How to get from Thailand to Laos: our path, route, prices and road. Getting a student visa in Laos How to get from Bangkok to Vientiane

We search for the cheapest flights from Bangkok to Laos for free using 728 airlines worldwide 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 for this direction, prices for flights and other important information so that you can understand how much a ticket from Bangkok to Laos costs and choose the best time to buy for yourself.

Low Price Calendar from Bangkok to Laos

Buy tickets from Bangkok to Laos in advance. Tickets are cheaper in August, September. At that time, average price in both directions is 8641 ₽. The seasonality of the direction affects and prices rise in October and November. During those months, the average flight ticket from Bangkok to Laos is 20 733 ₽. Good Riddance recommends that you buy tickets from Bangkok to Laos well in advance, as airlines give discounts, there are active 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 past two days: flight from Bangkok to Vientiane, departure on September 23, 2019, for only 2743 ₽. Find this ticket

Departure city information
Bangkok is located in Thailand, it is one of 45 cities in the country with airports. Bangkok's IATA code is BKK. The IATA code is a unique object identifier, which consists of three letters of the Latin alphabet and is important for the passenger air transportation industry. The population of the city 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
Laos has 23 cities with airports. The currency of Laos is the Laotian kip (LAK). Visa-free entry to the country for citizens of the Russian Federation is possible. 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 fastest way to get from Bangkok to Laos is by direct flight. Airfare starts from 5430 ₽. There are five direct flights from Bangkok to Laos: Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Lao Airlines, Thai AirAsia and Thai Smile. Departure and destination airports of 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: 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 you can get an idea of ​​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

FlightWhereDepartureOn my wayArrivalDeparture days
Thai AirAsia FD-1030Luang Prabang13:55 1 h 25 min15:20 daily until 24.03
Thai AirAsia FD-1040Vientiane12:50 1 h 10 min14:00 daily until 24.03
Bangkok Airways PG-941Luang Prabang10:05 2 h 00 min12:05 daily from 25.03 to 22.08
Bangkok Airways PG-943Vientiane09:45 1 h 15 min11:00 daily until 11.04
Bangkok Airways PG-945Luang Prabang15:05 2 h 10 min17:15 only 8 december
Bangkok Airways PG-949Vientiane16:35 1 h 15 min17:50 daily from 01.02 to 24.03
Lao Airlines QV-224Pakse11:50 1 h 30 min13:20 daily, except Tue, Thu to 24.03
Lao Airlines QV-442Vientiane09:35 1 h 35 min11:10 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 November, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 December, …
Lao Airlines QV-446Vientiane20:30 1 h 00 min21:30 Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun from 25.03 to 21.08
Lao Airlines QV-634Luang Prabang10:20 1 h 40 min12:00 daily until 24.03
Thai Airways TG-574Vientiane19:35 1 h 10 min20:45 daily until 11.04
Thai Smile WE-570Vientiane11:25 1 h 10 min12:35 daily until 24.03
Thai Smile WE-576Luang Prabang12:25 1 h 35 min14:00 Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun until 23.03, except 24.11, 07.01, 26.02

Airports flying from Bangkok to Laos

  • Bangkok airport, from which flights to Laos depart: Suvarnabhumi.
  • Laos airports, incoming flights from Bangkok: Luang Prabang (Luang Prabang), Wattay International Airport (Vientiane), Pakse (Pakse), Swannakhet (Savannakhet).
  • The most popular airports in the direction of Bangkok - Laos: Suvarnabhumi → Wattay International Airport (Vientiane).

To open new world, learn a lot of new and unknown things, gain new experiences and have a great desire to travel, then to realize all this, you just need to visit a country like Laos.

How to get to Laos and what is this exotic country? This is a unique state, unlike any of the existing ones in the world. It has its own culture and secrets, a unique oriental spirit and mass. amazing places. It is they who lead people traveling around the world here.

We are going to the mysterious country of Southeast Asia

The civilization once living on this earth left behind a huge number of monuments. After being idle for thousands of years, not only monuments, but also monasteries and Buddhist temples have been preserved here. The flora and fauna of Laos has a unique mesmerizing effect.

