Just before noon we reached the Vietnamese side of the international checkpoint at Tay Trang, as the officers were just enjoying their 2 hour break. We did the same, ordered fried noodles with vegetables (for vegetarians) and ate noodle soup with chicken. The waiting felt very short, as a young polish couple joined us at the table. Sometimes after 1PM the owner of the restaurant came over and made a clear sign, that now the officers are working and we should/could go to get our departure-stamps. Together with some Vietnamese traders we were in the queue, but found ourselves at the end as the officer realised, that there was no money in our passports, as was in the others. He wasn´t happy, when he couldn´t ignore us any longer. It made it even worse, when he understood, that we didn´t even have a motorbike he could charge us for. Finally we were handed back our passports with stamps and allowed to proceed to the barrier. Here we again showed the passports and were free to walk around it and continue to leave Vietnam without any costs.
4km ahead after the pass of 1´200m we found he immigration checkpoint of Laos people´s democratic Republic. There were 4 windows about 120cm above ground, making it impossible to see the officers without kneeling down. At one window we handed in passports and pictures, to get them back together with two forms. At another window we handed back the completed forms with our passports. Then we waited, waited. An officer informed us that the visa officer is not yet here. We had time therefore to read all the printouts without stamps, dates, or official heads informing about all sorts of fees/taxes… Accordingly the officers soon asked for 1US$ here and 2US$ there. After the visa officer had arrived he informed us first about the official cost for the visa, which was correct as we had compared with the immigration website of Laos. Then it started with an additional 10´000kip/ person for the actual procedures to cross the border. Then we should pay 3US$ each for him filling in the visa. This money never changed hands. It seemed to be not so important anymore after we had asked for a receipt for the 20´000kip/p for the police stamp. Then it was only the Tourism Fund contribution of 2US$/p (the printout had stated 3US$/p)… It is very dubious who is asking for what, very frustrating. Corruption seems to be am open business in this country! It seem astonishing that Laos has signed the anti-corruption charta.
Anyway, at around 4PM we were handed back our passports and were free to start the downhill into the heat in our «new» country. The bad feeling about the first encounter with Lao´s administration though stayed.
The experience at the border crossing even felt more puzzeling as 20km after the boarder we met a convoi of vehicles of the UN and another developement organisation from Europe (NUDP) with participation of DEZA from Switzerland. Wouldn’t it be the duty of big international Aid Organisations to make sure that the minimal anticorruption standards are met, before they let money flow? We seriously question an effective flow of the money, if basic anticorruption measures are not put into place by a state.
It is ashame, then afterwards we got to know very friendly people, who surely would deserve a better governmental administration.
