Awoke still sick with a bad back. Ate a cheap lunch at a local restaurant. Rode the bus to Chiang Khong at the Thailand–Laos border. Shared a tuk tuk with a guy to the Mekong river shore and exited Thailand. Bought passage across the river and landed on the Laos shore. Paid the fee and entered the town of Huay Xai in Laos. Walked up the hill and looked at a few places and chose to stay at a nice hotel with wifi and air con. Found an ATM and withdrew a million kip (around US$100). Bought a Coke to cool off. Bought a slow boat ticket for 950 baht for the following morning. Hung out in my hotel room. Ate dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. My back was still thrown out. Computer time in my room.