In Laos a large number of beautiful waterfalls and rivers flowing through green expanses interspersed with high mountains.

However, you can fully enjoy all the beauties of the country, see the famous one with your own eyes, perhaps, only if you go to it on your own without any tours and agencies. Only in this way, by moving on water, air and ornate roads, it will be possible to see Laos and all of it.

In all South-East Asia this country is considered the most environmentally friendly. The location of Laos lies on the territory separating Thailand and Vietnam. The territory also borders China, Cambodia and Myanmar.

The Lao People's Democratic Republic is the full, unabbreviated name of the country Laos. The borders of Laos do not come into contact with the sea. To a greater extent, it is a mountainous and hilly area. Compared to Moscow in terms of population, this country looks quite modest, with more than 6,000,000 people living in it.

Vientiane is the capital of Laos. The territory of Thailand is twice the size of Laos, it is 236,800 sq. km. There are no big cities in Laos. Approximately related to them are Luang Prabang, Pakse, Savannaket. A pleasant surprise for tourists will be the mains voltage, which is 220V.

Despite the fact that tourism in Laos is underdeveloped, it represents a genuine exotic of Southeast Asia. Separately taken travelers constantly visit these places. This is due to the fact that Laos cannot yet offer various entertainment, good quality hotels and lack of beach holiday does not attract tourists on a massive scale.

But, nevertheless, Laos has many mysterious sights. If you take Cambodia, then there are much more entertainment advertised to the whole world, so Laos was less fortunate in this regard. But in this and washed away exotic country leading a socialist way of life. Tourists who crave new adventures and experiences go to this country.

The nature of this country is luxurious, which is not fully touched by the army of tourists. The people of this country are distinguished by their special benevolence. Routes for excursions are organized by special travel companies, so you don’t just need to go “savage”, as they say.

For excursions, transport is allocated for tourists, and there is also the opportunity to stay at the hotel. For those who prefer private sector can rent a house or a room in it. There are a small number of restaurants and entertainment, but they are constantly evolving.

The most significant problem in Laos is the roads, which are mostly unpaved. To reach some interesting places, need to use boats.

Communication of the population takes place in the local language. But those who work or are somehow connected with tourism can easily communicate in English. For lovers of the new and the unknown, the country of Laos is interesting, attractive and ideal for travel and recreation. There are several national languages ​​in this wonderful country.

The Lao language is the most widespread and multifaceted, it is considered state language countries. In general, foreign languages ​​are not common in the country, but if you try, you can find people who speak them mainly in large cities.

There is a certain division according to seniority. For example, younger people prefer knowledge in English, the older generation speaks French. Communication with "gestures" has to be used if you are away from large settlements.

Great help in Laos is provided by the established signs of the inscription, which are duplicated in French, English and even found in Russian. If you need to quickly and accurately determine the route, then it is best to use paper and pencil, since the pronunciation of the local population is very lame.

Tourists who have time and do not depend on travel companies, can relax on a grand scale and plan the route at their own discretion.

In the process of rest, you can always enjoy the untouched corners of nature or just walk around the markets that work both day and night. On them you can find everything you need for a vacationing tourist.

However, many are concerned about the question of how to get to Laos, because it is located between China, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Let's analyze all the routes in more detail.

How to get to Laos and which way will be the best?

But before you think about the route, you should know and take into account the climatic features of the country, so as not to regret later. The most significant, perhaps, will be the onset of the rainy season. It starts in May and continues through November. At this time there are tropical showers.

But from December to May, it's time to hit the road. Because at this time it is dry and warm here. Air temperature in the limit of 28 degrees Celsius.

But still, how can a traveler get to Laos? You can pave the way to the country in different ways: by air, land and water, everything will depend on what is more suitable for you. At the same time, you should not count on direct flights without transfers, there are none, at least from our country.

Flight to Laos

It is almost impossible to get to Laos from Russia or other European countries. You need to be ready for transfers if you are a fan of air travel

If you get by air, it will take a lot of time, as you will need a transfer in Thailand, or Cambodia or Vietnam. Moreover, the flight will take at least 10 hours. Airplanes from these countries fly every day. The airport in Laos is located 4 km from the capital.

