In 28 days from now, 20% of the revenue from this video will be donated to 'village focus', a charity fighting to prevent human trafficking in Asia. www.endslaverynow.org/liberty-asia Ill put an update over on my instagram
这可不是一家做善事的机构哦，这是美国政府策划其他国家动乱的机构，远离他们吧：This is not an organization that does good deeds. It is an organization that plans turmoil in other countries by the US government. Stay away from them
But you did not see how the security guy, the guy helping him with his card, looked at the guy behind the counter when he booked in? There was some body language. So often words speaks different from what is cooking in the heart. Those interactions in the video were full of disguising what was in the heart of the service men. They were well groomed. Be aware!!
Lots of people don't know when the American supported KMT lost their Chinese civil vvar vs the Communist in China Some of the KMT military fled westward into SE Asia and set up shop in what is now known as the famous Golden Triangle. Which ended up becoming those drug lord/armies sending drugs to the USA talk about blowback
Mike - thanks for the video. I've worked in Laos for 26 years and my organization is among the leaders in the fight against human trafficking, with a renewed focus on scam centers. Among other things we help non-Lao people get back to their home countries, including dozens from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Malaysia, and India. I appreciate you drawing attention to the problem, which is overwhelming all of us
Hi Richard. Could you contact me on instagram. I’d love for the money raised to go to an organisation that I can speak to personally and I can tell people how the money is being used. Message on insta mikeokennedyy
Over the past few weeks I have stayed up FAR too late to watch your videos. Best stuff I've seen on here, not only is it really informative, but funny, heartwarming and generally the type of thing you might watch during a storm late at night with some cup noodles. As a Chinese student in high school from Sydney, I am visiting China next year with school and Hong Kong in January with my family. This has given so much insight into southeast Asia, its amazing to see. Although I feel I am very lucky to have travelled in Indonesia, Japan and Hong Kong, my wanderlust for now is being continually extinguished by these amazing videos. I even showed your china series to my Chinese teacher, and she was very impressed and excited by what you are doing. I hope you are safe, and enjoy your travels.
But most casinos have a minimum 51% fee for cash cleaning. They make you spin at the roulette table. At these casinos you go to the cage, and 10 minutes later you get chips which you can play through at a special table, and leave minus 5-20% (depending on how connected you are).
Such a legend. Amazing content, he’s living the life I want, total respect to the lad. My new favourite UA-camr. Life is an adventure and this dude is taking it on head first. Much love from the UK.
@@mikeokay no, thank YOU. the amount of smiles I've gotten from watching your interactions with random people who can barely communicate with you is insane.
I am a Chinese. I have followed you since you were in Xinjiang. I hope you can see my message. Not only the Golden Triangle, but also several countries nearby have very bad things. Even if you leave the Golden Triangle, you should be careful
I'm from Pakistan. A couple of years ago, a friend of mine went to the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, and they detained him there for scamming. He was gone for a while, but luckily, the Ambassador of Pakistan helped him get out.
One minute you think this dude is legit, then he says shit like, “I got a plan, I’m gonna gamble half of all my money”, and your left thinking, WTF, this dude is legitimately R3t@rd3d. 😂😂😂
I don’t know if you realise how funny you are, you bring such light to such sad and serious topics. I cannot stop giggling but also so taken aback at the different lives being lived/forced. Thank you for making me feel lucky for my life and for the fact that I’ll be quoting ‘so now I’m stuck in a Chinese criminal empire’ for good.
I’ve been watching your videos over the past few days, and they’ve been incredibly insightful, adventurous and refreshing. More than happy to contribute a little something to support Liberty Asia. Wishing you safe travels and endless adventures. Sending love from Singapore!
Wrote a lot about this in grad school. I don't think you realize how monumental and hard-hitting this video is, brother. You are my favorite youtuber and you have balls of steel. Keep bringing your personal touch to topics like this because it is awesome! Incredible, incredible video.
It’s not a war zone in Ukraine, it’s a casino lol. Lots of westerners go there without issue, same with the countless similar casinos along the Cambodian border and beach towns. He’s hyping it up for clickbait
@@JohnSmith-op7lsright you are... Becuase millions of people being held against their will and a completely empty city full of compliant hostages running empty bars isn't a worry at all. How much meth are you on mate?
@@JohnSmith-op7ls I guess that's the central point mentioned by Mike. As Westernes, we are free to come and leave as we please, as long as we behave and leave some money behind. Others are not so lucky.
@ They’ll let anyone in if they show they have cash. Lao people don’t go into this place unless they have a specific reason to be there like work. Thais sometimes go although they prefer the casinos along the Cambodian border. Seen more than a few rich Thais driving their Ferraris and Porsches down dirt roads on the other side of the border to get to the casinos. If they assume or see you have money to blow, you’re welcome to come lose it
@@JohnSmith-op7ls i would check out some of the UNODC reports on the central role this place plays in money laundering and transnational crime in the region and beyond! It’s crazy, man. Obviously it’s not a Jason Bourne movie out there, but SEA transnational crime is massive. Crypto payouts and money laundering in the casinos seems to be a part of the process.
