Today we are going to talk about how we got from Vientiane, Laos, to Udon Thani, Thailand. We hadn’t planned on this route, but we had enough of Laos and decided to head back to Thailand earlier than planned, and this is how we got on. Please note: This is based on a British passport; entry requirements into Thailand may differ depending on the passport.
Booking your travel from Vientiane to Udon Thani
During our travel around Asia, we have become accustomed to booking our trips through 12GoAsia and booking our journey through them. However, most tour operators in the area offer the same journey at the same price. You can also book tickets at the bus station. However, we have heard of problems with people trying to book tickets at the bus or train stations in Laos, so we thought it was best to just use 12GoAsia.
What did we need to exit Laos and enter Thailand?
- Again, this is for a British passport holder.
- Valid Passport.
- 20 Baht or 10,000 Kip as the exit fee per person (this is for Laos; we didn’t need anything for Thailand).
- A departure card for Laos was given out on the bus but can be picked up at border control. We had ours from entry a few days prior.
- An entry card for Thailand took us by surprise. I noticed everyone holding them, including the guy with a British passport, in front of us, and he helpfully pointed us to the desk to get one.
- A pen to fill in the above forms, or you are relying on good will.
Information correct as of Feb 2024.
Vientiane, Laos to Thanaleng, Laos
Our bus departed from the main bus station in Vientiane.
We picked up our tickets from the ticket office at the side of the building and made our way into the bus station. The bus station was really strange! It is a half built building with a load of buses sitting around. By chance, we spotted our bus with a sign on the side and the number that the ticket person told us to look for.
We had to hang around for about 15 minutes before being allowed to board the bus. There wasn’t much to do here. Thankfully, we hadn’t gotten there too early.
The bus journey was pleasant enough; we went along the banks of the Mekong before heading inland a little bit and back along the Mekong before turning left to border control. The journey itself lasted about 30 minutes—not too long, just enough time for a beer.
Our bus steward didn’t speak English, so getting off the bus, we had no idea what he was saying, but as everyone else left their stuff on the bus, so did we!
Passport control was really simple. We went to the green and white boxes and handed over passports; they got stamped, and we got asked for the exit fee.
A complete con is having to pay to exit a country when you have already paid a fee to enter. More annoyingly, we had been told we had to pay it in dollars, but the official asked for it in Kip or Baht; thankfully, we had Baht!
However, the job was done in a few minutes, and before we knew it, we were back on the bus and heading for the Friendship Bridge.
Bus from Thanaleng, Laos to Nongkhai Border Checkpoint
If you aren’t on a scheduled bus like us, you have to pay to get a shuttle bus across the friendship bridge, and that costs 30 baht. Under no circumstances is anyone allowed to walk over the bridge either way.
I tried my hardest to get a photo of both flags as our bus went over the Mekong. Close enough, would you agree?
A slightly different experience arrived at the Nongkhai Border Checkpoint. We had to take everything off the bus, and all our bags from under the bus had to come with us as they went through a customs check.
Border control was swift; we didn’t realise we needed to fill out an entry document. There was nothing pointing us towards having to do this. I noticed a fella with a British passport filling one in. I started to worry, so I asked him, and he pointed us in the right direction. (They can be found on a desk to the right of the arrival terminal.)
It really is just a simple question, so it only took a few minutes to fill in while we waited. Before we knew it, we were across the border and into Thailand. It was all really simple and swift, and it looked that way for everyone entering.
On the other side, we had to walk through a tunnel of SIM card sellers and tuk-tuk drivers. Our bus was waiting at the end of it, and we were on our way shortly after to Udon Thani.
Rest of the journey to Udon Thani, Thailand.
The remaining hour of the journey was pretty uneventful. I noticed loads of police checks; I assume that is due to the proximity of the border. However, our bus was waved through.
Sadly, I didn’t get any photos of this. The moment our bus arrived at Udon Thani 1 bus station, tuk-tuk drivers swarmed the bus looking for customers. We were only staying a 15-minute walk away, so we decided to walk.
Thoughts on the journey.
It was a pretty straight-forward journey. It is annoying that you have to pay an exit fee in Laos, but it is what it is and pretty much sums up the country as a whole for me. If you are looking to break up the journey between Vientiane, Laos, and Bangkok, Thailand, then Udon Thani is a good place to stop.
If you have any questions about the journey or any other border crossing we have done, feel free to ask.
Thanks
The Lewis family.
