Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GETTING TO LAOS: CENTRAL BORDERS
Beung Kan to Paksan
Getting to the border Beung Kan can be reached via bus or minivan from Nong Khai (100B to 150B,
2½ to 3½ hours, eight daily), or by bus from Nakhon Phanom (140B, 3½ hours, four daily). The bor-
der is 2.5km northwest of town; a tu ́ k-tu ́ k will cost about 60B. Boats (per person 60B) cross the
Mekong (minimum eight people or by charter for 480B).
At the border The Lao border post is open from 8am to noon and 1.30pm to 4.30pm, although note
that Lao visas are not available upon arrival.
Moving on Tu ́ k-tu ́ k wait on the Lao shore, though the highway and Paksan's hotels are an easy walk
from the landing. From Paksan, buses leave from Rte 13 outside the market area for Vientiane
(30,000K, three to four hours) between 6.05am and 4.30pm. All buses heading south from Vientiane
pass through Paksan about two hours after leaving the capital; you can hop on near the morning mar-
ket.
For more information about crossing this border in the other direction, Click here
Nong Khai to Vientiane
The site of the original Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, the Nong Khai/Tha Na Long border crossing is
one of the busiest Thai border crossings.
Getting to the border If you already have your Lao visa, the easiest way to reach Vientiane is the dir-
ect bus from Nong Khai's bus terminal (55B to 60B, one hour, six daily).
If you plan to get your visa at the border (open from 6am to 10pm), take a tu ́ k-tu ́ k there; expect to
pay 100B from the bus station, but you can pay 60B from the town centre or train station. Unless
you're travelling in a large group, there's no good reason to use a visa service agency, so don't let a
driver take you to one. Bring some photo ID and extra cash (approx US$5) for administrative costs
charged on weekends and holidays.
You can also go to Laos by train (there are immigration booths at both stations) though not to Vien-
tiane, so we recommend against doing this. The 15-minute ride (20B to 30B, departs 9am and 2.45pm)
drops you in Thanaleng (aka Dongphasay) station just over the bridge, leaving you at the mercy of
tu ́ k-tu ́ k drivers who charge extortionate prices.
At the border After getting stamped out of Thailand, you can take the minibuses (20B to 30B) that
carry passengers across the bridge to the hassle-free, but sometimes busy, Lao immigration check-
point, where visas are available upon arrival.
Moving on A local bus (15,000K), minivans (100B), tu ́ k-tu ́ k (250B) and taxis (300B) ply the remain-
ing 20km to Vientiane.
For more information about crossing this border in the other direction, Click here
Loei to Pak Lai
The quiet rural Tha Li/Kaen Thao border is the home of yet another (but smaller) Friendship Bridge,
this time over Nam Heuang.
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