You sir are a mad man! I work in China and live in Thailand and there's no way I'd attempt to cross into th S.E.C by land from Laos. Then walk around and talk like you did on camera, balls of steel my friend. Massive kudos to you. Your channel deserves to blow up.
how come? how would you go about getting there instead? I am visiting thailand soon on holiday and considering going north to visit this area where mike went
thanks for posting this. As an American, seeing this area is fascinating, but even more so to hear from folks who live and understand what is going on. Thank you and best wishes from the US.
Wow, that's truly impressive! Remaining calm and collected at all times is certainly a mark of bravery. I really enjoy watching your videos, and I'm sure it's just a matter of very little time before your subscriber count reaches the millions. Keep up the great work!
I think in the last couple of months the Chinese government went to either Laos or Cambodia and arrested a hundred or so human traffickers and took them back to China for criminal trials and jail. I think it’s because one of the Chinese prisoners actually managed to contact someone back home in China and the government cooperated with the Cambodians authorities and arrested them. I’m not sure if that stopped anything in the long run or they just got replaced by new criminals. But at least there can be serious consequences.
Also, there is a Chinese movie about this topic, might even be about the same incident you are talking about. It's called No More Bets (孤注一掷 in Chinese) if anyone's interested.
Mike, you’re an incredible human being. The way you highlight people’s lives and struggles is truly eye-opening. It's easy to believe the misinformation about these parts of the world, but having someone like you showcase these places and the people there, honestly and firsthand, is invaluable. Your content is a powerful reminder that people aren’t defined by the politics of where they live-everyone is human and deserves respect. Thank you for sharing these stories, and best of luck in your travels. Keep posting; this channel is amazing!
@@birdyashiro1226 I get why the title might come off as clickbait, but it likely aims to draw attention to the complicated relationship between the Golden Triangle SEZ and China. Like Mike explains in the video, although this area is technically in Laos, it's managed heavily by Chinese business interests and follows rules that are different from standard Laos regulations. I think the title tries to capture that unique situation, where many parts of the area feel influenced by China. UA-cam Titles can be tricky, though, and I understand why it might feel misleading. I encourage you to watch the video and listen to Mike talk about it and explores this topic more.
Came up on some recommendations after watching one of the videos and now hooked on the channel. Keep pulling the rug up on the stuff not shown in the shiny room.
The fact that there are so many cars without licence plates is concerning and confirms the lawlessness of the place. And most of them aren't the cars that an average Chinese/Laos citizen could afford.
mike spreading awareness of places and things that some of us have never heard of. its crazy seeing places like this still exist in todays world. but at the same time im not surprised. fantastic video bro
@@emeraldhigh420 his context spans over days or weeks! I get why they get uploaded not too often but yes the videos are so good! I thought he was a famous blogger on my first few views
So they are not Chinese because the CCP says so.. couldn't have wrote it in a more chinese manner then that. Well, history is written by the victor. And whatever country they are born into, I would also argue, that they are then natives to that country
This is the best channel on youtube by far. I understand these videos are months after you visited these places, makes sense both for your security and time spent to edit them after a trip. I hope this channel grows big enough that you never need to work but just travel and make such great content. But you probably will settle down and have kids, such a great person needs to have an offspring. Will be a sad day for us, nothing on youtube compares to this, nothing.
For most of my years I’ve watched bald and bankrupt. He was always a very relatable personality and gave a great history of the small towns and cities he would visit. About 2 years ago a lot of information about balds past in some very nasty corners of the internet exposing him for why he truly visits these remote parts of the world. Much more info started to come out about the other UA-cam friends who appeared in his videos doing the same things as him. It absolutely disgusted me when I found out and I pretty much gave up on this side of UA-cam. When I stumbled upon your page I got the same feeling I would get 5-6 years ago when I was watching bald. In all the best ways of course. But truly please keep up what you’re doing and I’m so happy to see someone with such a great personality starting to get some recognition in this area of UA-cam seemingly ruled by some pretty awful people. Best wishes Mike.
Yea bald and bankrupt is a disgusting human. I think they call people that him a sexpac or sex tourism. However his main goal isn’t sleeping with prostitutes it’s to trick local poor girls in remote villages into giving him a tour and then cornering them into sex acts with money and when they are in an isolated spot. He literally talks about running a small hotel in India for a few years and brings up how hotels hire poor girls from villages and it’s common that they are expected to sleep with the owner to keep their job…but of course he swears he didn’t, but knowing he and one of his friends raped a girl in England when he was around 20 then fled the country sometime after when he defaulted on a huge loan. He took the money he got from the loan left and bought a small hotel in India. Dude is a predator and most likely is paying to sleep with forced sex workers but his main goal is to bang these poor women who are just trying to put food on the table for their family in small remote villages.
really reminds me of bald and bankrupt. good quality adventures! love hearing about history and culture and local stories. thanks for making good content and keep it up!
Found your channel a couple of days ago and I'm hooked! I appreciate the authentic nature of your personality and your videos.... reminds me of Simon Wilson years ago. Your travels are unique and interesting, thanks for posting and keep up the good work!
