Bus to Vientiane from Bangkok to Khao San. Getting a student visa in Laos. Direct flight from Bangkok to Laos

On November 29, 2014, we were running out and our next country for research was Laos. Today we want to talk about our journey from Thailand to Laos, namely from the city of Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang through the border cities of Chiang Khong and Huai Xai (Bokeo province). We present a detailed report on how to get to Laos on your own, how much money you will have to spend, and also how to avoid unnecessary waste and ripping off!

To get to Laos on your own from the city of Chiang Rai in Thailand, you need to follow a path consisting of several stages:

Arrive by bus from Chiang Rai to the Thai border city of Chiang Hong.
Get to the border checkpoint from Thailand.
Get to the border into Laos.
Find yourself in Huai Xai city, at the bus station, ferry terminal, etc. depending on subsequent goals.

In fact, everything was “streamlined” and the process of moving from Thailand to Laos did not cause any difficulties. But we encountered a whole bunch of incidental “pleasures”.

Bus Chiang Rai – Chiang Hong to the border in Laos

At 11.00 we left by bus from Chiang Rai to the border Chiang Hong (departs from the central station every hour from 6.00 to 17.00). A ticket costs 65 baht and can be purchased directly from the driver. We took a photo of the bus schedule from Chiang Rai, maybe someone will need it (if necessary, I recommend saving the image to your computer to see it better):

Usually the buses in Thailand are not bad, but this one was very ancient, with a wooden floor, instead of air conditioning there were fans that were not turned on, but the doors were left open. We traveled together with boxes, parcels, bags. The journey takes 2 hours 20 minutes.

Modern bus Chiang Rai - Chiang Hong

We settled nicely into the back seats, and Marinka even built a mini-office on the boxes. In the process, it turned out that there was a rooster in the package on which our laptop was placed! And we sinned against each other when we periodically smelled of poop :)

Our road office

Before reaching Chiang Khong, we were dropped off at a stop where tuk-tukers were already waiting. Local tax is 50 baht per person 3 km before the Thai border.

3 km by tuk-tuk for 50 baht to the Laotian border

From Thailand to Laos: Thai side

On the Thai side of the crossing from Thailand to Laos, we were asked to show our passport, after which they were concerned about whether we had dollars for a visa. Having learned that they were not there, they were instructed to purchase them from the cashier without fail. It so happened that we did not buy the enemy’s in advance (several banks in Chiang Rai did not have dollars for sale). The mischievous lady Cashier on the Thai side said that a visa to Laos can be bought for either 30 bucks or 1,500 baht (and 1,500 baht is $45). Dollars can be purchased from her, but at the rate of 40 baht for a green piece of paper. She also said that I wouldn’t find a single exchanger nearby, and even less so in Laos. I am a Belarusian, and I am not in the habit of distrusting civil servants in uniform. I bought 60 dollars for 2400 baht (exactly for 2 visas), I did not change the rest of the money at this rate. And only then, standing at the exchange office on the border on the Laotian side, I realized that I had been cheated out of 450 baht. 🙁 From this not entirely decent woman we had to buy a ticket for 25 baht for a bus that took us across the bridge to the Laotian border checkpoint.

Bus between the borders of Thailand and Laos

From Thailand to Laos: Laotian border

As I already wrote, on the Laotian side the first thing I found was an exchanger. However, the course was very good. I exchanged all the baht here for local currency and, just like in my homeland, I became a millionaire. 🙂 The exchange rate, by the way, was 248 kip for 1 baht. The dollar was worth 8068 kip.

Visa on arrival in Laos

We got from Thailand to Laos on Saturday, for which we had to pay a local tax of 10,000 kip (for working after hours). It can be paid for in one dollar (it’s cheaper), but we didn’t have one.

It is worth noting that the border guards pleased us. These are just darlings! It's not that they smile at you, no. They were in a good mood, they were laughing and joking. This was the first time I went through border control with such positivity!

How to get to the city of Huay Xai, and from it to Luang Prabang

There are four ways to get from the Laotian border town of Huai Xai to Luang Prabang (aka Luang Prabang):

by slow boat in 2 days (with an overnight stop in one of settlements. We read unflattering reviews about bedbugs at the place where we spent the night and about the path itself, and decided that this was not our option).
on a fast boat in 6 hours (they warn here that not everyone will be able to get there, as speedboats often capsize).
by bus in 14 hours.
on a minivan (we know about their existence only theoretically).

