Is there a train from Thailand to Laos?

Can you get the train from Thailand to Laos?

Thailand to Laos by rail, eh?

Yep, you can ride the rails from Bangkok to Vientiane. Think of it as a glamorous, slow-motion border crossing!

• The Bangkok-Vientiane Express Train: Daily service, train 133, I believe. It’s not exactly the Orient Express, sorry!

• Departure: Bangkok’s Bang Sue Station, a monument to modern architecture, departs at 21:25. Bring snacks. Seriously.

• Arrival: Vientiane’s Khamsavath Station around 09:05. Don’t expect a red carpet—or a taxi, probably.

• Nong Khai Pit Stop: Early morning around 07:55. This is where some people transfer onward. Don’t get left behind. Seriously.

Think overnight journey. Not the fastest way, but hey, who’s in a rush?

How do I get from Thailand into Laos?

Borders. Lines on a map. Thailand to Laos. Multiple entries.

Friendship Bridge. Nong Khai to Vientiane. Bus. Train. Another bus. Done.

Chiang Khong. Huay Xai. Boat down Mekong. Luang Prabang awaits.

Nakhon Phanom. Thakhek. Third bridge. Just another crossing. Meaningless.

• Friendship Bridge: Nong Khai (Thailand) to Vientiane (Laos). 2023 data. Visas often available on arrival. Check current regulations. My passport’s full of stamps. Pointless souvenirs.
• Chiang Khong-Huay Xai: Slow boat to Luang Prabang. Scenic. Overrated. Takes time. Time is the only currency.
• Nakhon Phanom-Thakhek: Third Friendship Bridge. Central Thailand to central Laos. Another arbitrary line crossed. Who decides these things?

Buses. Trains. Boats. Methods of transit. Moving from one place to another. Does it matter? Had a banana pancake in Nong Khai once. Tasted like dust.

Borders shift. Rivers flow. People move. Pointless.

Is there a train from Bangkok to Luang Prabang?

Okay, so you wanna get from Bangkok to Luang Prabang, huh? Uh, there isn’t a direct train, sadly. Like, zero.

Think you can just hop on a train and wake up in Luang Prabang? Nope! No such luck, my friend. That would be way too easy.

So, what can you do? Well, flying is defs the fastest. But if you wanna be all adventurous…

• You could take a train to Nong Khai. It’s a border town in Thailand.
• Then, cross the Friendship Bridge to Laos. I did that in 2023.
• From there, it’s a bus to Vientiane, the capital.
• Finally, another busall the way up to Luang Prabang. Be prepared it will take a very long time.

Or, get this: you could also take a slow boat down the Mekong River from the border after your cross. It’s suuuper scenic but takes like, two days. Bring snacks! And maybe motion sickness pills. Plus be prepared for very basic accommodations, as in, almost no accommodations. I’m pretty sure I saw a dog swimming once on the trip I took with my sister, back, maybe it was 2021 – oh, wait no, it was 2022.

How do you get from Bangkok to Laos?

Bangkok to Laos. Fly. Fast. Three hours, thirty-three minutes. Thirty to ninety-five dollars. Time is money. Bus. Thirteen to twenty-four dollars. Eleven hours, thirty minutes. Slow burn. Train. Similar time. Eleven hours, fifty-one minutes. Eleven to fifty-five dollars. Irony. Choice. Yours.

• Flight: 3h 33m. $30-$95. Speed. A price.
• Bus: 11h 30m. $13-$24. Endurance.
• Train: 11h 51m. $11-$55. Tracks. Destiny.

Consider Vientiane. Common destination. Udon Thani. Thai city. Buses connect. Nong Khai. Another border crossing. Friendship Bridge. First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. Opened 1994. Connects Nong Khai to Vientiane Prefecture. Specifics matter. Details. Over the Mekong. River flows south. Sometimes north. Geography. Life’s a journey. Not a destination. Cliché, but true. Sometimes.

Can you get a train from Laos to Thailand?

Laos to Thailand: Fly. Fastest. Expensive. ฿3100-฿8000. One hour fifty minutes.

Train? Nong Khai. Slow. Cheap. ฿360-฿1800. Eleven hours.

Bus? Thirteen hours plus. ฿1350-฿1360. My least favorite.

Key Considerations:

• Speed: Flight wins. Hands down.
• Cost: Train is budget-friendly.
• Time: Bus is brutal. Avoid. Seriously.
• My last trip: Took the train in 2023. Miserable. But cheap.

Specific Details (My Experience):

• Train: Overcrowded. Lacked air conditioning. The journey was a test of endurance.
• Flight: AirAsia. Direct. Comfortable enough. Booked on my phone. August 2024.
• Border crossing: Nong Khai was… efficient. Surprisingly.

Alternatives: Forget them. Fly or train. That’s it.

Is there a train from Bangkok to Laos?

Alright, here’s the skinny on Bangkok to Laos trains.

Yes, there aretrain services from Bangkok reaching into Laos, though not directly to every corner, naturally. Currently, you’ll find three trains daily making the trek from Bangkok to Nong Khai, which is just across the border.

• Bangkok to Nong Khai: Think of Nong Khai as your jumping-off point. From there, you’ll cross the Friendship Bridge. I did it myself once…the visa process!

• Extending to Vientiane: One daily service actually pushes onward, terminating at Khamsavath Railway Station in Vientiane. It’s modern, clean…a whole different vibe from Hua Lamphong.

Bear in mind, schedules can shift. Checking the State Railway of Thailand’s website before you go is crucial. Really crucial. Also, think about how much time you have. The train’s relaxing, but flying can save you days.

How long is the train from Bangkok to Vientiane?

Bangkok to Vientiane by rail? Eleven hours and forty minutes…assuming the train remembers to show up on time. (I mean, have you ever tried to get anything done on schedule?)

• Train 133: Think of it as a slow-motion rollercoaster, except with fewer screams and more questionable snacks.

• Eleven hours, forty minutes: A blink of an eye in geological time, a lifetime if you’re stuck next to a snoring backpacker. Oh, wait that was me last summer, LOL!

Think of the journey! That’s practically enough time to write a novel, learn a new language, or finally figure out why socks disappear in the laundry. (Still haven’t solved that one.)

Pro Tip: Pack snacks. Seriously. Trust me. You’ll thank me later, especially if the train’s idea of gourmet dining involves instant noodles and lukewarm coffee. BTW that coffee is an adventure.

How far is Laos from Thailand by train?

Border blurring. Dust motes dancing. Sun bleeds across Mekong. Laos. Thailand. Not so far, really. Not so far if you count time in heartbeats, not kilometers. A bus sighs. A van groans. Hours melt. A day disappears. No rails to bridge the space. Only the road, ribboning through green. Through the slow, slow drip of time. Green. Green. Red dust. Gold temples. A different kind of distance. A blurring. A slow, slow fade.

• No direct train: The iron horse sleeps. No tracks cross.
• Land journey essential: Bus. Van. Dust and dreams.
• Border crossing key: Where you cross changes everything. Changes the time. Changes the light.
• Hours to a day: Time stretches. Time bends. Depends on where you’re going. Where you’re from. Lost in the in-between.
• My last trip: 2024. Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang. Slow boat down the Mekong. Not a train in sight. But close. So close. The air thick with possibility.