😂😂😂 J'ai bien rigolé ... Il parle de blanchiment dans la voiture du casino, au calme... 😂😂😂 Tu as eu de la chance, je pense qu'on disparaît pour moins que cela😅
Sad to say he definitely Not that type of guy if you watch his content. They did nothing but help hi m while he was there, says he was going to give 20% from what this makes, witch sadly he will get a sponsor to cover. So he gave nothing.
@@BreakmarkieI mean he doesn’t even put ads on his videos so it seems like everything is coming out of pocket, I see why he’s frugal especially when traveling often
Tipping is mostly an American thing. People who work in service industries in Asian countries don’t expect, accept, and can be offended when offered a tip. They see it as just doing their job.
I've watched your trek through China. I've been thoroughly enjoying watching your channel. It reminds me of watching Anthony Bourdain back in the day. Cheers!
Find this channel about a month or so ago. I have to say it has become one of my favorite channels! Mike you are truly talented and I love how ur always off grid and going to places that we would never see most likely. Keep up the good work mate!
That's why it's called Special Economic Zone and such is with Special policies in place. RMB, THB and USD are permitted at Golden Triangle legally by Gov.
Dude! From almost the very beginning I was thinking to myself this dude doesn’t realize the danger he is walking into. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he was in the news as lost guy.
Holy shit Man... I saw the high rises from the Golden Triangle last year and asked the Thai's "what is all that construction in Laos" and was told about this Gambling zone, which the Thai's call "Laos Vegas".. I thought I'd come check it out on my next trip but am thinking differently having seen your video! Thank you!
This is my new favorite channel dude, I can't get enough and have been going through the backlog. I will travel like you one day, although probably not in a video series. Do you think having the camera out all the time makes interacting with the locals easier or more difficult?
Hey!! 9 times out of 10 the camera isn’t an issue. However travelling without a camera can lead to really great interactions. And the best part about that is you get to keep that memory all to yourself. Thanks for watching
Dude this is unreal brooo!!! Out of all the videos I've seen, your's sir, I truly like. I haven't seen all but so far, you are living!!!!! 😁😁😁🫡🙏🏽❤️🩵💚🙏🏽🙏🏽😇🩵😇😇🕊️🕊️
I hope you gave that hotel guy a tip mate, driving you around and making sure you got your card back, don't let us Brits down lad, lol. Great video mate.
I think the reality is different. The boss of this place wants to attract tourism, besides other illegal activities, for which he would do anything to make this place safe for tourists and to make money.
Mike: Worries about losing passport and being kidnapped Also Mike: After forgetting credit card hands passport to seemingly nice banker lady in crime enclave while she leaves with both to "verify" his I.D
Been watching a few videos now and loving them. While scrolling to the comments I noticed the follower count and was kinda shocked. Expected to see over a million or 2 subs. Keep up the great work and I’m sure that will soon be the case.
This guy is absolutely brilliant at Clickbait content, but pretty much zero as a journalist. There is nothing particularly dangerous about this place anymore than many other similar areas in China or Southeast Asia. He’s just built up a fantasy/fictional backstory to a pretty standard day trip, and acted it out on Camera to make people think he’s done something incredibly edgy
Thanks for great content! Really love getting an authentic image of the countries you visit, and the people you meet! Keep up the adventure and the search!
That girl at the start of the video who gave you the beer and the food had a great aura. Just the kind of normal girl who deserves a normal happy life. I bloody hope she gets it!
In 28 days from now, 20% of the revenue from this video will be donated to 'village focus', a charity fighting to prevent human trafficking in Asia.
www.endslaverynow.org/liberty-asia
Ill put an update over on my instagram
sounds like some CIA programs "radio free asia" "liberty asia"
@@edwardhochwand9063i agree with you.
My MANS, A NEW VIDEO I LOOOOOVE your videos, bro!
Seriously, you are such a savage!
@@edwardhochwand9063 there isn't even a real website behind it lol
这可不是一家做善事的机构哦，这是美国政府策划其他国家动乱的机构，远离他们吧：This is not an organization that does good deeds. It is an organization that plans turmoil in other countries by the US government. Stay away from them
"I feel like I'm being followed, I'm not safe here"
.
*Mafiosos spend the entire morning helping you find your bank card*
Lmao
lmao fucking genius
19世纪最大的毒贩就是英国, 强迫中国买鸦片, 中国拒绝了, 然后英国战舰来了, 强制中国买鸦片, 并让中国割让香港方便进口鸦片 , 造成中国3000万人因为毒品死亡, 多文明的英国人.
现在中国有最严厉的贩毒死刑, 5克毒品就是死刑, 谢谢大英国.
But you did not see how the security guy, the guy helping him with his card, looked at the guy behind the counter when he booked in? There was some body language. So often words speaks different from what is cooking in the heart. Those interactions in the video were full of disguising what was in the heart of the service men. They were well groomed. Be aware!!
