My preferred connection from Bangkok to Vientiane is the express train No. 133, the only train that goes directly to Laos. It departs Krung Thep Aphiwat at 9:25 p.m., stops in Nong Khai in the morning, where passengers pass through Thai exit checks on the platform, crosses the Friendship Bridge over the Mekong, and arrives at Khamsavath station, 7 km outside of Vientiane, at 9:05 a.m. A seat in third class costs 281 baht, and a berth in a sleeper car costs 874 baht.

Check the current flight times and seat availability for flights from Bangkok to Vientiane on 12Go.

If no more sleeping berths are available, you can also reach Nong Khai by taking the night train No. 25 and the shuttle bus across the bridge until late morning. Flights with Thai Airways and Lao Airlines from Suvarnabhumi Airport, or with Thai AirAsia from Don Mueang Airport, take between 1 hour 10 minutes and 1 hour 20 minutes. The government bus from Mo Chit departs at 8:00 PM and arrives at the central bus station, Talat Sao, late the following morning.

Key facts

It's approximately 630 km by road.

The OSRM route from Mo Chit to Vientiane is approximately 634 km long, and the journey takes eight hours without breaks. The Friendship Bridge between Nong Khai and the outskirts of Vientiane marks the boundary.

Daily direct train connection, No. 133 at 9:25 pm.

The train arrives at Khamsavath station at 9:05 AM after a 40-minute stop in Nong Khai for Thai exit checks. Fares are 281 baht in third class, 574 baht for an air-conditioned seat, and 784–874 baht for a sleeper berth.

There is only one sleeping car

Train No. 133 has an air-conditioned second-class sleeper car, and passengers report that tickets are sold out weeks in advance. According to SRT's booking regulations, tickets for the entire journey should be available approximately 90 days before departure.

The Laotian immigration office is located at Khamsavath railway station.

The official Laotian e-visa website lists Khamsavath railway station and the Friendship Bridge as entry points for e-visas. According to Seat61, a visa costs approximately US$40 in cash upon arrival and includes a passport photo.

The flights take approximately 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 20 minutes.

Thai Airways and Lao Airlines offer nonstop flights from Suvarnabhumi Airport, while Thai AirAsia flies from Don Mueang Airport. Wattay Airport is located approximately 3 km from the center of Vientiane.

The government bus departs from Mo Chit at 8:00 PM.

The express bus operated by Transport Co. goes to the Talat Sao bus station in the center of Vientiane and arrives there at approximately 11:20 a.m. The fare is about 900–990 baht.

All routes from Bangkok to Vientiane compared

Train schedules and station prices are from Seat61 and Richard Barrow's Thai Train Guide. 12Go and other travel agencies charge a booking fee of approximately 55–100 baht per ticket. The bus journey time and fare of 983 baht are from the 12Go display board dated November 22, 2026. The cheapest fare listed by BusOnlineTicket is 900 baht. Flight times are from the schedules of both Bangkok airports. Bus times and fares to Udon Thani are from our guidebook "Bangkok–Udon Thani". Road distances are based on OSRM route planning via OpenStreetMap.

Bookable departures · updated daily

Bangkok → Vientiane: Departure times you can book now

All flights currently bookable via 12Go on this route, sorted by booking class. The prices shown are distributed across the different booking classes; the exact price for a seat and a specific date can be found on the booking page.

bus

12Go timetables and fares are updated daily. Services that operate only locally—regular trains, weekend trips, and ferry terminal tickets—are not listed; these can be found in the table above. Sponsored link: We may receive a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.

Check train, bus and flight connections from Bangkok to Vientiane.

12Go sells tickets for bus route 133 from Krung Thep Aphiwat and Don Mueang, the Transport Co. bus from Mo Chit, and flights. You can present the tickets as e-tickets on your smartphone. Train fares are approximately 55–100 baht higher than the fare at the station. Sleeper berths are not always available, so you should also check the SRT (Singapore Railway Transit) website.

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The direct train from Bangkok to Vientiane

Fast-track course no. 133: Timetable, courses and booking times

The express train No. 133 departs Krung Thep Aphiwat at 9:25 PM, stopping at Don Mueang at 9:42 PM and Ayutthaya at 10:30 PM. Therefore, you can board near the airport if you have just landed. The route goes via Kaeng Khoi and Bua Yai instead of Korat, passes through Udon Thani around 7:00 AM, and arrives in Nong Khai at 7:55 AM. After approximately 40 minutes for immigration checks, the train crosses the Friendship Bridge and arrives at Khamsavath Station at 9:05 AM. Thailand and Laos are in the same time zone, so there is no need to adjust for time zone differences.