The cost of ticket prices to Laos is quite high. It is possible to get into it only from countries close to it.

Laos has three international airports. One is located in Vientiane, and the other two are in Luang Prabang and Pakse.

There are a sufficient number of carrier companies in the country:

– Vietnam Airlines;

– Bangkok Airways;

– Lao Airlines;

– Thai Airways.

Flights are operated from Malaysia, China, Vietnam, etc. For a one-way flight, the ticket price reaches $150. If you do not like air travel or just want to save money, then the best option would be to use land or river transport.

How to get to Laos by land route or by water?

This option cannot be considered if you want to go from Myanmar, since the border is closed with it. Foreigners use the many passes into Laos. You can get there from Cambodia, China, Thailand and Vietnam.

The disadvantage of this method is long journeys. For example, if you travel by bus from Hanoi to Luang Prabang, it will take almost more than a day.

It is also possible to use railway trains. But the decision how to get to Laos by air or by land can only be made after studying the information on its resorts in the relevant sections.

Bus and boat to Laos

Land can be reached by bus from Bangkok or Hanoi to Vientiane. Waterway can be done along the river on slowboats. These are small but slow boats.

When you get to Laos, be aware that most of the hotels are cheap. They include breakfast, hot showers, refrigerators, safes and Wi-Fi. But there are also colonially styled expensive hotels. They have luxurious furniture, a swimming pool and a restaurant. But the rooms are expensive.

In addition, it is worth warning travelers that the decision to travel through Cambodia may be unsuccessful. Because the road from there to Laos passes through Champasak, which is often closed indefinitely. And this can significantly ruin the whole trip.

This means only one thing, that the route must be thought out carefully. The more you pay attention to this, the faster you will find yourself in this amazing country!

The cost of the flight always depends on the time of travel. The chart will allow you to compare prices for flights from Bangkok to Laos, track the dynamics of changes in their cost and find the best offer.

Statistics will help determine the season of low prices. For example, in December, prices reach an average of 13,350 rubles, and in May, the cost of tickets drops to an average of 9,366 rubles. Plan your trip right now!

We analyze this information and create schedules to make it easier for you to plan your travels.


What is more profitable - to buy tickets in advance, avoiding the general hype, or take advantage of a "hot" offer closer to the departure date? The graph will help you determine the best time to purchase air tickets.


See how the price of flights from Bangkok to Laos has changed depending on the time of purchase. Since the beginning of sales, their value has changed by an average of 58%. The minimum price for a flight from Bangkok to Laos is 48 days before departure, approximately 9,006 rubles. The maximum price for a flight from Bangkok to Laos is 55 days before departure, approximately 16,775 rubles. In most cases early booking saves money, take advantage of it!

Airfare from Bangkok to Laos does not represent a fixed and constant amount. It depends on many factors, including the day of departure. The dynamics of changes is visible on the graph.


According to statistics, the most affordable flight option from Bangkok to Laos is on Mondays, their average cost is 10,506 rubles. The most expensive flights are on Fridays, their average cost is 11,688 rubles. It is worth considering that departures on holiday days are usually more expensive. We hope that this data will help you plan your travels in the most efficient way.

The cost of air tickets depends not only on the date, but also on the time of departure. In one day, the airline can operate several flights, and they will differ in price category.


The graph shows the cost of departure depending on the time of day. For example, the average cost of a ticket from Bangkok to Laos in the morning is 13,304 rubles, and in the evening 13,011 rubles. Evaluate all the conditions and choose the best offer.

The graph shows the comparative prices for flights from Bangkok to Laos of the most popular airlines. Based on this information, you can plan your trip and buy tickets from Bangkok to Laos with the carrier that suits you.


Statistics will help you choose a flight, focusing on your financial capabilities, as well as your wishes in terms of comfort and flight conditions. Most low prices flights from Bangkok to Laos are offered by Japan Airlines, the highest prices are by Thai Airways.