@@marilizevandermerwe8343 fake
Walks into the golden triangle looking like a CIA asset from CoD 🤣🤣🤣
walked out with organs got harvested.
especially after traveling to the secret CIA base in Laos lmao
Bro came in with the Miami Vice player build
Lots of people don't know when the American supported KMT lost their Chinese civil vvar vs the Communist in China
Some of the KMT military fled westward into SE Asia and set up shop in what is now known as the famous Golden Triangle. Which ended up becoming those drug lord/armies sending drugs to the USA
talk about blowback
😂
Mike - thanks for the video. I've worked in Laos for 26 years and my organization is among the leaders in the fight against human trafficking, with a renewed focus on scam centers. Among other things we help non-Lao people get back to their home countries, including dozens from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Malaysia, and India. I appreciate you drawing attention to the problem, which is overwhelming all of us
Hi Richard. Could you contact me on instagram. I’d love for the money raised to go to an organisation that I can speak to personally and I can tell people how the money is being used.
Message on insta mikeokennedyy
Lao craft beer is amazing, I drank a lot when I was in northern Thailand. I plan to go there next time I'm in Thailand in a few months.
So fun to watch a guy from one matrix entering another matrix and being so confused by it 😂
In fact most of the people being held there are Chinese, that's why the Chinese government has always trying to crack down on criminals there...
Thank you Sir for your kind help to get Malaysians out from the scammed center 🙏🙏
I binged a lot of your videos so far! Very insightful and informative on real life scenarios. Stay safe and independent! Greetings from Germany.
Awesome! Thank you!☺️
bester youtuber
Over the past few weeks I have stayed up FAR too late to watch your videos. Best stuff I've seen on here, not only is it really informative, but funny, heartwarming and generally the type of thing you might watch during a storm late at night with some cup noodles. As a Chinese student in high school from Sydney, I am visiting China next year with school and Hong Kong in January with my family. This has given so much insight into southeast Asia, its amazing to see. Although I feel I am very lucky to have travelled in Indonesia, Japan and Hong Kong, my wanderlust for now is being continually extinguished by these amazing videos. I even showed your china series to my Chinese teacher, and she was very impressed and excited by what you are doing. I hope you are safe, and enjoy your travels.
Genuinely this is some of the best travel content on youtube. One of the most enjoyable and relateable personalities I've come across in a while.
Agree 👍🏽
Loving this channel and his adventures! So sick😎👍
Totally agree. I love this dude
Like bald and bankrupt but without trying to pick up young girls
amazing stuff
So you feel more confortable, Mike, all casinos are money laundering casinos.
Correct
Indeed.
there's a place called Vegas 🤷♂🤷♂🤣🤣
Yes
But most casinos have a minimum 51% fee for cash cleaning. They make you spin at the roulette table.
At these casinos you go to the cage, and 10 minutes later you get chips which you can play through at a special table, and leave minus 5-20% (depending on how connected you are).
Such a legend. Amazing content, he’s living the life I want, total respect to the lad. My new favourite UA-camr. Life is an adventure and this dude is taking it on head first. Much love from the UK.
Thank you!!
@@mikeokay no, thank YOU.
the amount of smiles I've gotten from watching your interactions with random people who can barely communicate with you is insane.
I am a Chinese. I have followed you since you were in Xinjiang. I hope you can see my message. Not only the Golden Triangle, but also several countries nearby have very bad things. Even if you leave the Golden Triangle, you should be careful
What kind of bad things specifically?
I'm from Pakistan. A couple of years ago, a friend of mine went to the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, and they detained him there for scamming. He was gone for a while, but luckily, the Ambassador of Pakistan helped him get out.
He was probably scamming or begging
@@Handlethetruth666 He did both 😆
"I've got a plan, I'm gonna gamble!"
26 minutes later
"I lost it all."
So educational
So predictable too.
One minute you think this dude is legit, then he says shit like, “I got a plan, I’m gonna gamble half of all my money”, and your left thinking, WTF, this dude is legitimately R3t@rd3d. 😂😂😂
Famous Last Words
I don’t know if you realise how funny you are, you bring such light to such sad and serious topics. I cannot stop giggling but also so taken aback at the different lives being lived/forced. Thank you for making me feel lucky for my life and for the fact that I’ll be quoting ‘so now I’m stuck in a Chinese criminal empire’ for good.
Hahahaha thank you 🥹❤️
😂
No he has no idea he’s trying to hard to make lame jokes, thank you for pointing out that he’s doing what he’s obviously doing.
I didnt catch any jokes or humor. Just a dude walkin and talkin.
Please help me, I am held captive and i need your help.
I love how he is casually talking about money laundering in the casino's car.
Lol didnt think about that
@@mikeokaylove the content dude thanks for sharing
@@mikeokay You often lack situational awareness it seems 😂 Some places people disappear for less
@@m420-nd1if Mans confidence will take him far in life, or not far at all if he isn't aware of his surroundings.
This stuff is in all Asian countries. It’s wild
Thanks!
I’ve been watching your videos over the past few days, and they’ve been incredibly insightful, adventurous and refreshing.
More than happy to contribute a little something to support Liberty Asia.