We decided to go straight from Huai Xai to Luang Prabang (which we later regretted - there is also something to see in the border town). We were leaning towards the bus option, but were ready to consider other methods on the spot.

So, we sorted out the visa in about 20 minutes, left the border checkpoint building, and I was already mentally prepared that tuk-tukers (as it happened) would immediately attack us with offers to take us to the city of Luang Prabang. But, surprisingly, Marinka and I were of no interest to anyone. There were several tuk-tuks and minivans parked, the drivers huddled together and smoking. Some tourists have already settled into their vehicles.

I told one of the tuk tukers that I needed to go to Luang Prabang. He replied that he would drop him off at bus station, which was located on the way to the center of Huai Xai City. The driver asked for 80 baht per person. I gave 40,000 kip for two, which is basically the same thing.

Bus station in Huai Xai (Bokeo)

We were delivered to the bus station in about ten minutes. In general, it’s difficult to call this place a train station – there are several seats, a ticket office and one bus. From Huay Xai bus station you can get to not only Luang Prabang, but also Vientiane and other cities. We took a picture of the schedule, in case it comes in handy:

Buses depart to Luang Prabang from Huai Xai Bus Station (Bokeo) 2 times a day: at 10.00 for 130,000 kip and at 16.00 for 120,000 kip. We don’t know what the difference is, we went in the evening for 120,000. A ticket can also be purchased for Thai baht(here 120,000 kip = 500 baht). By the way, if you choose our option, then you need to leave Chiang Rai no later than 12.00, otherwise you will have to choose between superboats. 🙂

The road from Huai Xai (Bokeo) to Luang Prabang

There was still 1.5 hours left before the bus departed for Luang Prabang. We bought tickets and sat on the bus in our favorite front seats. We took out the tangerines and prepared for a 14-hour adventure.

Before we had time to leave the station, we turned into a gas station. Was it really impossible to refuel earlier, given that the bus stopped for at least 1.5 hours, and the pump is located 10 meters from the station? Then we started picking up everyone and everything every 100-200 meters. It seemed to us that the bus also served as a carrier of various kinds of boxes, a postman and a taxi (some people were transported only a couple of kilometers). Although there was a VIP sign on the windshield of the bus, it didn’t even feel like Thai second class. The front door did not close tightly, and once even pinched the hand of one of the drivers. The air conditioning did not work, but this was for the best, since it is cool in the mountains at night. There were even blankets! But this is for those who do not disdain :)

Bus route from Huai Xai to Luang Prabang

A few words about the drivers, of whom there were four. They drank energy drinks the whole way, throwing empty cans right out the window. Only one was driving. 🙂 Thais are considered to be very sociable and talkative people. But what do they care about the Laotians! They chirped so much that for the first time we regretted our chosen front seats. 🙂 They also had no qualms about stopping the bus on the side of the road when they needed to relieve themselves. They did this stupidly turning away from the windows. The worst thing in this regard was for the girls: while the guys could still quickly run out with the drivers and relieve themselves, the parking lots were very rarely designed for women’s restrooms.

The path had to be made through the mountains. Accordingly, the entire road was a continuous serpentine. The bus did not pull uphill, and on the descent our driver did such things that some people began to feel sick. I thought before the trip that they were handing out bags for garbage. 🙂 The climax was practically flying into a ditch on the opposite side of the traffic (by the way, traffic in Laos is on the right)! And this is with four drivers! The few roads in Laos are ugly; in many sections the main “highways” of the country are not even paved, and the width was often not enough to pass oncoming traffic, which, fortunately, was extremely rare. In some places it shook so much that my backpack fell from the top shelf, although initially it was difficult to stuff it there. The most unpleasant section of the road was on the Houay Khoun – Pakmong section.