The train is short: two third-class carriages with fans and open windows, one air-conditioned second-class carriage, and one air-conditioned second-class sleeper car with separate upper and lower berths and bedding. At the station, a third-class seat costs 281 baht, an air-conditioned seat 574 baht, an upper berth 784 baht, and a lower berth 874 baht. For an overnight train, I would book the berth. Passenger reviews from mid-2026 state that the air conditioning is very cold, the lights stay on, there is no food or hot water on board, and the train can be delayed by an hour or more due to border controls. Therefore, pack warm clothes, a sleep mask, and breakfast, and don't plan on making any last-minute bookings in Vientiane in the morning.

Since there's only one sleeper car, berths are the first to sell out. According to SRT's booking policy, a ticket for the entire Bangkok–Vientiane route should be available about 90 days in advance on the D-Ticket website and at the stations. 12Go offers seats for a booking fee, but on the dates I checked, no berths were available. So, if a sleeper car is important to you, book it with SRT as early as possible. If it's fully booked, sleeper car number 25 to Nong Khai is a good alternative.

How the border works on the train

Thai exit in Nong Khai, Laotian entrance in Khamsavath

In Nong Khai, all passengers disembark with their passports and pass through Thai exit control on the platform. The train then continues its journey, and you reboard. According to reviews, you can leave your luggage on the train for this stop when traveling north. Lao immigration and customs control takes place upon arrival in Khamsavath, where you join the other passengers in line.

The official Lao e-visa website lists Khamsavath Station and the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge I as entry points for the e-visa. An e-visa is therefore valid both on the train and on the bridge. Processing typically takes three business days and requires a 4 x 6 cm passport photo and the photo page of your passport. The fee for your nationality will be displayed on the website before payment. According to Seat61, the visa on arrival at Khamsavath costs approximately US$40 in cash for 30 days and can be paid in US dollars, baht, or kip. A passport photo and a short application form are also required. Seat61 also notes that US dollar bills must be in perfect condition.

Regardless of which passport you use, the British government recommends a passport valid for at least six months and with two blank pages for Laos. There are no currency exchange offices in Khamsavath, so I would bring the visa fee in cash and some baht for the journey into town.

From Khamsavath Station to Vientiane

Khamsavath train station is located approximately 7 km from Vientiane city center. According to Seat61, a metered taxi costs around 80,000–100,000 kip, while a rental car booked through a hotel costs around 300,000 kip. Barrows Thai Train Guide describes a shuttle bus that picks up the train and takes about 30 minutes to reach Talat Sao bus station. The price was 20,000 kip when the service was first introduced. However, one passenger in July 2026 found only waiting taxis and minivans, indicating that this service is unreliable. Alternatively, travelers can use LOCA, the Lao ride-hailing app, provided they have mobile data access.

Take sleeping car no. 25 or no. 75 to Nong Khai, then cross the bridge.

The alternative solution when number 133 is full.

The Special Express No. 25 is a newer, Chinese-built sleeper train with first-class two-berth cabins and a dining car. It departs Krung Thep Aphiwat at 8:25 PM and arrives in Nong Khai at 6:25 AM. According to Seat61, second-class seats to Nong Khai cost 894–994 baht and first-class 1,350–1,550 baht. From there, you have two options: You can wait on the platform for about two hours and take the final leg of train No. 133, which departs Nong Khai at 8:35 AM and arrives in Khamsavath at 9:05 AM. Fares are 70 baht in third class or 120 baht in second class. Passengers departing from Thailand will be together with those traveling through. Or take a tuk-tuk from the train station to the Nong Khai bus station, from where a shuttle bus departs approximately every 20 minutes for about 30-40 baht across the bridge, stopping at the Thai exit and then at the Laotian immigration office.

The daytime train No. 75 departs Bangkok at 8:45 a.m. and arrives in Nong Khai at 5:30 p.m., five minutes after the evening train No. 147 to Laos departs at 5:25 p.m. From train No. 75, you would take the bridge bus. Both border crossings are open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., so there is plenty of time, although you would arrive in Vientiane after dark. The Laotian end of the bridge is about 25 to 30 km from the city center, where taxis and tuk-tuks are readily available. Our Bangkok to Udon Thani travel guide includes all three northbound train connections with their respective departure times.

The direct bus from Mo Chit

The state-owned bus company BKS (Transport Co.) offers an international express bus from Mo Chit 2 to Vientiane at 8:00 PM. According to 12Go, the bus arrives at the Talat Sao bus station at the morning market in central Vientiane around 11:20 AM. The journey takes approximately 15 hours, including border checks, and costs about 983 baht, including the booking fee. BusOnlineTicket lists fares starting from 900 baht. Passengers report being escorted through the border by staff and remaining on the same bus. The journey is cheaper than a sleeper berth on the train but slower. You get off in the city center instead of 7 km outside, making it more suitable for a tight budget than for a restful night's sleep.

