Thai Lao Border Crossings Added

The usual not quite informative announcement about additional ways to cross between Thailand and Lao:
MCOT : TNA English News :: "LAOS, Aug 26 (TNA) - Thailand and ... (Lao PDR) have agreed ... to upgrade a temporary border crossing point in Thailand's northern Uttaradit Province to permanent status, as well as to open two temporary border points in the country's northeastern region a bid to boost blateral tourism.
...
Under the agreement, both sides will upgrade the temporary border crossing in Uttaradit's Baan Kok District to permanent status.

Two more border crossing points in the northeastern provinces of Nakhon Phanom and Amnat Charoen will also be opened."

What's needed are details about:

• the exact places one might cross
• whether Lao visa on arrival will be available for non-Thai.

technorati tags: travel | thailand | laos

A9 Search Hosed?

For about the last 20 hours (?), search using A9 yields a nice diagnostic message like this:

Did you mean: language "quote quote quote quote" a9 search

There are no web results for this query.

We'll see if submitting feedback does any good (or if it's just me). For now, back to Google.

Edited to add: ok, now back to normal.

Pre-Pasted Disposable Toothbrushes

Here's a dentist oriented site with prepasted toothbrushes.

Figure $.15/each including shipping and tax. Minimum lot is 144, though.

Sri Lanka Airport Transport (Transfer)

Airport transport between the CMB airport to Colombo can be arranged in advance to try to avoid the arrival area chaos.

Airport Express (PVT) LTD.
+94 11 555-5050 or 011 555-5050 in Sri Lanka
R2000/per person, one way, (though this should be verified).
(Skype call to SL is US.148/minute)

This recommendation is based on a ride from Colombo to CMD in Nov 03. Service availablility and rate checked by phone Aug 06.
technorati tags: travel | Sri Lanka

Vietnam Telecomm Investment in Cambodia

A report titled A new way of development of Vietnamese telecom enterprises discusses Vietnamese investment in telecomm in Cambodia:
"The military-run telecom corporation, Viettel, is applying to the Ministry of Planning and Investment for a licence to invest US $1 million in a project in Cambodia. If approved, this will be the first project invested abroad in the telecom service field by a domestic company, opening a new way of development for Vietnamese telecom businesses. ...

Viettel plans to provide VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) telephone services throughout Cambodia. To begin with, in April, Viettel established Viettel Cambodia Pte Ltd headquartered in Phnom Penh to seek the Cambodia telecom market.

Viettel also plans to supply mobile phone and internet services in Cambodia and Laos and co-ordinated with Cambodian partners to install two international on-land optic cable networks to Cambodia."

It would be interesting to know the routes of the fiber optic cable and whether it will be installed in trenches or aerially on power poles and transmission towers.
technorati tags: cambodia | vietnam