VietNamNet Bridge – At the Na Meo Market in Na Meo commune of Quan Son
district in Thanh Hoa province, buyers and sellers can use three currencies,
including Vietnam dong, Lao kip and US dollar, in making payment.

The Na Meo Market gathers only once a week, on the morning of Saturday. It
is the place where Vietnamese and Lao exchange goods and services. The market is
located on the Vietnamese territory, just 300 meters far from the Vietnam-Laos
border posts. It is 50 kilometers far from the central area of the Quan Son
district and 80 kilometers far from the Hua Phan province in Laos.

While the other border markets have been flooded with expensive goods and
electronics, the Na Meo Market remains a village market in the true sense of the
word. The goods available at the market are mostly farm produce and the
specialties in the region.

There is no shelf for displaying goods or stalls at the market. There are only
the areas programmed for different kinds of goods. The products are simply
displayed on the ground with the lean-to over the heads.

There are the areas of brocade clothes, farm produce (bamboo spout, mice, fish),
garments, footwear, soap and detergent. Both Vietnamese and Lao display goods
here at the market.

Since the market gathers only once a week, it has been attracting a lot of
people from the two countries. They come to sell and buy products, store goods
for one week use.

Especially, the Na Meo market has also attracted the Vietnamese people from the
lowland, who bring goods there to sell and buy local farm produce to the lowland
to re-sell.

Lao also bring farm produce and other products to the market to sell, from soap
to liquor and brocade products. After selling goods for money, Lao buy footwear,
vegetable oil, clothes, sea fish and salt to carry to their home villages.

The “village market” there is called “international market”, because the
visitors are from different countries, while different currencies can be used in
making payment.

Especially, at the international market, the “international language” is used in
transactions. The sellers would show the products’ prices with their fingers or
the numbers on paper. In many cases, Vietnamese buyers just give bank notes to
the sellers. If the values of the banknotes are higher than the actual values of
the goods, Lao sellers would give small changes.

Here at the market, Viet people speak Kinh language, while Thai, H’Mong, Lao
ethnic minority people and foreign visitors speak their native languages.

Here at the market, petrol has always been the most wanted product for Lao. The
filling station at the Na Meo border gate has always been full of Lao. Every Lao
visitor to the market brings with himself a 2 liter plastic can. The petrol is
much more expensive in Laos than in Vietnam. Therefore, Lao always try to bring
petrol from Vietnam to their home villages for gradual use.

However, Lao can only buy petrol in Vietnam in limited quantity. Under the
strict control of the Lao and Vietnamese border guards, the buyers have to
follow the state’s regulations.

All the Vietnam dong, Laos kip and US dollar can be accepted here at the Na Meo
Market. The exchange rates among the currencies are negotiated by the sellers
and buyers themselves.

If they cannot reach agreements on the exchange rates, buyers can convert money
at the private foreign exchange points at the entrance gate to the market. Since
Na Meo is the place where many foreign tourists stay during their trips, the US
dollar has also been in circulation there.

Vu Phong