Flight from Bangkok to Vientiane

Three airlines offer direct flights. Thai Airways and Lao Airlines fly from Suvarnabhumi Airport, with Lao Airlines offering two flights daily. Thai AirAsia flies from Don Mueang Airport. Flight time is between 1 hour 10 minutes and 1 hour 20 minutes. Many offers on booking portals involve transit through China or Singapore and take almost a full day. Therefore, filter for direct flights. Wattay International Airport is located about 3 km from the city center and is an entry point for both e-visas and visas on arrival. If you have arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport on a long-haul flight, a connecting flight with Thai Airways or Lao Airlines will save you the trip across the city to Don Mueang.

Fly to Udon Thani and take the bus.

If flights to Vientiane are expensive, domestic flights to Udon Thani are often a cheaper alternative. Around a dozen flights depart daily from Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi Airports, with a flight time of approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. BKS buses to Vientiane depart from Udon Thani Bus Station 1 at 7:00, 9:00, 11:30, 13:30, and 15:30, arriving at Udon Thani Airport in 30 minutes. The 87 km route crosses the Friendship Bridge and costs 80 baht. An early flight will get you to Vientiane in the afternoon. Our Bangkok–Udon Thani travel guide includes all flights to the airport.

Before you cross the street

Back to Thailand and stay safe in Laos

Plan your return trip before you leave. Entering Thailand by train or via the bridge is considered a land entry. The visa waiver, now 30 days for most passports, is limited to two entries per calendar year. Nationals of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and Singapore are exempt from this restriction. You will also need a new Thailand Digital Arrival Card for each entry. A trip to Vientiane is a good reason to enter, but I wouldn't consider it a guarantee of a return visit. Our Thailand visa guide explains the requirements for different nationalities.

The British government's travel advice for Laos warns of pickpocketing by motorcyclists in Vientiane. Therefore, keep your bag away from the road. Laos has a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs; e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products are also prohibited. The UK only advises against travel to the province of Xaisomboun, which is far from Vientiane.

More about the northeast and the road to Laos

From Vientiane to Bangkok

Rapid chess No. 134 at 6:25 PM, in short

The return journey on express train No. 134 departs from Khamsavath Station at 6:25 PM. The train stops in Nong Khai for Thai immigration control, where all passengers disembark with their luggage. Arrival in Bangkok is around 7:20 to 7:30 AM. The departure tax for Laos is 10,000 kip. Entry into Thailand by land is one of the two annual land entries exempt from the entry exemption. Our Vientiane to Bangkok travel guide includes the complete timetable, information on changing to the night train No. 26 in Nong Khai, bus connections, flights from Bangkok Airport, and re-entry requirements.

Vientiane → Bangkok: Departure times you can book now

Check the train and bus connections back from Vientiane to Bangkok.

The 12Go website offers return journeys, including bus number 134 from Khamsavath, evening buses, and flights. Prices include a booking fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions about traveling from Bangkok to Vientiane.

Yes, once a day. Express train No. 133 departs Krung Thep Aphiwat at 9:25 PM and Don Mueang at 9:42 PM, stops in Nong Khai for exit checks, and arrives at Khamsavath station outside Vientiane at 9:05 AM.

At the train station, a third-class seat costs 281 baht, an air-conditioned seat 574 baht, an upper sleeper berth 784 baht, and a lower sleeper berth 874 baht. Travel agencies like 12Go charge an additional 55–100 baht.

Yes, an air-conditioned second-class sleeper car with upper and lower berths. This part of the train is always the first to sell out, so book as soon as SRT opens sales, which according to their regulations should be about 90 days in advance.

Yes. The official Lao e-visa website lists Khamsavath Station and the Friendship Bridge as entry points for e-visas. A visa on arrival is also available at the station for a fee of approximately US$40 in cash and with a passport photo.

Approximately 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Thai Airways and Lao Airlines fly nonstop from Suvarnabhumi and Thai AirAsia from Don Mueang.

Yes. The Transport Co. express bus departs from Mo Chit 2 at 8:00 PM and arrives at the Talat Sao bus station in central Vientiane around 11:20 AM. The fare is approximately 900–990 baht.

Take the shuttle bus from Nong Khai bus station across the Friendship Bridge, approximately every 20 minutes for about 30–40 Baht, or the short train ride from Nong Khai railway station at 08:35 or 17:25 for 70–120 Baht.

You can reach Vientiane by night train No. 133 or by direct flight. Lao Airlines flies directly from Bangkok to Luang Prabang in winter; alternatively, you can take the train to Vientiane and from there travel north on the Lao-Chinese railway line.

The express train No. 134 departs from Khamsavath Station at 6:25 PM and arrives in Bangkok around 7:20 to 7:30 AM. Thai immigration takes place in Nong Khai. There are also direct flights and evening buses; see our Vientiane to Bangkok travel guide for full details.

Where to stay in Thailand

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    I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled throughout the country from there. The guidebooks reflect my personal opinion and are written as I would explain things to a friend planning a trip.

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