Hi, has anyone who has done this trip have any comments to share about the onboard facilities?
How long does it take to travel from KM to Jinghong?
also how easy is it to get from Chiang Saen port in Chiang Rai to Bangkok?
appreciate any tips.

looks like the route is Kunming -> Jinghong -> Chiang Saen -> Chiang Rai -> Chiang Mai -> Bangkok. the beauty of it is that the boat ride goes along the Mekong, which forms the border of Laos and Myanmar, so there is no need to get visas for those countries - it's like China and Thailand actually share a border...

but, i have yet to meet anyone who has actually done this route, or part of it - does anyone have any stories?

A friend of mine did this trip last year (though not as far as BKK). In Jinhong you have to go down to the port/docks and negotiate a deal with one of the boat captains. There were no passenger boats last year, my friend went on a freight boat. I think he paid around 400RMB. The trip takes 2-3 days.

There used to be passenger boats, but I've heard that they aren't running these days.

As far as getting from Chiang Rai to Bangkok, it should be no problem. There are tons of buses and I know the train goes all the way to Chiang Mai, but I'm not sure if it goes up to Chiang Rai or not.

would someone in jinghong tell something about freight boats from jinghong to chiangsean? or chiangrai? how much to send goods this way? or is it only for chiangrai to jinghong?

I'm going to Jing Hong in a couple of days. I'll go down to the boat docks and ask around and then post a reply.

Down in Xishangbanna right now. The slow boat stopped in 2006. You can get a speed boat but it's 800 RMB. A friend said that Jing Hong/Chiang Mai flight was gone, that if you wanted to fly you must go to Kunming.

thanks, the speed boat runs throughout the year or only during the "high tide" or raining season ?
the speed boats is for passenger or for goods?

Hi,
thanks Will for the info.
Do you also know on which days it goes from Jinghong to Thailand?
I'll be down there in a couple of days, but don't want to wait 3 days to catch the boat...
Thanks!

Does anyone have any recent information about getting from Kunming to Chiang Mai by boat?