit adultery
· You shall not lie
· You shall not consume alcohol or drugs

The rule is that for three months during the rainy season the monks must vow not to stay overnight away from their temple, unless they have permission for special circumstances such as visiting sick parents, going to deliver sermons. In any case, they can never be gone more than seven days.

On the first day of the waning moon, People do Tak baat (Alms offerings) of food (particularly khaotom, rice, banana or pork wrapped in banana leaves) and donate necessities like soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes and towels for the monks. Most temples are very busy during this time with people making merit and giving their donations. At the end of these merit-making activities the monks will recite the teachings of Buddha and tell the history of Lent to temple goers., take the precepts, and listen to a sermon. After the evening prayers, the novices and monks make their vows to stay in their wat and kuti or monk living quarters , residence, for the three rainy months.
On the full-moon day of the eighth lunar month people go to the temple with incense sticks, candles, and Pha Ab Nam Fon (a yellow robe for bathing) and offer them to the Buddha statue in the temple. After that, they perform the prayer/chanting ceremony and listen to a sermon. Later in the evening monks, novices and laypeople bring flowers and candles and walk around the central temple three times in a ceremony known as Vien Thien in Lao.

NEW RAILWAY PROJECT LINKS LAOS AND CHINA

Construction of a railway linking Laos and China, destined to stretch to ASEAN neighbours, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, should begin in November this year.

Vientiane Times quoted Minister of Public Works and Transport Bounchanh saying if things go as planned construction of the railway could start as early as November and take about five years to complete.
The project will connect the Lao capital of Vientiane with the Chinese border, near Luang Namtha, at a distance of 417 km. It will pass through Luang Prabang and through mountain ranges providing the Chinese construction teams with a formidable challenge.
The planned single 1.435-metre standard-gauge track, covering a distance of 417 km, will have 31 stations, including five main stations. It will require 76 tunnels of an overall distance of 195 km and 154 bridges covering a distance of 67.15 km.
Passenger trains will travel at a maximum speed of 160 km per hour and freight trains at 120 km per hour. The main use of the railway line will be to transport cargo between China, through Laos to connect with an upgraded rail line to Thailand’s eastern seaboard ports on the Gulf of Thailand. It will be ultimately extended to Malaysia and Singapore.

The first phase in Laos was initially estimated to cost USD6.8 billion.
The two governments agreed to directly contribute 40% of the total investment for the project with the Lao government responsible for 30%, amounting to USD840 million and the Chinese government contributing 70%.
In the event the Lao government struggles to make its contribution of USD840 million, the Chinese side has agreed to provide a low-interest loan of USD500 million to Laos while the rest will have to be sourced by Laos, the report said.
Revenue to be generated from a bauxite mine and three potash mines in Laos are to be used to secure the Chinese loan. The 20-year loan period will carry an annual interest rate of 3% with an interest-only period, i.e. no repayment of principle, for the first five years.
The remaining 60% will come from private investors.
The Lao National Assembly approved the project in 2012 as part of plans to turn Laos from a landlocked country into a land-linked nation.
The planned rail project will be part of a regional rail link known as the Kunming-Singapore rail line covering a distance of 3,000 km.
The high-speed line will link Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province all the way to Singapore, passing through Laos, Thailand and Malaysia.
Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha confirmed earlier that the government is speeding up implementation of Thai-Chinese joint venture railway projects with assurance that construction of the first dual-track rail project linking Nong Khai province in the Northeast and Rayong province in the East will begin in October.
The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on the project in December last year.
The planned China-Thailand Railway is 867-km long, with an agreed operational top speed of 180 km per hour, down from the previous 250 km per hour.
Picture: cdn.wonderfulengineering

Lhai Hue Fai - Festival of the boat of Light

Luang Prabang today is lighten colorfully by thousand of candles at night to celebrate The Boat of Light Festival.
The Festival, original name is Lhai Heua Fai, celebrated at the night of the End of Lent to mark the end of the monks’ three-month-fast and retreat during the rainy season. People gather to make small round containers, using banana leaves on a section of banana trunk, then put flower, incense stick, candles, betel nuts and other condiments for chewing, food money on the top of the container. At dawn, donation and offerings are made at the temples. Prayers are chanted by the monks, and at dusk candlelight procession wind around the temples. The “flower boat”, lighted with candles, will be sent floating away at the bank of Mekong or Nam Khan River along with praying and chanting from locals.
Lhai Heua Fai is also aimed at sending offerings to the dead. But most of all, it is a homage to the Lord Buddha.

There are also a competition between villages and temples to celebrate this special occasion. Temples and villages build their boats of light, from bamboo and paper, which are much bigger and more elaborately decorated, take paradise at night, along the Old Quarter road, before being selected to be the winner and sent to the bank of Mekong River, in front of Wat Xieng Thong’s pier.
Tomorrow (28 October 15), there will be boat racing Festival in Vientiane and Sayabouly province.
Highlight in Vientiane?