The participants themselves were surprised traffic. Parking 4 trucks downhill on a narrow road at a turn in the mountains is a common thing. Drivers of bikes with lights in dark time either they don’t use it on principle, or they regret it, or it’s simply not provided (as well as rear-view mirrors). Many people drive at night using a hand-held flashlight. 🙂 Dogs, chickens and other brain-deprived creatures constantly run out onto the road. Laotians naturally walk along the road without reflectors.

By six in the morning we reached Luang Prabang. I didn't manage to sleep, but I'm not complaining. They brought it - and what happiness! Then we had a difficult choice of housing, but that’s a completely different story!

Traveled from Thailand to Laos

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We search for free the cheapest flights from Bangkok to Laos from 728 airlines around the world and dozens of ticket agencies. A large selection of flights and special offers will help you find and buy tickets from Bangkok to Laos at the lowest price.

Below we have provided statistics on this area, prices for flights and other important information so that you can understand how much an air ticket from Bangkok to Laos costs and choose the optimal purchase time for yourself.

Low price calendar for the route Bangkok - Laos

Buy your tickets from Bangkok to Laos in advance. Tickets are cheaper in August and September. At that time, average price in both directions is 8641 ₽. The seasonality of the destination has an effect and prices rise in October and November. During these months, the average airfare from Bangkok to Laos is 20,733 ₽. Good Riddance recommends buying tickets from Bangkok to Laos in advance, as airlines offer discounts, there are current special offers and there are many tickets on sale for various dates.

The cheapest flight from Bangkok to Laos found by our users over the last two days: air ticket Bangkok → Vientiane, departure September 23, 2019, for only 2,743 ₽. Find this ticket ›

Information about the departure city
Bangkok is located in Thailand and is one of 45 cities in the country with airports. The IATA code for Bangkok is BKK. The IATA code is a unique object identifier, which consists of three letters of the Latin alphabet and has industry significance passenger air transportation. The city's population is 5,674,843 people. We recommend arriving at the airport two hours before departure, otherwise you risk missing your flight.

Information about the country of arrival
There are 23 cities in Laos with airports. The currency of Laos is the Lao Kip (LAK). Available visa-free entry to the country for citizens of the Russian Federation. The ISO code for Laos is LA. The most popular airport in Laos is located in Vientiane - Wattay International Airport. The IATA code for Vientiane is VTE.

Direct flight from Bangkok to Laos

The best and quick way getting from Bangkok to Laos is a direct flight. Airplane ticket prices start from 5430 ₽. There are five airlines operating direct flights from Bangkok to Laos: Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Lao Airlines, Thai AirAsia and Thai Smile. Departure and destination airports for airlines flying from Bangkok to Laos:

Thai Airways: Suvarnabhumi → Wattay International Airport (Vientiane).
Thai Smile, Thai AirAsia, Bangkok Airways: Suvarnabhumi → Luang Prabang (Luang Prabang), Suvarnabhumi → Wattay International Airport (Vientiane).
Lao Airlines: Suvarnabhumi → Luang Prabang (Luang Prabang), Suvarnabhumi → Pakse (Pakse), Suvarnabhumi → Wattay International Airport (Vientiane), Suvarnabhumi → Swannakhet (Savannakhet).

Airfare from Bangkok to Laos by city

Ticket prices from Bangkok to Laos depend on many factors. They are influenced by: the season, airport of departure and arrival, airlines that fly on the route you need, and of course, promotions and sales. Below we have grouped cheap tickets from Bangkok to Laos, by city, so that you can understand how much tickets from Bangkok to Laos cost:

