Many tourists that come to Laos, went to Thailand first. Therefore, a frequently asked question is, how to get from Thailand to Laos. Since Laos is the neighboring country, the distance between the both countries isn’t too far. To be precise, between Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, and Vientiane, the capital of Laos, is a bit more than 500 kilometres straight-line and around 650 kilometres by road. In this post, we’ll explain to you what options you have, if you’re planning to go from Thailand to Laos. Below you can see a table with all the important information. It only applies if your starting point is Bangkok.
Mode of Transport | Starting Point | Travel Time | Cost |
Bus | Mo Chit Bus Terminal | around 9 hours | 15 to 20 USD |
Van | Mo Chit Bus Terminal | around 9 hours | 15 to 20 USD |
Train | Hua Lamphong Station | around 11 hours | 20 to 50 USD |
Airplane | Don Mueang Airport (DMK) | around 1 hour | 50 to 150 USD |
Take a bus
If you have to choose between a bus and a van, we definitely recommend taking a bus. The buses from Thailand to Vientiane are significantly more comfortable, and you might even get a dish and some water included in the ticket price. What you should know is that you won’t go directly to Vientiane. As with most other options, the buses either go to Udon Thani or Nong Khai. From there, you’ll have to go to the border by yourself and take care of the visa. This process isn’t too complicated. How long the journey takes depends on your starting point. If you’re in Bangkok, expect around 8 hours to Udon Thani and around 9 hours to Nong Khai. Your journey starts at the Mo Chit Bus Terminal.
Take a van
A van to Udon Thani or Nong Khai is usually a bit cheaper than a bus, but not by much, and the comfort is significantly less. Therefore, we recommend a bus, unless you are in a hurry and there are no more buses available. Usually, the vans also start from the Mo Chit Bus Terminal, but it’s possible that some van services offer a pickup from your hotel.
Take a flight
If you want the most comfortable possible and you‘re willing to pay a bit more, definitely take a flight. In Bangkok you have two options: Either you fly from the Don Mueang Airport (DMK) or from the Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). Personally we recommend taking the DMK, since it is the more common departure point from Thailand to Laos. There are few flights from BKK, but they are less frequent and usually way more expensive. The flight time depends on your starting point. From Bangkok to Vientiane it‘s just an hour and a few minutes, from all the other airports in Thailand it’ll be significantly more, because there are no direct flights.
Take a train
Taking a train is also an option, but unfortunately the slowest. The journey takes even longer than by bus or van, approximately 11 to 12 hours. The advantage is that you can pay more and enjoy the comfort of a first class sleeper carriage. We took it and it’s definitely not bad. If you choose the train experience, go to Hua Lamphong Station. You can buy your ticket at the counter or online.
Cost of traveling from Thailand to Laos
A journey from Thailand to Laos isn’t too expensive, but it totally depends on where you want to go and what mode of transport you choose. It can be as little as 15 US dollars for a bus or van, or up to 150 US dollars for a flight. Choose according to your budget.
Our recommendation if you plan to travel from Thailand to Laos
To be honest, if you just want to arrive at your destination as fast as possible and prefer a comfortable trip, taking a flight is the only viable option. If you take a bus, van or train you’ll have to travel way longer and cross the border afterwards. Usually crossing the border doesn’t take too much time, but it really depends, when you get there. If you arrive in the morning, it’s possible that there will be tons of customers from visa run agencies, and you might have to wait until you can get to the other side. Not to mention that if you’re not planning to visit Vientiane, a flight to Luang Prabang, Pakse or Savannakhet might be more convenient. If you worry about the price, check regularly. Sometimes there are flight tickets for as little as 50 US dollars.
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