Louang Namtha or Luang Nam Tha (Lao

Lao language

Lao or Laotian is a tonal language of the Tai–Kadai language family. It is the official language of Laos, and also spoken in the northeast of Thailand, where it is usually referred to as the Isan language. Being the primary language of the Lao people, Lao is also an important second language for...

: ຫລວງນໍ້າທາ; ຫລວງ) is a town and the capital of Louang Namtha Province in northern Laos

Laos

Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...

. The city lies on the Tha River

Tha River

The Tha River ' is a river in northwest Laos, and one of the 12 tributaries on the Mekong River. It gave its name to the town of Luang Namtha and the province of the same name....

 (Nam Tha).

Luang Namtha is the largest settlement in Laos north of Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang , is a city located in north central Laos, where the Nam Khan river meets the Mekong River about north of Vientiane. It is the capital of Luang Prabang Province...

. It is a popular tourist destination, and a base for treks

Trek

Trek or trekking is a long journey undertaken on foot in areas where common means of transport is generally not available. Trekking is not mountaineering; it is days of walking along with adventure.-Etymology:...

 to the surrounding hill-tribe villages.

Transportation

In the rainy season, Louang Namtha can be reached by boat from the Mekong River. It is connected by Highway 3 to both the Thai border at Huay Xai/Chiang Khong

Chiang Khong

Wiang Chiang Khong is a small town at the Mekong river in the northeast of Chiang Rai Province in Thailand, the central town of Chiang Khong district. It is the northernmost border crossing of the country into Laos .As of 2005 the town has a population of 4,342 and covers an area of 1.80 km²....

 (197 km) and the Chinese border at Boten/Mengla (~60 km). Louang Namtha is also served by Louangnamtha Airport

Louangnamtha Airport

Louangnamtha Airport is an airport in Laos, located 6 km south of the city of Louang Namtha.The airport was closed between 2006 and 2008 for a renovation that extended the runway from 1200 meters to 1600 meters, allowing larger aircraft like the ATR 72 to use the airport, and built a new 700 sq.m....

, 6 km south of the city.

External links

• Ethnic diversity in Luang Namtha - Laos