Wishing you safe travels and endless adventures. Sending love from Singapore!
Awesome, thank you!
Wrote a lot about this in grad school. I don't think you realize how monumental and hard-hitting this video is, brother. You are my favorite youtuber and you have balls of steel. Keep bringing your personal touch to topics like this because it is awesome! Incredible, incredible video.
It’s not a war zone in Ukraine, it’s a casino lol. Lots of westerners go there without issue, same with the countless similar casinos along the Cambodian border and beach towns.
He’s hyping it up for clickbait
@@JohnSmith-op7lsright you are... Becuase millions of people being held against their will and a completely empty city full of compliant hostages running empty bars isn't a worry at all.
How much meth are you on mate?
@@JohnSmith-op7ls I guess that's the central point mentioned by Mike. As Westernes, we are free to come and leave as we please, as long as we behave and leave some money behind. Others are not so lucky.
@ They’ll let anyone in if they show they have cash. Lao people don’t go into this place unless they have a specific reason to be there like work.
Thais sometimes go although they prefer the casinos along the Cambodian border.
Seen more than a few rich Thais driving their Ferraris and Porsches down dirt roads on the other side of the border to get to the casinos.
If they assume or see you have money to blow, you’re welcome to come lose it
@@JohnSmith-op7ls i would check out some of the UNODC reports on the central role this place plays in money laundering and transnational crime in the region and beyond! It’s crazy, man.
Obviously it’s not a Jason Bourne movie out there, but SEA transnational crime is massive. Crypto payouts and money laundering in the casinos seems to be a part of the process.
Beautiful luxurious empty places - surreal & sinister. You’ve outdone yourself again Mike - just the best content 👊💯
Thank you so much 😀
Sinister? Foh.
Great video Mike-ku
It's like unfinished FarCry7 game.
Like empty places in Illinois, surreal and sinister
Off season?
True that…why so unpopulated? Odd
You sir are a mad man! I work in China and live in Thailand and there's no way I'd attempt to cross into th S.E.C by land from Laos. Then walk around and talk like you did on camera, balls of steel my friend. Massive kudos to you. Your channel deserves to blow up.
nah fr every chinese knows how deadly this area is. The lores...
not balls of steel, he's just inconsiderate and ignorant as fuck lmao
how come? how would you go about getting there instead? I am visiting thailand soon on holiday and considering going north to visit this area where mike went
thanks for posting this. As an American, seeing this area is fascinating, but even more so to hear from folks who live and understand what is going on. Thank you and best wishes from the US.
@@enjay8950 shoot, idk if you just watched what I did but I would not be considering going to the SEC lol. Enjoy Thailand!
Wow, that's truly impressive! Remaining calm and collected at all times is certainly a mark of bravery. I really enjoy watching your videos, and I'm sure it's just a matter of very little time before your subscriber count reaches the millions. Keep up the great work!
Much love from southwest Arkansas USA. You’re a real one brother zero fear and a pure heart! Love to see a man of such caliber behind the camera!
I think in the last couple of months the Chinese government went to either Laos or Cambodia and arrested a hundred or so human traffickers and took them back to China for criminal trials and jail. I think it’s because one of the Chinese prisoners actually managed to contact someone back home in China and the government cooperated with the Cambodians authorities and arrested them. I’m not sure if that stopped anything in the long run or they just got replaced by new criminals. But at least there can be serious consequences.
Also, there is a Chinese movie about this topic, might even be about the same incident you are talking about. It's called No More Bets (孤注一掷 in Chinese) if anyone's interested.
没有根本上解决问题。很快新的混蛋就会填补那里，继续诈骗。中国国内的电信诈骗是少了一点，但是依然存在。而且很多转业到迪拜等地方。
I think you are a wanker and don’t really know anything
not the same region
@@huajuntang6753 but the topic is the same, online scamming and 杀猪盘
very quickly becoming my fave youtube channel cheers mate
Wow, thanks!
This place does not belong to China. This guy did this title on purpose only for the views.
Dude this is honestly top-notch, what UA-cam was MADE FOR.
Exactly. Looking at things many people don't usually see.
Which can be a variety of things. Good or bad.
It's definitely what makes UA-cam valuable.
Hope you tipped the manager well, he literally saved you! Props to him, super cool dude!
Really enjoyed that. It’s amazing to sit on my arse watching stuff that I would never do.
The guy at the check in desk's English was spectacular.
Belter after belter mate honestly
cheers lad!
@@mikeokay2 of the UA-cam travelling vlog goats come together 🐐
Beltalowda
Mike, you’re an incredible human being. The way you highlight people’s lives and struggles is truly eye-opening. It's easy to believe the misinformation about these parts of the world, but having someone like you showcase these places and the people there, honestly and firsthand, is invaluable. Your content is a powerful reminder that people aren’t defined by the politics of where they live-everyone is human and deserves respect. Thank you for sharing these stories, and best of luck in your travels. Keep posting; this channel is amazing!
This place does not belong to China. This guy did this title on purpose only for the views.
@@birdyashiro1226 If you watch the video he explains that.