Getting to Laos from Phuket is much easier than it might seem. You ask yourself: why go there? If you are relaxing in Phuket, then you can easily change the situation paradise island and go to Laos on your own. A couple of days will be enough for Vientiane and its attractions. And you can drive around the country, visiting the party village of Vang Vieng, the UNESCO heritage of Luang Prabang, the northern capital of Luang Namtha, southern capital Pakse or other places. In addition, the Thai consulate is located in the capital of Laos, where they issue. This article will focus only on Vientiane, and how to get to it from Phuket.


Golden Stupa in Vientiane

General facts about Laos

Laos is very similar to Thailand. Reminds him of a distant province. The Laotians are the real younger brothers of the Thais. In Vientiane, the capital of the country, you will find Thai banks Kasikorn, Siam Commercial, . You can even pay and not change them for bales.

English is bad in Laos, I have to switch to Thai. Both languages ​​are similar, like Russian and Ukrainian. The Laotians greet "sabaidi", while the Thais have a positive answer to the question "how are you?" In Thai, Russia sounds like "ratsia" with the accent on the first syllable, and in Lao "latsia". Sometimes even signs can be read. The Lao letters are similar to the Thai letters that had a big party yesterday and are now a little rumpled.


Triumphal Arch of Patuxai in Vientiane

Visa to Laos in 2019

It is very easy for Russian citizens to travel around Laos, they will put a free stamp on the border for 30 days. Ukrainians and citizens of Kazakhstan can get a visa for $30 or 1,300 baht upon entering the country. It is set for 30 days and, if desired, can be extended up to 60 days. You will need a photo and a completed application form, which is given in a separate window at the border.


Wat Xieng Thong in Luang Prabang

How to get from Phuket to Vientiane?

The easiest way to get from Phuket to Vientiane is by plane to Udon Thani, then by minibus to the border and by taxi or bus to the center of the capital. Phuket-Udon Thani ticket for . It costs about 1000-2000 baht one way. Travel time 1.5 hours.


Wat Xiengthong in Luang Prabang - photo as on the cover of Lonely Planet

A minibus runs from Udon Thani Airport to the border with Laos for 200 baht. Minibuses depart as they fill up. I usually wait no more than 10 minutes, on the road about an hour. The border is located in the Thai city of Nong Khai. Between Thailand and Laos flows the Mekong River, through which the Friendship Bridge was built. The border is open from 6:00 to 22:00. If you fly from Phuket to Udon Thani on a Thai AirAsia flight, you have time to go through passport control on the same day.

Pass the Thai border first, having completed all the formalities. A bus runs every 10 minutes on the Friendship Bridge between Thailand and Laos at a cost of 20 baht per person. At passport control in Laos, you fill out an entry card, get a visa (if necessary), pay an entry fee in the region of 50 baht, its cost depends on the day of the week and time of day.


Wat Si Saket with hundreds of statues in Vientiane

From the Lao border to Vientiane can be reached by city bus, tuk-tuk or taxi in half an hour. Plus the last two options - you will be taken directly to the hotel. At a cost of how to bargain 200-400 baht per car. You can pay in baht. City buses are air-conditioned and run during daylight hours. The bus stop number 14 is located right at the border, it can take you to the station at Talad Sao (morning market) in the center of Vientiane for 40 baht.


Whiskey with snakes and scorpions in Vientiane

How to get from Bangkok to Vientiane?

Where to live in Vientiane?

There are a lot of guesthouses, hotels and resorts in the capital of Laos. If your goal is the Thai consulate, you can safely stop in the center of Vientiane without being geographically tied to the area, and then take a taxi or tuk-tuk. The hotel can be found on the spot or booked in advance on the website, finding a better price. The cost of living starts from 400-500 baht, for 800-1000 baht you can find good options in the center.


Statues in Buddha Park

How to get a Thai visa in Vientiane?

