Boten

Boten ບໍ່ເຕັນ 磨丁
Boten
Coordinates: 21.18413°N 101.67202°E / 21.18413; 101.67202
Country	Laos
Province	Luang Namtha
Time zone	UTC+7 (ICT)
Website	www.boten.com

Boten (Lao: ບໍ່ເຕັນ, pronounced [bɔ̄ː.tèn]; Chinese: 磨丁) is a town in Laos located in Luang Namtha Province, situated on the China–Laos border opposite the Chinese town of Mohan.[1]: 129  Although Boten is part of Laos, most of its inhabitants speak Mandarin Chinese as their native language. The town operates on Beijing time.[1]: 130 

Economy

Boten allows the use of both the Lao kip and the Chinese yuan.[1]: 130 

The Boten Special Economic Zone is currently under development.[1]: 129  The town is aiming to transition from its former gambling-focused economy to one centered on logistics and tourism.[1]: 130 

Transport

After five years of construction, both the Vientiane–Boten Railway and Yuxi–Mohan railways opened in December 2021, connecting Boten south towards Vientiane and north towards Kunming, China. Boten is the northernmost Lao town on the 414 km railway, which features 198 km of tunnels and 62 km of bridges, and operates at a speed of 160 km per hour. The town is served by Boten railway station.

Casino

The Boten casino (2013)

An abandoned street in Boten (2013)

In 2002, a big casino was built in Boten, primarily attracting Chinese visitors, as gambling is illegal in China. In 2011, the Chinese government requested that Laos close the casino.[2][3] Today the casino stands abandoned.

References

The Rebirth of Casino Town Boten, Laos | Borderlands | Full Episode

Citations

1. Curtis, Simon; Klaus, Ian (2024). The Belt and Road City: Geopolitics, Urbanization, and China's Search for a New International Order. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. doi:10.2307/jj.11589102. ISBN 9780300266900. JSTOR jj.11589102.
2. Ganjanakhundee, Supalak (8 September 2013). "No more casinos in Laos: Somsavat". The Nation. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
3. "Treasures of Laos: Golden Boten City has been closed down—will it wake up again with help from China?". Treasures of Laos. 7 April 2013. Retrieved 2014-07-10.