Ban Huay Xai is the capital of Bokeo, located on the Thai border.

Huay Xai is on the river Mekong, with the Thai town of Chiang Khong on the other side. You can cross the border here by boat. This is the northernmost border crossing between the two countries. Huay Xai is on the end of Route 3, which runs from the Chinese border at Boten (Yunnan) to Thailand. There are plans to build a bridge here over the Mekong river.

From Huay Xai, the slow boats and speed boats are leaving, heading for Luang Prabang. If you do the trip on the slow boat, you will be sailing the Mekong for two days, going through a very beautiful landscape. On the way you will stop in Pakbeng, to spend the night there. It is not a good idea to take a speed boat, they are very noisy and uncomfortable. Above this, they are dangerous and many accidents have been reported.

On the hill overlooking Huay Xai and the Mekong river, are the ruins of an old French Fort called Fort Carnot.