Thai Bus Service Launches New Thai-laos Route

[george]

Thai bus service launches new Thai-Laos route

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Transport Company Ltd. opened a new bus route from Thailand's northeastern province of Mukdahan and Savannakhet province in Laos following the recent official opening of the Second Friendship Bridge linking Mukdahan and Savannakhet.

Wuthichart Kalyanamitra, acting general manager of the Transport Company Ltd, said that the bus service was a resolution of Thai-Lao Committee of Second Friendship Bridge Administration and Maintenance and Committee of Legal Cooperation of the Second Friendship Bridge.

Under the agreement of the two sides, there will be around 12 bus trips a day between 7am to 5.30pm.

Covering the total 17-kilometre distance, the fare costs 45 baht (US$1.25) for each passenger.

Thailand and Laos agreed to share ten per cent of their revenue for each other. Each passenger is required to hold a passport and pay Bt10 for entry fee.

Mr. Wuthichart added that this is the fourth bus route between Thailand and Laos, after Nong Khai-Vientiane, Udon Thani-Vientiane and Ubon Ratchathani-Pakse. Moreover, the fifth line, Luang Phrabang-Nan-Chiang Mai is expected to open soon.

--TNA 2007-01-09

[sriracha john]

1. Be interesting to find out if non-Thai/Lao passengers are allowed to use it. If so, great.

2. Wonder what on Earth routing they are using to come up with their "17 kilometre distance" as the 2 towns are right across the river from one another.

3. The REALLY big news would be bus service from Mukdahan, clear across Lao, to Vietnam.

Edited January 9, 2007 by sriracha john

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

1. Be interesting to find out if non-Thai/Lao passengers are allowed to use it. If so, great.

2. Wonder what on Earth routing they are using to come up with their "17 kilometre distance" as the 2 towns are right across the river from one another.

3. The REALLY big news would be bus service from Mukdahan, clear across Lao, to Vietnam.

Re 1. When I was in Udon in November, a I could take the UT-Vientienne bus from the central terminal only if I could show a Lao entry visa. It was stated so right at the ticket window. I think it was 81 baht for the one-way ticket. There is a Lao consulate-general in Khon Kaen, but I don't know whether there is one in Udon.

Re 3. I would be on that bus to VN in a heartbeat.

[sriracha john]

1. Be interesting to find out if non-Thai/Lao passengers are allowed to use it. If so, great.

2. Wonder what on Earth routing they are using to come up with their "17 kilometre distance" as the 2 towns are right across the river from one another.

3. The REALLY big news would be bus service from Mukdahan, clear across Lao, to Vietnam.

Re 1. When I was in Udon in November, a I could take the UT-Vientienne bus from the central terminal only if I could show a Lao entry visa. It was stated so right at the ticket window. I think it was 81 baht for the one-way ticket. There is a Lao consulate-general in Khon Kaen, but I don't know whether there is one in Udon.

Re 3. I would be on that bus to VN in a heartbeat.

Thanks for the info, Kaoboi

1. It's likely to be then as I suspect in that a pre-obtained Lao Visa would be required for non-Thai/Lao to ride the bus as they wouldn't want to hold up the bus for everyone else.

3. It'd be terrific to go that route to Hue or Da Nang. Supposedly, Laos is making a good road across their territory straight to there. Hopefully, it'll be done this generation.

[Briggsy]

There are 'rot too' tours from Bkk to Hue available. The journey takes about 20 hours. I don't know if these are available to non-Thais. These tours include accommodation.

My Thai friend said that they were very quickly processed at the 4 border crossings.

[Mai Krap]

With everything thats going on I thought this would be a special for a one way ticket, Maybe the Immigration office can give my neighbors a couple buckets if I take a 90 day holiday in Vietnam

Edited January 10, 2007 by Mai Krap

[PREM-R]

The new bridge at Mukdahan is the latest section of the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) which will ultimately link the economic centers of Myanmar, Lao PDR, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and China. The road linking Myawaddy and Da Nang should be completed in 2008. Khon Kaen has been chosen as the 'hub' for passengers and freight using the EWEC and the Khon Kaen Inland Container Depot (KICD) will be constructed to the south of the city at Tha Pra. It is thought that it will soon be possible for visitors to eat breakfast in Thailand, Lunch in Lao and take dinner in Da Nang Vietnam.

[yeti]

2. Wonder what on Earth routing they are using to come up with their "17 kilometre distance" as the 2 towns are right across the river from one another.

The bridge has been constructed few km away from the center of both cities, and it's beginning and ending few km from the banks on both sides, so 17 km from 1 bus station to the other one, if the bus stations are downtown, seems right.

[sriracha john]

2. Wonder what on Earth routing they are using to come up with their "17 kilometre distance" as the 2 towns are right across the river from one another.

The bridge has been constructed few km away from the center of both cities, and it's beginning and ending few km from the banks on both sides, so 17 km from 1 bus station to the other one, if the bus stations are downtown, seems right.

Not a big deal, but when I was in town in 2005 (when the bridge was about 1/2 finished), it looked to be 3 - 5 km out of town from the ferry-crossing (in the heart of town) and with the bridge at 2 km long, that adds up to 8 - 12 km to the heart of Savannakhet... at 17, it would have to be 7.5 km away... which it certainly didn't seem to be, but oh well... so be it.