Hi all! This is my first post on Local Guides Connect. I am writing for Connect Live 2020 application - What’s the most interesting thing you’ve done as a Local Guide? Well 
I guess it’s a review I did about a scam at Laos border control more than a year ago, as below:
https://goo.gl/maps/kt7wditzC8LKx5hD6
It was about my personal experience when crossing the Thai-Laos border by road in July 2018. We were cheated by a transport company at the Laos border control. Instead of taking us to our hotel as agreed, we were dropped at a “bus station” 10 km away from our destination and we had to pay another tuk tuk to get to our hotel. It´s not just about paying extra money but also safety! At that time I was travelling with a friend, I can’t imagine how panic I would get if I was alone, A YOUNG PRETTY 
GIRL BEING DROPPED AT A TOTALLY FOREIGN PLACE IN LAOS! 
There was nothing much we could do as the minivan driver was not from the company and we did not take down their telephone numbers (Stupid…I know. 
So now when I travel I make sure I take note, photo or whatever especially stuff related to transport, hostel etc., in case anything unpleasant happens we can file a report!) Although I was relatively new to Google Local Guide at that time, after the incident I decided to leave a review on Google map so that more people will be aware of the scam, avoid taking the company and go to the bus station to get an official bus instead. I don’t know whether it did help someone (although I get a few “likes” 
), but I think it is better to be safe than sorry!
By the way I realised now that there were certain errors in the review, and instead of leaving the review under “Chiang Khong-Huay Xai Friendship Bridge” I should have leave it under “Laos Border Control and Immigration Office”. So i added another similar review as below:
https://goo.gl/maps/KDQuYeh3Kz8roRTi8
I hope this can help travellers who are considering crossing the border by road from Thailand to Laos. I don’t know whether the company still exists today as it happened in July 2018, but my advice is: always opt for official buses if there is one available, even though it is more troublesome. And always check reviews on Google Maps!
Again, better safe than sorry!
Travel safe and have a good memory of the journey 
Lastly, a photo of daily morning offerings to monks from our hotel at Chiang Khong (Thailand) and a view of Huay Xai (Laos) across the river, taken on the day we left 