@ The title is still disgusting, it's a click bait.👎🏻👎🏻
@@birdyashiro1226 I get why the title might come off as clickbait, but it likely aims to draw attention to the complicated relationship between the Golden Triangle SEZ and China. Like Mike explains in the video, although this area is technically in Laos, it's managed heavily by Chinese business interests and follows rules that are different from standard Laos regulations. I think the title tries to capture that unique situation, where many parts of the area feel influenced by China. UA-cam Titles can be tricky, though, and I understand why it might feel misleading. I encourage you to watch the video and listen to Mike talk about it and explores this topic more.
Came up on some recommendations after watching one of the videos and now hooked on the channel. Keep pulling the rug up on the stuff not shown in the shiny room.
The fact that there are so many cars without licence plates is concerning and confirms the lawlessness of the place. And most of them aren't the cars that an average Chinese/Laos citizen could afford.
Another absolutely unbelievable video. You might be my new favorite UA-camr. Can't wait to see more.
This made my day. Thanks you!!
This place does not belong to China. This guy did this title on purpose only for the views.
mike spreading awareness of places and things that some of us have never heard of. its crazy seeing places like this still exist in todays world. but at the same time im not surprised.
fantastic video bro
This place does not belong to China. This guy did this title on purpose only for the views.
@@birdyashiro1226found the psyop
spreading awereness of places and things that some of us have never heard of.
it's a propaganda channel for dumb westerners like you.
bro please upload more often. been loving the content man, keep smashing it
Thanks! Will do!
@@emeraldhigh420 his context spans over days or weeks! I get why they get uploaded not too often but yes the videos are so good! I thought he was a famous blogger on my first few views
Definitely
It takes time to come up with great videos, I say take his time and make them great!
"Everything is written in Chinese!"
meanwhile all the signs are in Thai, and just have Chinese translations.
My new favorite youtuber, cant believe i’ve never heard of this place. You’re nuts for this one man!
Legend!
This place does not belong to China. This guy did this title on purpose only for the views.
@@birdyashiro1226I was confused too cuz it’s literally Laos and Thailand 😅
Mike actually blended in well. Looks like he's the type of guy may expand their business to Europe.
Thanks for showing the true world! Stay safe!
I love the interactions with all the locals so much...
How have I never heard of this place or triad lord, such a brilliant video ❤ keep it up
For an illegal site, they do a good job in keeping the place well-kept and clean.
Mike you have no clue, how stressed and relieved I was watching this video. So, so happy you made it out safely. Love the content you've been posting.
You’re amazing. Thank you ❤️
Hi Mr. Mile come to Nagaland again hornbill festival is coming@@mikeokay
I hope u tipped that casino manager generously
You're crazy for this one Mike, huuuuuuge amount of respect!
I'm freaking out watching this!! I don't blame you for feeling paranoid!!!!
I don’t know which had more color, the buffet food with the sushi or your shirt. Well done mate with exposing that area. Cheers!
One of the best travel UA-camrs out there , greetings from Iraq
I can't stop watching this channel. My new favorite for sure.
这个地方属于缅甸的领土，并非中国飞地。
运营那里的也不是中国公民，但他们确实是华裔，这些人主要是在过去几百年内战中失败后逃跑到那里的军队后裔，所以他们使用中文和RMB。
这个地方几十年前主要从事毒品生意，过去几年则主要是人口买卖和电信诈骗，中国是最大的受害者。
2023年他们内部发生战斗，其中一支军队占领了这里，这支军队清理了犯罪，抓捕了大量的罪犯并向中国移交了。
可能因为大量受害的中国人被遣送回国了，所以比较冷清，但是听上去犯罪还在继续，他们可能把对象转向了其他国家的人。
China is such a vast country with such a long history, nothing coming out of china, good or bad should surprise anybody.
你说的内战是缅甸，这里是老挝。不知道这个视频是什么时候拍的，今年8月份老挝全面打击电诈，由老挝总理，公安部，军队领衔，新闻确实有各国电诈分子的遣返，中国、越南、印度等都有，当然最后什么样还有待观察。
Wow thank you for the great explanation.
So they are not Chinese because the CCP says so.. couldn't have wrote it in a more chinese manner then that.
Well, history is written by the victor.
And whatever country they are born into, I would also argue, that they are then natives to that country
Him calling it “China’s lawless criminal empire” is kinda 😅
This is the best channel on youtube by far. I understand these videos are months after you visited these places, makes sense both for your security and time spent to edit them after a trip. I hope this channel grows big enough that you never need to work but just travel and make such great content. But you probably will settle down and have kids, such a great person needs to have an offspring. Will be a sad day for us, nothing on youtube compares to this, nothing.
This is incredible. Thank you 🙏
Bald and Bankrupt is pretty great too
@@slaytanicsabbathbald and bankrupt is allegedly a sex tourist who was charged with rape. I don't think people should be supporting that guy imo.
This is the first video of yours that I've watched. I'm now subscribed. Great job.
The guy has balls of steel. Turning the camera off but leaving it on…seems so sketchy but amazing that you’re trying to bring light to this.