The Consulate of the Kingdom of Thailand is located on Rue Bourichane. I marked a point on the map. Do not confuse, because there is also an embassy not far from the Arc de Triomphe. Submission of documents for a visa takes place from 8:30 to 11:30, while you are given a number by which you pick up your passport the next day from 13:30 to 15:30. On Mondays and after holidays there are long queues at the consulate. No, huge queues! If you have a number 300-500, then you will have to wait 2-3 hours. Documents required for a tourist visa, check in advance, usually required 2 photos on a white background, passport and its copy, and 1000 baht. Important: in Vientiane they do not give an annual non-B visa. Passport copies and photographs can be made here for an additional fee.

In February 2019, the Vientiane Consulate introduced a mandatory electronic queue. First you need to register on the thaivisavientiane.com website and log in to your account. The queue can be issued a maximum of 30 days. Choose one of three hourly intervals. A total of 300 people per day can sign up. This rule applies to all types of visas - tourist, transit, work, study, guardian and others. The consulate does not accept visitors without an appointment.


Baguettes on every corner

What to see in Vientiane?

The sights of the capital of Laos can be explored on foot during daylight hours. In the center there are famous temples: Wat Inpeng, Wat Ong Teu, Wat Mixai, smoothly passing one into the other, That Dam black stupa, the oldest temple of the capital Wat Si Saket with hundreds of Buddha statues, the former royal temple of Ho Phra Kaew with a museum, the picturesque Wat Si Muang . A little further away are the Triumphal Arch of Patuxai and the famous Golden Stupa of Wat That Luang Tai. If time permits, head to the Buddha Park with its many interesting statues. In the evening, visit the night market on the Mekong waterfront, see how locals do some outdoor aerobics and see Thailand across the river.

What to try from the local cuisine?

The cuisine of Laos is very similar to Thai. Rather, the Thais borrowed various dishes from the Laotians and now appropriated them for themselves. Be sure to try the Laab salad with minced meat, spices and mint leaves, Mok Pa - the most delicate fish fillet steamed in banana leaves, Pkha Khao - a set of various Lao dishes in small plates. Another must eat item is delicious baguettes and BeerLao beer. No wonder the French owned Laos for 50 years. And if you want exotic, go to the Talad Sao morning market. They sell different parts of pigs, and huge beetles, and buffalo fat with skin, and rat-squirrel. AT last time I found a decent Vientiane Center shopping center in Vientiane with a cinema, a food court, local cafes and kids clubs. Decent in the sense that 10 years ago there was no such dream of a shopaholic at all, only provincial under-shops.

How to get from Laos to Phuket?

You need international bus to Udon Thani, where you can fly from the airport to Phuket with a Thai AirAsia flight. Tickets are sold at the station near the Talad Sao morning market. Buses run every 1-1.5 hours. Important: when buying a ticket, they ask for a passport (or Thai rights). The bus travels a little about 2 hours and stops about shopping center Central Plaza Udonthani. The airport can be reached by taxi.

If you plan to get from the consulate to Udon Thani Airport after obtaining a visa, it is better to take a taxi. The bus takes a long time, there are long lines at the border at this time, and there are traffic jams at the entrance to the city. For example, leaving the bus at 15:00, you will be at the Udontani bus station at 17:30. It is better to play it safe and take a plane ticket for the next day.


Lunch at Kung's Cafe, Vientiane

Next time I will write how to get from Phuket to on my own. In the meantime, you can read about or. Have an interesting and educational journey!

The easiest and most comfortable way to get from Thailand to Laos, Vientiane is to fly by plane. The cheapest one is by night bus from Bangkok. We traveled this way and that. Most tourists go to Laos for a Thai visa. In Vientiane, it is easiest and cheapest to get it. We decided to combine business with pleasure, get visas and see the country.

How to get from Thailand to Laos


The fastest way. Direct flight a / to AirAsia or Bangkok Air


By train to Nong Khai and by bus across the border


Night bus from Mo Chit Bus terminal to Vientiane.

Bus from Bangkok to Vientiane

By plane from Bangkok to Vientiane

You can fly to Vientiane from Bangkok in just 1 hour by direct flight. Ticket prices are currently 1500-2000 baht on AirAsia. We flew from Air Asia on a flight at 12.40 from Don Muang Airport. Read how to get there and. Departure without delay. Travel time 1 hour 10 minutes. On the flight we ordered lunch, paid in cash (400 baht for two).

