Laos → Thailand · Verified 14 October 2026
A direct sleeper bus takes 20 to 24 hours, and train 133/134 runs overnight between Bangkok and Vientiane. Crossing at Nong Khai and continuing separately is usually cheapest.
Search Vientiane to Bangkok routes
For one ticket and no planning, take the direct bus or the through train from Vientiane's Khamsavath station. For the lowest fare, cross the 1st Friendship Bridge to Nong Khai and ride Thailand's own sleeper train or bus to Bangkok's Krung Thep Aphiwat station. Short on time? A flight takes about 1 hour 15 minutes.
| Duration | Border crossing | From | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vientiane |
20–24 hrs | 1st Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge | Check prices | |
| Vientiane |
1–1.5 hrs | 1st Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge | Check prices | |
| Bangkok |
about 1 h 15 m | THB 3,745 | Check prices | |
| Vientiane |
approx 3 hrs | 1st Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge | Check prices |
One ticket, overnight, about 20 to 24 hours to Bangkok's Mo Chit terminal on a VIP sleeper coach. Naga Travel is one of the long-running operators. Take it if a border change and a second booking are more hassle than the saving is worth.
The long-haul option on this border, usually run as an overnight sleeper. Many travellers cover the same ground more cheaply by crossing at Nong Khai and continuing separately on a Thai bus or train.
Since July 2024 a through train has linked Bangkok's Krung Thep Aphiwat with Vientiane's Khamsavath station, with no change at Nong Khai.
| Train | Leaves | Arrives |
|---|---|---|
| 133, Bangkok to Vientiane | Krung Thep Aphiwat 21:25 | Khamsavath 09:05 |
| 134, Vientiane to Bangkok | Khamsavath 18:25 | Krung Thep Aphiwat 07:20, next morning |
| Class | Fare |
|---|---|
| Second-class sleeper, upper berth | 784 baht |
| Second-class sleeper, lower berth | 874 baht |
| Second-class seat | 574 baht |
| Third class | 281 baht |
Northbound, everyone gets off at Nong Khai for Thai exit checks on the platform, then clears Lao entry at Khamsavath, an official checkpoint that issues visa on arrival and accepts the eVisa. Southbound, Lao exit checks happen at Khamsavath before you board.
Khamsavath is about 7 km from central Vientiane and is not the Laos–China Railway station, a separate station 14 to 15 km out. Tickets are sold on the State Railway of Thailand's own D-Ticket site; the fares above are the last published figures, so check them there.
Cross to Nong Khai first, then let Thailand's own trains and buses take you on: that is where most of the saving comes from. International buses cross in about an hour, several times a day, and a short cross-border train runs from Vientiane's Khamsavath station.
Thailand's long-distance sleepers now use Krung Thep Aphiwat, Bangkok's newer central terminal at Bang Sue, not the old Hua Lamphong station that many older guides still name. The main overnight service leaves Bangkok around 20:25 and reaches Nong Khai around 06:25, roughly 10 hours, in air-conditioned sleeper carriages.
Expect about 900 to 1,550 baht depending on the berth: upper berths cost less than lower, second class less than first. That range comes from the last published fare schedule and we have not re-priced every class this pass, so treat it as a guide. A daytime express with seats only runs the same line in about 8 to 9 hours.
An ordinary Thai intercity coach from Nong Khai to Bangkok is the cheapest option of all, with departures through the day and evening. It is slower and less comfortable overnight than the sleeper train, which is the one to take if you want the night to feel like rest.
The busiest hop on this border, and the easiest place to change onto Thailand's onward network, including the overnight sleeper train to Bangkok.
About 1 hour 15 to 20 minutes in the air, from around THB 3,745. On a trip this long, compare it properly rather than assuming the bus is cheaper: budget carriers with flexible dates sometimes come close to the direct sleeper once you count the hotel night you save.
A direct bus runs to Udon Thani, about 3 hours from Vientiane. It is not a road shortcut to Bangkok; it is worth it for Udon Thani's airport, which often prices regional Thai flights lower than flying via Bangkok. Since 9 September 2026 a bus has also run from Udon Thani Airport straight to Vientiane: timetable and fare on Laos to Thailand crossings.
Thailand's Transport Co. (BKS) launched a direct Route No. 2 service on 9 September 2026: an 80-baht, 40-seat second-class coach that calls at Udon Thani International Airport before continuing to Vientiane, one round trip a day. Departs Udon Thani Bus Terminal 1 at 09:00, the airport at 09:30, arriving Vientiane 12:00; returns from Vientiane at 14:00, the airport at 16:30, Udon Thani at 17:00. Not sold online yet; buy at the terminal.
Every overland option on this page crosses the 1st Friendship Bridge between Vientiane and Nong Khai, the busiest Laos–Thailand crossing by a wide margin. Walking and cycling are banned: you cross on the mandatory paid shuttle bus, or by train, since the railway uses the same bridge. Visa detail, including the 15 September 2026 Thai exemption change and the land-border entry cap, is on Laos to Thailand crossings.
| Crossing | Connects | Hours | Lao visa on arrival |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge Also written Mittaphab Bridge, Nong Khai Bridge |
Vientiane Capital → Nong Khai, Thailand | 06:00–22:00 | Yes |
All five Friendship Bridges, the 15 September 2026 visa change and the Udon Thani Airport bus: Laos to Thailand crossings. Vientiane's own terminals: Vientiane tickets. Flights across the region: flights to Laos. The same journey towards Vietnam: Vientiane to Hanoi. Every other route: all bus routes from Laos.
Laos Bus Tickets
Written and maintained from Vientiane. The people behind this site have lived in Laos for two decades and cross these borders themselves. Routes and visa rules get rechecked whenever something changes, not on a fixed schedule that lets stale information sit for months.