I'm snowed in today here in Colorado, and seeing a Mike upload just made my day so much better!! Seriously my favorite channel on UA-cam.
no snow there
@@drewa3597 tf you mean??? It's been snowing for 2 days straight lol
@@Astrohhh sorry no snow ;)
Dude same, except I'm not snowed in until probs tomorrow
Same NE co
For most of my years I’ve watched bald and bankrupt. He was always a very relatable personality and gave a great history of the small towns and cities he would visit. About 2 years ago a lot of information about balds past in some very nasty corners of the internet exposing him for why he truly visits these remote parts of the world. Much more info started to come out about the other UA-cam friends who appeared in his videos doing the same things as him. It absolutely disgusted me when I found out and I pretty much gave up on this side of UA-cam. When I stumbled upon your page I got the same feeling I would get 5-6 years ago when I was watching bald. In all the best ways of course. But truly please keep up what you’re doing and I’m so happy to see someone with such a great personality starting to get some recognition in this area of UA-cam seemingly ruled by some pretty awful people. Best wishes Mike.
damn i had no idea about bald and bankrupt. Bravo for speaking the truth. I probably do look at him differently now..
of course i say this after doing a little due dilligence and not taking you at face value
Hey mate. Thank you for taking the time to write this. It really means a lot 🥹 I will try my best to keep putting out stuff that everyone can enjoy
This is exactly my story as well, so glad to see another youtuber who isnt bald and bankrupt
Yea bald and bankrupt is a disgusting human. I think they call people that him a sexpac or sex tourism. However his main goal isn’t sleeping with prostitutes it’s to trick local poor girls in remote villages into giving him a tour and then cornering them into sex acts with money and when they are in an isolated spot. He literally talks about running a small hotel in India for a few years and brings up how hotels hire poor girls from villages and it’s common that they are expected to sleep with the owner to keep their job…but of course he swears he didn’t, but knowing he and one of his friends raped a girl in England when he was around 20 then fled the country sometime after when he defaulted on a huge loan. He took the money he got from the loan left and bought a small hotel in India. Dude is a predator and most likely is paying to sleep with forced sex workers but his main goal is to bang these poor women who are just trying to put food on the table for their family in small remote villages.
really reminds me of bald and bankrupt. good quality adventures! love hearing about history and culture and local stories. thanks for making good content and keep it up!
Bald and bankrupt is a rapist
Every single one of your videos is a rollercoaster of emotions. You are officially my favorite travel youtuber. Well done Mike 😜
Found your channel a couple of days ago and I'm hooked! I appreciate the authentic nature of your personality and your videos.... reminds me of Simon Wilson years ago. Your travels are unique and interesting, thanks for posting and keep up the good work!
let's go, so excited. Found you through the hitchhiking to Beijing video.
Wishing you so much success!
Thank you so much!!
Perfect timing bro, these videos are top tier 🙌
Greetings from NZ
Glad you like them!
@@mikeokay Absolutely! Just hoping you stay safe lad 😂
There is a popular movie in China last year that talks about similar gangsters. It's really scary. Be safe, Mike.
Care to share the movie title? Thx
@@jakubgadzala7474 No More Bets (孤注一掷)
ua-cam.com/video/-3cllp8NTL8/v-deo.html
@@jakubgadzala7474 It's called No More Bets (孤注一掷 in Chinese) ，it's totally introduce the gambling, Crime, People traffickers and drugs dealing.
@@jakubgadzala7474 《孤注一掷》ua-cam.com/video/mgHhumw2slw/v-deo.html
@@jakubgadzala7474 No more bets (孤注一掷)
😂😂😂 J'ai bien rigolé ... Il parle de blanchiment dans la voiture du casino, au calme... 😂😂😂
Tu as eu de la chance, je pense qu'on disparaît pour moins que cela😅
It warms my heart to see your channel blowing up. Your personality and videos are so captivating. ✌️
Lookin like ya stepped off the plane from Vice City.
Hope you tipped that dude. He did you a SOLID!
Sad to say he definitely Not that type of guy if you watch his content. They did nothing but help hi m while he was there, says he was going to give 20% from what this makes, witch sadly he will get a sponsor to cover. So he gave nothing.
@@BreakmarkieI mean he doesn’t even put ads on his videos so it seems like everything is coming out of pocket, I see why he’s frugal especially when traveling often
He didn’t even tip the driver who drove him for free. Dick move.
Tipping is mostly an American thing. People who work in service industries in Asian countries don’t expect, accept, and can be offended when offered a tip. They see it as just doing their job.
I've watched your trek through China. I've been thoroughly enjoying watching your channel. It reminds me of watching Anthony Bourdain back in the day. Cheers!
Your videos are so interesting… I keep finding them late at night and missing sleep because I don’t wanna stop watching
Find this channel about a month or so ago. I have to say it has become one of my favorite channels! Mike you are truly talented and I love how ur always off grid and going to places that we would never see most likely. Keep up the good work mate!
That's why it's called Special Economic Zone and such is with Special policies in place.
RMB, THB and USD are permitted at Golden Triangle legally by Gov.