Landing at Vientiane Wattay International Airport. To the right of the exit is a currency exchange with a good rate. We changed a couple of thousand baht for expenses in Laos, since paying in bales is more profitable than in baht. How to remember the rate of kip to baht - multiply the amount in kip by 4 and discard thousands. For example, 10,000 kip = 40 baht.

From the airport to the hotel in the city center you can take a bus for 15,000 kip (60 baht or $ 2) or a taxi for 60,000 (240 baht or $ 7). More details: . We stopped in the very center for 1200 baht with breakfast.

  • Buy plane tickets Bangkok - Vientiane >

By train from Bangkok to Nong Khai

We could also take the train to the city. Then by bus to Vientiane about 40 minutes. The train takes a few hours longer than the bus, costs a little more and you need to change in Nong Khai for a bus to the border with Laos. You can buy train tickets at Hua Lamphong Station in Bangkok or online:

  • Buy train tickets Bangkok - Nong Khai >

Bus from Bangkok to Vientiane

We also traveled 2 times by bus to Laos. Went to. We reached it by bus 136 for 6.5 baht per person. We decided to buy tickets to Laos in advance 2 days before departure. At the bus station, they asked around at the windows where to buy and how much tickets to Vientiane cost. The cashiers are fluent in English, so we took tickets for March 5 without any problems. Now it is possible to buy a bus ticket online:

  • Buy bus tickets Bangkok - Vientiane >

The cost of tickets to Laos today is 900 baht per person ($25). You need a passport to buy tickets. We have shown a copy. The bus leaves at 8 pm. The distance from Bangkok to Vientiane is about 650 km. Travel time ~10 hours. Estimated arrival time in Vientiane is 7 am. Before departure, they collect 5 baht from all passengers without fail (tips, probably).

How was the night on the bus?

We arrived without problems. The VIP bus is equipped with a toilet and is generally suitable for sleeping, there is enough space to unfold the seat and take a nap. There were several stops along the way to buy food. We were given a food box (a box of food), this time there was a glass of coffee and 2 cakes. I took a chance and tried. I have never eaten anything worse. This delicacy tastes and smells like black bread soaked in fish sauce and generously rubbed with onions and garlic. I don’t know who it is, but I almost vomited.


Treats disguised as sweets

Where can I order a transfer from the airport?

We use the service - KiwiTaxi
Ordered a taxi online, paid by card. We were greeted at the airport with a sign with our name on it. We were taken to the hotel in a comfortable car. You have already talked about your experience in this article.

At the stop where hot meals were supposed to be in a cafe, they either tried to separate us, or maybe the ticket was somehow defective, but they didn’t give us a meal for free, they demanded to pay extra 70 baht. Well, I didn't really want to. It’s good that we took normal food with us from home, and bought peanuts and chocolate at 7-Eleven.

Thai-Laos border

The bus arrived at the border around 7 am. The departure card in the passports was filled out on the bus, there were practically no people at that time, so we received the exit stamps from Thailand quickly. I remembered how we spent 2 hours in line for. We read that you need to pay a small amount if you pass the border early in the morning or late in the evening. For leaving Thailand they gave 20 baht per person. The bus is waiting just outside. In 20 minutes, Laotian mosquitoes have already managed to fly into it.

Next, we load and drive across the bridge of Friendship of Peoples. And now, after 5 minutes it seemed laotian border. We were given standard immigration cards, quickly filled out and received a stamp on entry into Laos. Lao visa for Russians for 15 days free of charge.

