Can you sail the Mekong

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maaka
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Can you sail the Mekong

Post by maaka » October 14, 2018, 3:41 pm

Can you sail up and down the Mekong river off Nongkhai, and beyond, in your own boat



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747man
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Re: Can you sail the Mekong

Post by 747man » October 14, 2018, 7:04 pm

maaka wrote:
October 14, 2018, 3:41 pm
Can you sail up and down the Mekong river off Nongkhai, and beyond, in your own boat
Very Doubtful,Maaka

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Re: Can you sail the Mekong

Post by arjay » October 14, 2018, 9:19 pm

maaka wrote:
October 14, 2018, 3:41 pm
Can you sail up and down the Mekong river off Nongkhai, and beyond, in your own boat
Maaka, I don't think it would be possible from a practical point of view.

At certain times of the year the currents are fast and strong and there is debris including logs and tree trunks being carried downstream in the flow.

At other quieter times of the year, when the water levels are lower, there is rarely any wind, other than with a storm, so you would be struggling for a breeze.

There aren't too many places where you could land and come ashore and the current and varying water levels would add to the complications.

In the 7 years I lived there, I occasionally saw people jet skiing on the river, but never sailing.

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Re: Can you sail the Mekong

Post by maaka » October 15, 2018, 6:53 am

Sorry I misled some readers, the craft I am looking at, is an old teak motor launch, no sails...so can one cruise the Mekong..Take a boat out for fishing..
yes am aware of the logs and sand bars and patrol boats..but I see other boats, and was wondering the requirements, licence's etc etc if any. thanks guys

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Re: Can you sail the Mekong

Post by FrazeeDK » October 15, 2018, 11:49 am

suggest you go up to Nong Khai, Tha Bo, or Sri Chiang Mai and question some of the boatmen who regularly ply routes along the Mekong for fishing, for tourists, for.. whatever.. They could answer you questions on licenses or territoriality issues as they view them. Remember though, the border agreement with the Lao cedes all river islands to the Lao and the Lao claim sovereignty to the Thai river bank.. I doubt though that the Lao patrol the river with any real ability... Its not boating but years ago there was a Farang who would take off with a powered parasail from what then was a large field opposite the KKU campus in Nong Khai on the NK ring road. He would do this on Sundays, then fly up the Mekong, turning around at Sri Chiang Mai across from Vientiane and fly back to NK.. Back then I lived in Vientiane and would see this guy every Sunday as I had a meal and a few beers in a riverbank restaurant.. On other occasions when I was over to Thailand I'd see the guy in the morning taking off or later returning.. I would think that if that activity was pretty much ignored that a boat on the Mekong would be pretty easy...
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Re: Can you sail the Mekong

Post by Giggle » October 15, 2018, 2:52 pm

I recall that parasailer many years ago. Pretty sure he was Thai. He flew every weekend up until around 7 years ago. Haven't seen since.

Changes in the river are dramatic from month to month. It's not a navigable river like those in temperate climate countries. Any manner of wood or plastic boats will float -- even in a pond. If you fancy being a pirate, the Mekong polly isn't your sea. It's a giant toilet.
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Re: Can you sail the Mekong

Post by Barney » October 15, 2018, 3:50 pm

maaka wrote:
October 15, 2018, 6:53 am
Sorry I misled some readers, the craft I am looking at, is an old teak motor launch, no sails...so can one cruise the Mekong..Take a boat out for fishing..
yes am aware of the logs and sand bars and patrol boats..but I see other boats, and was wondering the requirements, licence's etc etc if any. thanks guys

maaka, The kiwi's were the pioneers of the extreme jet boat tours, a teak boat with a jet engine probably won't last long over the rocks just under the surface of the Mekong, but a jet boat ride would definitely rock the sandals off a few Thai or Chinese tourists. Tell me when you have the sea trials. I'll set up a blanket and an esky on the shoreline. \:D/

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Re: Can you sail the Mekong

Post by NongKhaiLee » October 15, 2018, 5:30 pm

The guy on the TV show "River Monsters" tried it, he hired a local to take him fishing in the Mekong and ended up with a great mug shot courtesy of Lao authorities. If you try it make sure you don't accidentally cross the center, that will put you in the country of Laos and would be considered an illegal border crossing.

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Re: Can you sail the Mekong

Post by Giggle » October 15, 2018, 6:21 pm

Horsefeathers. I've done it many times, Tubing from SCM to NK during Songkran. You can practically walk across the river in April. Nobody gives a ----.
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Re: Can you sail the Mekong

Post by Laan Yaa Mo » October 15, 2018, 6:23 pm

Giggle wrote:
October 15, 2018, 2:52 pm
Changes in the river are dramatic from month to month. It's not a navigable river like those in temperate climate countries. Any manner of wood or plastic boats will float -- even in a pond. If you fancy being a pirate, the Mekong polly isn't your sea. It's a giant toilet.
Yes, it is useful for conveying the carcasses of pigs into Cambodia. This reminds me of the words in a song by Gary U.S. Bonds, 'down the Mississippi to New Orleans'.
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Re: Can you sail the Mekong

Post by papafarang » October 16, 2018, 6:56 am

the answer is yes you can if your feeling suicidal , but if you have the means there are companies doing cruises up the Mekong . not cheap I guess . I know you can plan your own route using local river traffic , but I've seen the backpacker version , which would be ok if we were all 30 years younger , but there is some quite pleasant tours by the look of it. and there's no pockets in a coffin as they say.
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maaka
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Re: Can you sail the Mekong

Post by maaka » October 16, 2018, 7:37 am

Thanks for all the comments fella's
I am descended from pirates on my mothers side, so no worries there..
yes I remember the kiwi jet boat journey, or was that up the Ganges, where they tried to follow it from the river mouth to its source..

anyways, its seems a considerable risk is involved, of sinking, or of imprisonment, which hasnt stopped me before..Geez they just about shot me for walking over the Friendship Bridge, so straying into Lao waters could equal that I supposed, but yes good comment re go and talk to the boaties and river master at NK..

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Re: Can you sail the Mekong

Post by yartims » October 29, 2018, 5:40 pm

the times is advertising mekong cruises on luxury boats from siem reap to ho chi minh and stops along the way ,not cheap but there must be others doing em
sail on the emerald harmony boat .7 nights full board

thetimes.co.uk/mekong
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Re: Can you sail the Mekong

Post by stattointhailand » October 29, 2018, 6:29 pm

maaka If the boatmen take as much notice of the law as their 'brothers" on the roads, I would tend to suggest asking about licenses or territoriality issues might be a bit of a waste of time :lol:

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Re: Can you sail the Mekong

Post by Barney » October 29, 2018, 7:23 pm

maaka, sailing, it's in all of your kiwi's blood mate. Just get out on the open water and have a crack mate. :lol:

This mob are ready to get you fired up with a popular NZ sea shanty, from one of the great kiwi bands. I'm sure you have this album hidden somewhere under the swan dry in the back of the cupboard. :pirate:
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Re: Can you sail the Mekong

Post by stattointhailand » October 29, 2018, 8:01 pm


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maaka
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Re: Can you sail the Mekong

Post by maaka » October 30, 2018, 8:01 am

My first girlfriend went off and married Neil Finn, and some bastard broke into my house yonks ago, and stole my Split Enz collection..but those were the days for sure

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