Wait so they accept USD but not US Citizens? Thats kinda funny
that place was sketchy dude... I've booked my flight 🤣
I'm going to Laos soon, literally was thinking "I should go here"
You could have given that guy who gave you a free lift some small change at very least
Jeeezus that's a scary place. Not the kind of place to get stuck without money.... or a bank card xD
Nice videos brotha, thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
You had me on the edge of my seat for fear of your safety! Glad everything worked out for you!
Haha guys a legend, the humour is hilarious and bonus he went dressed as Tommy Vercetti - Subscribed!
i am really enjoying these long format travel content.
Glad you like them!
Dude! From almost the very beginning I was thinking to myself this dude doesn’t realize the danger he is walking into.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if he was in the news as lost guy.
I'm watching from South Africa, your content is mental mate.
Me too and I your content is great!
This would have made one hello of a movie plot!! Great Video Mike!
Don’t often comment but this made for some great content big balls to walk around an area of criminals talking about the issues going on there
Holy shit Man... I saw the high rises from the Golden Triangle last year and asked the Thai's "what is all that construction in Laos" and was told about this Gambling zone, which the Thai's call "Laos Vegas".. I thought I'd come check it out on my next trip but am thinking differently having seen your video! Thank you!
Just came on my feed, brilliant story telling
This is my new favorite channel dude, I can't get enough and have been going through the backlog. I will travel like you one day, although probably not in a video series. Do you think having the camera out all the time makes interacting with the locals easier or more difficult?
Hey!! 9 times out of 10 the camera isn’t an issue. However travelling without a camera can lead to really great interactions. And the best part about that is you get to keep that memory all to yourself. Thanks for watching
@@mikeokay Thanks for the reply mate, happy travels
One of my favourite youtubers now. Thanks for showing all of this and opening my ignorant mind 😆
Fantastic content. Thank you. Keep on traveling. We're watching!
Dude this is unreal brooo!!! Out of all the videos I've seen, your's sir, I truly like. I haven't seen all but so far, you are living!!!!! 😁😁😁🫡🙏🏽❤️🩵💚🙏🏽🙏🏽😇🩵😇😇🕊️🕊️
I hope you gave that hotel guy a tip mate, driving you around and making sure you got your card back, don't let us Brits down lad, lol.
Great video mate.
I think the reality is different. The boss of this place wants to attract tourism, besides other illegal activities, for which he would do anything to make this place safe for tourists and to make money.
This sounds like America's International Rule of Law. Holly shit.😅
I don't think tourism is profittable enough for them to sustain such a luxury ghost town
@@yang-bo 疫情之前这里边境赌博那是热闹非凡啊，后来因为网络诈骗引起中国方面严重关切，导致中国賭客无法来到这里，所以才冷清了。过去这里非常热闹的
You are right
@@yang-bo
I didn't say tourism is their main source of income but it still can generate lota of revenue.
the hotel manager is going to have huge problem, after you post up this video..... God bless
its his country tho
nah he wont hes appeared in other videos from other youtubers visiting
By far the best content on UA-cam. Giving so much perspective on life over there.
A real adventure, thank you!
Best travel UA-cam channel! It’s raw, authentic and niche!
Mike: Worries about losing passport and being kidnapped
Also Mike: After forgetting credit card hands passport to seemingly nice banker lady in crime enclave while she leaves with both to "verify" his I.D
The title is missed leading, it was taken in Laos or Cambodia, not China.
Been watching a few videos now and loving them. While scrolling to the comments I noticed the follower count and was kinda shocked. Expected to see over a million or 2 subs. Keep up the great work and I’m sure that will soon be the case.
Honestly Im amazed that you dont already have millions of followers. Keep up the amazing work! ❤
boy oh boy that was good! So glad your relief came just in time. This was an eye opener, ty
This guy is absolutely brilliant at Clickbait content, but pretty much zero as a journalist. There is nothing particularly dangerous about this place anymore than many other similar areas in China or Southeast Asia. He’s just built up a fantasy/fictional backstory to a pretty standard day trip, and acted it out on Camera to make people think he’s done something incredibly edgy
🤭
PLEASE do North Korea
It’s in the list
@@mikeokayBro is literally fearless. 😂Good luck for you.
Be sensible
Give him a break bro. I mean General King. The last usa tourist died and costed him 500M dollar to pay.
that would be insane
4:23 did i just hear not like us playing in the background 💀
imagine getting called a pedophile internationally
Damn bro you are awesome..
i love anyone that can just be in a wild situation and keep it cool and funny lol
Stoked i found your channel
Thanks for great content! Really love getting an authentic image of the countries you visit, and the people you meet! Keep up the adventure and the search!
@27:47 that was not pork... You been wondering where all the people are... At least it was very good.
😂 tonight's buffet is yesterdays "lost my bank card and cant pay my bill"
😂 probably true
anyone else see the bird at 6:50
@1:08 you're a fairy port
That girl at the start of the video who gave you the beer and the food had a great aura.
Just the kind of normal girl who deserves a normal happy life.
I bloody hope she gets it!