UBU Mukdahan region - Highway 9 in Laos, Hue and Da Nang Vietnam

We arrived in Mukdahan on the 1rst of January. We were not in town long, as our hosts had a trip planned that started on the 2nd. We didn't have much time to unwind -- after two exhausting trips (Ko Lanta followed by roundtrip flights to Chang Mai and a van ride to Pai) we piled into another van and made our way across Laos. We traveled highway 9, which is the main east-west route from Thailand to Vietnam and also the road that is the centerpiece of ASEAN commerce that will traffic goods between Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. I should say "will be" the centerpiece of ASEAN commerce as highway 9 in Laos is under construction for almost its' entire length. The sections that are not under construction have been damaged heavily by over-loaded trucks carrying ore from Laotian gold mines and other goods. Our guide told us that when the roads were first built, they were not rated for trucks exceeding about 5,000 kg. Times have changed, bringing modern 18 wheelers capable of carrying 15,000-25,000 kg of weight -- the truckers (or the companies that hire the truckers) prefer to carry the extra load and pay fines if they are cited for weight violations. Consequently, the roads are badly broken up from damage or in the process of repair making for a bumpy and slow-down-for-bumps / speed-up for .5 km of smooth surface kind of ride. The ride through the mountains to reach Pai, Thailand included 497 turns each way, the journey across Laos felt like 497 brake/acceleration maneuvers; the trips to Pia and Laos (added together) were a symphony of swaying side-to-side and lurching front to back.

I learned from previous visits to the region that many young Lao students living along the border are interested in attending the university in Mukdahan. My research includes student development using open content online and so during our ride across Laos I was keen to observe whether the concept of using an online system is realistic. Would the people who live here have the ability to access the content? It turns out that the answer is somewhat unclear but offers encouragement. According to current market research, mobile penetration has surpassed 90% of the Lao population, but only 13% of the population (about 7 million) are classified as internet users and among those users, roughly 250,000 are registered on Facebook.

Finding good data on media usage for the Laos/Vietnam region is difficult. From what I learned, a good deal of data is proprietary or by request (e.g. UNICEF).  Laotians have access to a number of digital television services, with Thailand and Lao state run media producing most of what is consumed in the western part of the country. Regardless, from what I observed, television satellite dishes are commonplace, every house had a dish no matter how rural or poor the living conditions appeared. Interestingly, the source of media being consumed in Laos present interesting problems for the Lao economy. Many Lao watch Thai television because of the soap operas and television dramas and by association they learn about Thai products through commercials. This has driven up the demand for Thai products much to the dismay of the Lao government which is (of course) more interested in promoting the Lao economy. I learned from my colleagues that Lao living close to the border (and can afford it) prefer shopping in Thailand, with some crossing the Mae Nam Kong to buy excess goods in Mukdahan which are then resold to Lao in Savannakhet and outlying regions.

Vietnam is a different story. Economically, the Vietnam is far ahead of Laos, in terms of internet penetration, the use of ICT and smart phone ownership. Remarkably, the general population will forgo a host of other luxuries in order to save enough money to own a smartphone (the monthly wage is about $100 in Hue and perhaps $250 in Da Nang).

The most stunning thing about Vietnam is the agricultural system appears to be operated almost entirely by human labor. I observed massive rice fields and not a single piece of heavy equipment was in sight. In two days of driving along the coast and through the countryside between Hue and Da Nang there were rice fields as far as the eye could see and yet I observed only a few backhoe machines and only one was in a field. Incredibly, Vietnam has become the leading rice producer in the region, outproducing Thailand.

Another cultural note is the sheer number of motorcycles. Vietnam has a population of 90 million and 37 million registered motorcycles. Our tour guide was quick to mention that the number of motorcycles is closer to 45 million when those that are not registered are included. The stream of motorcycles on the streets of Da Nang was endless -- we were told that crossing the street was a matter of trust. "Just walk and let the swarm avoid you."  Food for thought perhaps; but for me, not food for action.

The video that follows gives an impression of the constant flow of motorbikes -- bear in mind that this video was not recorded at rush hour on a weekday, when motorbikes are as thick as mosquitos in rainy season (see photo below).