Where

One way

Roundtrip

Vientiane

Luang Prabang

Pakse

Luang Namtha

Xieng-Huang

Udomksay

Direct flights from Bangkok to Laos

Flight	Where	Departure	On my way	Arrival	Departure days
Thai AirAsia FD-1030	Luang Prabang	13:55	1 hour 25 minutes	15:20	daily until 24.03
Thai AirAsia FD-1040	Vientiane	12:50	1 h 10 min	14:00	daily until 24.03
Bangkok Airways PG-941	Luang Prabang	10:05	2 h 00 min	12:05	daily from 25.03 to 22.08
Bangkok Airways PG-943	Vientiane	09:45	1 hour 15 minutes	11:00	daily until 11.04
Bangkok Airways PG-945	Luang Prabang	15:05	2 h 10 min	17:15	only December 8th
Bangkok Airways PG-949	Vientiane	16:35	1 hour 15 minutes	17:50	daily from 01.02 to 24.03
Lao Airlines QV-224	Pakse	11:50	1 hour 30 minutes	13:20	daily, except Tue, Thu until 24.03
Lao Airlines QV-442	Vientiane	09:35	1 hour 35 minutes	11:10	November 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, December 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, …
Lao Airlines QV-446	Vientiane	20:30	1 h 00 min	21:30	Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun from 25.03 to 21.08
Lao Airlines QV-634	Luang Prabang	10:20	1 hour 40 minutes	12:00	daily until 24.03
Thai Airways TG-574	Vientiane	19:35	1 h 10 min	20:45	daily until 11.04
Thai Smile WE-570	Vientiane	11:25	1 h 10 min	12:35	daily until 24.03
Thai Smile WE-576	Luang Prabang	12:25	1 hour 35 minutes	14:00	Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun until 23.03, except 24.11, 07.01, 26.02

Airports in the direction Bangkok - Laos

Bangkok Airport, From which flights to Laos depart: Suvarnabhumi.
Airports of Laos, receiving flights from Bangkok: Luang Prabang (Luang Prabang), Wattay International Airport (Vientiane), Pakse (Pakse), Swannakhet (Savannakhet).
Most popular airports in the direction of Bangkok - Laos: Suvarnabhumi → Wattay International Airport (Vientiane).

— 20.00 . For some reason there are no daytime flights, although I wanted to take a ride during the day.

The ticket is worth it for one 900 baht, there are no options for classes and prices, only the following VIP tickets:

We bought tickets for the evening, left some of our things in the storage room and went for a walk around the neighborhood.

You can also buy a ticket online on this website. There are different options there - not only by bus, but also by train (albeit with a transfer), by plane - in general, see what is more convenient for you. With a child, for example, I don’t know how to take a night bus; it would be better to take a train then.

We spent half a day in , they are located just nearby Northern bus station. We had lunch at Big C in the food court, and about an hour before departure we were already at the bus station.

Our VIP bus:

The chairs are very comfortable, there is a lot of legroom, there are 3 chairs in a row:

We had seats on the 2nd floor, and films in Thai were shown on TV for 4 hours:

IN 20.15 we left Bangkok. There were practically no stops, because... There is a toilet on the bus. As soon as we left, everyone was given water, juice, and buns.

The first stop was right at 00.30 . And we will remember this stop for a long time... Nothing was announced in English on the bus, so we didn’t even understand that this was a long stop for food. But then Vova finally went out to see what was there, and I stayed on the bus. He was gone for 5 minutes, 10, and then all the passengers had already returned, and the bus moved slowly! What I experienced at that moment cannot be expressed in words! This is just terrible! Stay somewhere at night in an unknown suburb, without money or documents! I had all the documents. Of course, I stopped the driver (it’s good that it was possible to go down to him, the door was open), about 10 minutes later Vova finally returned. It turned out that when he went to see what was there at the bus stop, for a long time he could not find whether food was given out somewhere (and usually if you go to VIP bus, then there is a stop along the way where you can use your ticket to get some kind of packed lunch - cookies, juices). Then I saw that you can get coupons in exchange for tickets and buy something with them in the store (like about 30 baht per person, just enough for juice and cookies). In general, he bought everything, left the store, and there was a whole bunch of identical buses, but ours was not there (you could only find out by the bus number), and no matter who he asked, no one spoke English and could not answer anything . But then someone finally showed him that there were buses on the other side of the store (it turns out that the store has 2 exits, and he just went out the wrong door). Then he finally found our bus. Phew...that was a stop. Be careful! It’s better to ask again so as not to get lost somewhere without documents.

IN 5.00 there was a second stop - a toilet, a store, just to warm up.

Stop:

Nice swings at the bus stop:

We stood for about 15 minutes, we could run into Amazon Cafe for fresh coffee:

After the stop, they gave everyone a cup and a set of coffee (separately sugar, coffee, cream); you could brew coffee on the first floor of the bus.