How we got ripped off a bit on the Lao border

For the early time of crossing the border, you had to pay again. Aunt cashier said that 40 baht per person. small money it was not, they gave 100 baht, she gave us One way ticket cards to go through the turnstiles, and instead of 20 baht we received 1000 Laotian kip for change. They were not used to local money yet, there was no time to count on the calculator, since the queue was behind, and they did not expect deception from the border guards. Already near the bus, I checked in the currency converter and it turned out that we were scammed for 16 baht, because 1000 kip is only 4 baht. In the future, I was even grateful to her, because after this incident I always kept the calculator in front of me and counted the change. It turned out that every second seller in Laos is trying to cheat a tourist, taking advantage of the fact that people pay in baht and do not understand local money.


Turnstiles on the border of Laos, for the passage through which you need to pay 40 baht

Arrival in Vientiane

Next, around 8 am, we arrive at the Khua Din Bus Station‎ (dot on the map). At the exit from the bus, all those arriving are actively attacked by taxi drivers and tuk-tukers. Having fought them off, we stepped aside, caught the GPS signal and went on foot to the Thai embassy. We reached on foot in 20 minutes. Having handed over the documents for a visa, we checked into a hotel across the street from the embassy. Then we went to a cafe, had a bite to eat, drank a beer and went to the station to buy return tickets.

Read:


Ticket office, Hua Din bus station, Vientiane

Way back. Bus from Vientiane to Bangkok

Tickets in Vientiane, as we expected, turned out to be more expensive - 1000 baht per person. What to do, bought. At the same time, they clarified 2 times that this is a VIP bus, direct, and the departure time is at 18:00. Good thing the cashier speaks English.

Tip: buy return tickets only on your own and only at the ticket office of the bus station. A family with children with whom we came from Bangkok bought tickets at the reception in their hotel for 900 baht and they were taken in an old bus through Nong Khai with a change.


Bus tickets from Vientiane to Bangkok. They just called me Mr. VIA

The next day we got up at 6 am, walked around the city, then took our passports with visas at the embassy, ​​ate in a cafe and went to the bus station.


VIP Bus Vientiane - Bangkok


It was a bit crowded inside the bus this time, when the passengers in front laid out their seats

At the border of Laos, we were again bred for 10 baht. It was necessary to pay for crossing the border during non-working hours at 40 baht. We only had a bill of 100 baht, with which they gave change 10 baht, instead of 20. When asked why, the cashier began to carry something about the difference in rates. They didn't argue. When passing passport control a Laotian border guard in the window began to stick to Katya, asking all sorts of questions, such as "Why is one so beautiful." My appearance cooled his ardor and he immediately returned the passport

There were no problems at the Thai border. We entered the number of our double-entry visa on the card and received all the necessary Thai stamps without question. By the way, in the next queue, 2 impudent border guards tried to get acquainted or divorce two lonely girls for money, asking them for return tickets and grinning.

We reached Bangkok calmly, we slept almost all the way, because we were exhausted for 2 days in Laos. We arrived at the Mo Chit bus station around 5.30 am. The bus, as always, was surrounded by taxi drivers. Somehow fighting off them, we reached the city buses. We found our route 136, there was no conductor yet, and we drove home for free. By the way, on the same bus you can get to the metro.

Our costs for traveling to Laos by bus

On the road:

  • Bus tickets: 900*2 = 1800 baht
  • Return tickets: 1000*2 = 2000 baht
  • Bus fees: 5*4 = 20 baht
  • Border crossing fees: 200 baht
  • Shopping at stops: 100 baht
  • Visa cost: 1000 * 2 = 2000 baht
  • Copies of 2 pages of the passport 5*2 = 10 baht

Other expenses:

  • Housing: 800 baht
  • Cafe: 1000 baht
  • Shops: 300 baht
  • Souvenirs: 160 baht

Total: 8300 baht or $245

Where to stay in Vientiane

If you are going for a Thai visa, it will be more convenient to book a hotel near the Thai embassy:

  • Douang Praseuth Hotel
  • Grand Hotel Vientiane

If you want to see the city, go to the embankment, shop at the night market, then book a hotel in the center:

  • Riverside Palace Hotel
  • Vientiane Star Hotel
  • Champa Garden Hotel
  • Mali Namphu Hotel

ALL HOTELS in Vientiane →

Bangkok to Vientiane route on the map

Distance from Bangkok to Vientiane: 630 km.