Vientiane Airport is Scheduled to expand

Laos’ Department of Civil Aviation and Japan’s contractor Hazama Ando Corporation signed an agreement to expand Vientiane’s Wattay International Airport since October 2015.
Vientiane Times reported the Vientiane International Airport Terminal Expansion Project involves expansion of the international passenger terminal building and construction of a new domestic terminal building.
Other features include a new airport maintenance workshop, extension of car parking space and construction of an approach road.
The total budget is about USD61 million, the report said.
Construction will take 32 months and should be completed by 2018.
The country’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport recently proposed a plan to renovate domestic airports and improve gateway airports.
Wattay International Airport in Vientiane capital, Luang Prabang International Airport, Savannakhet International Airport, and Pakse International Airport have been identified for gateway improvements.
The six domestic airports to be renovated are in the provinces of Oudomxay, Luang Namtha, Huaphan, Phongsaly, Xayaboury and Borikhamxay.
Four regional airports are to be upgraded as international airports; Xieng Khuang, Bokeo, Seno of Savannakhet and Attapeu.

More Airport plans for Laos

Lao PDR’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport claims the country needs to build new gateway airports or expand current airports substantially to stay competitive.
Vientiane Times quoted Public Works and Transport Minister, Dr Bounchanh Sinthavong, saying the four gateways, Wattay, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet and Pakse airports will be unable to accommodate the long-term growth in tourism.
“A new international airport must be built on the outskirts of Vientiane. Construction should begin in 2025 and be completed before 2030.”
The new airport will be built to accommodate the world’s largest commercial aircraft including the A380. It will be probably built on a site to the north of the city as the present one is very close to the Mekong River which marks the border with Thailand.
In the southern region, he suggested a new international airport in Champassak province would be needed to accommodate aircraft with around 250 seats. The limit at present is aircraft with a maximum of 150 seats.
A new larger international airport would also be needed in Savannakhet province that will be built in the Savan-Seno Special Economic Zone.
Luang Prabang’s existing airport is already congested and requires, either an expansion of the present airport, or an entirely new airport to to be built. Finding a suitable site will be difficult due to rising land prices. It has already been extended to server larger aircraft.
Regional airports are either underway or being planned in Xieng Khuang and Bokeo provinces.
Vientiane’s Wattay International Airport can accommodate about 3 million passengers a year, but it will run out of space by 2028.

New park planned for Oudomxay

Nam Kat Yalo Pa which is located in the Nam Kat basin area in the Phou Hiphi National Conservation Forest in Meuang Xay, Oudomxay province, is planned to become a new Forest Park next year.
The objective is to introduce a new tourism option that focuses on preserving nature and the environment and using natural resources sustainable for tourism purposes.
To achieve this goal, the project will start with a series of training sessions in 11 villages in the area.

Investment in the development of Nam Kat Yola Pa was divided into two phases with the first phase completed this year.
New activities will be also set up for tourists such as a hiking trail to a suspension bridge, zip lines, rock climbing areas, elephant rides, motocross courses, tree house stays, and campgrounds.
Other tourist activities will include five-day treks, tribal village visits, a resort, and lessons on traditional farming techniques and winter crop farming.
The park, in Oudomxay province, is around 583 km from Vientiane, the capital.

Bokeo to get second airport

Bokeo province in Laos plans to build a regional airport with construction expected to start at the end of this year.
Vientiane Times quoted the province’s governor, Khamphan Pheuyavong, saying once the construction starts, it should take about two to three years to complete the project.
An investor has gained a 90-year concession to develop a Special Economic Zone in Tonpheung district and part of the deal includes building an airport, at an estimated cost of USD80 to USD100 million, the newspaper claimed.
An area of more than 200 hectares has been earmarked for the project, while compensation has been offered to local people to vacate their farmlands. No details on the land settlements were divulged or the identity of the investor.
Bokeo is close proximity to the Lao-Thai Mekong Friendship Bridge that links Huay Xai in Laos with Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai province, Thailand is a major reason for the investment.
But there is also a small airport at Huay Xai that is served by a daily service from Vientiane. In addition, there was talk that casino operators on the Lao side of the Mekong River would build an airport to bring in Thai and Chinese punters. Critics will challenged the need to have two airports in one province.
Public Works and Transport Minister Dr Bounchanh Sinthavong noted that the Huay Xai airport could not be expanded to meet regional standards. He claimed the airport was located in hilly terrain… space was limited and flights to the airport were considered risky. However, Lao Airlines does fly a daily service despite the risks involved.
The government is pushing the development of what is called the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, but only economic activity of note are the casinos close to Thailand and Myanmar.
But Bokeo province share borders with Thailand and Myanmar and is on the main R3A highway that links Thailand and Laos with China and this fuels government optimism that it can turn the area into a viable economic zone.
The road bridge opened in mid-December 2013 linking highways in Chiang Rai province with the R3A route north to Luang Namtha, and Yunnan province in China.
Already there is a steady stream of container trucks plying the R3A route to transport Chinese exports from Kunming to northern Laos and all the way to the Laem Chabang seaport on the Gulf of Thailand.
Tourism is expanding, too, with Chinese bus tours from Yunnan and private cars visiting Laos and North Thailand.
The R3A highway passes through Laos for around 250 km and eventually ends in Kunming in China, a distance of over 1,000 km. Just 2 km from the bridge’s service road highway on the Thai side of the river, highway 1052 links Chiang Rai a distance of around 100 km to the west.