IN 7.00 We arrived at the Thai border:

The line passed in 5 minutes:

We put an exit stamp and went to our bus:

IN 7.30 arrived at Laotian border. We didn’t really know what to do there; it turned out that we first needed to buy a ticket to cross the border here:

The ticket costs 11 thousand bales or 48 baht, you need to use it after completing passport control.

After purchasing the tickets, we filled out the immigration cards (it’s not immediately obvious where they are distributed, you need to ask):

Going through passport control:

Since it is very early, the exchangers are not working yet:

Transport passes here, it is strange that all large things (suitcases, large backpacks) remain on the bus, no one inspects them, they are not visible on the frame, in theory you can carry anything:

After passport control we go through the turnstile, here you just need to lower your ticket (which you bought earlier) for the turnstile to open:

Prices at the border (you can get to, even to Luang Prabang):

IN 8.14 finally the bus moved on, and in 8.45 arrived at the Vientiane bus station:

Many people in Laos wear these Vietnamese hats:

There is plenty of all kinds of transport, there are even these small minibuses:

We took a photo of the bus schedule leaving from this bus station:

Here you can immediately buy a return ticket to Bangkok:

Thus, the entire journey from Bangkok to Vientiane took us 12.5 hours. True, I still expected to arrive early, at 7 o’clock, but it turned out like this. The bus was generally comfortable, but the air conditioning was simply terrible, a stream of icy air blew constantly, and the air conditioner did not close at all. I had to cover it up with napkins, unfortunately there was no tape. So be sure to take warm clothes with you, even though they provide blankets on the bus, this is clearly not enough.

To get from Bangkok to Vientiane, you have several options to consider. Here are the main types of transport that carry out transportation between these points:

Bus
train
Minibus
Taxi

If the goal is to get to your destination as quickly as possible, then choose Air. If time is of the essence, and accessibility of the trip comes first, then you should give preference to the Bus.

The fare, of course, will depend on the type of transport chosen. A taxi ticket is the most expensive option. It will cost approximately THB 14,450. If you want to save money on moving, then choose the Bus: Bus tickets cost only THB 1,070.

How far is it from Bangkok to Vientiane?

When traveling by land transport it is important to understand the distance you will have to travel from Bangkok to Vientiane. From Bangkok to Vientiane 950 km. In a straight line - as an airplane flies - the distance is 523 km.

How long does it take to get from Bangkok to Vientiane?

The travel time from Bangkok to Vientiane depends on the type of transport you use. In general, the trip usually lasts from 2 to 19 hours.

How much does it cost to travel from Bangkok to Vientiane?

The cost of travel from Bangkok to Vientiane varies depending on the means of transport you choose. Most a budget option offers Transport Co LA (Transport Co LA): choose Bus and the ticket will cost you THB 1,070.

If you want to travel with greater comfort, then pay attention to Taxi and get ready to pay THB 14,450 for a one-way Taxi ticket.

We have compiled a list with indicative prices for travel from Bangkok to Vientiane different types transport for general understanding:

Bus tickets – THB 1,070 - THB 1,100;
train+van price: THB 1,598 - THB 2,157. From Bangkok to Vientiane starting from 20:00 Hua Lamphong until 20:00 Hua Lamphong
Flights – THB 2,375 - THB 7,357

You always have the option of ordering a taxi: the approximate cost of the trip will be from THB 13,450 to THB 14,450.

You can always order a taxi: the approximate cost of the trip will be from to.

How many flights per day between Bangkok and Vientiane?

The number of flights per day varies depending on the type of transport chosen.

Flights between Bangkok and Vientiane operate during the day: as a rule, there are about 10 flights daily.
4 with train+van from Bangkok to Vientiane starting from 20:00 Hua Lamphong until 20:00 Hua Lamphong
Buses leave for the route at 16:00 in the morning, and the last flight leaves at 20:00 in the evening. A total of 2 buses run between Bangkok and Vientiane during the day.

A taxi is always a good option: you can order a car from Bangkok to Vientiane at any time of the day.

The most popular modes of transport for travel from Bangkok to Vientiane

How to choose the most convenient option for a trip from Bangkok to Vientiane? To make your choice easier, we surveyed 1,000 travelers. Here are the voting results:

998 chose train+van
1 travelers chose a plane.
1 decided to go by bus.
took a taxi.

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