Chiang Mai To Vang Vieng And Vang Vieng To Ko Phangan

[kevinw]

Hi

Around this time next week I will be travelling from Chiang mai to Vang Vieng in Laos. Then a few days later I will be travelling from there down to Ko Phangan, can anyone tell me the best ways of making these trips bus/train/plane? We are on a reasonably tight budget and as we don't have a lot of time either we would be willing to pay maybe 4000 baht for flights but only as a last option.

Also can anyone tell me if we will have any problems at the Laos border, we do not have any visas as we will only be in asia for 29 days.

Thank you,

Kevin

[wagner54]

Hi

Around this time next week I will be travelling from Chiang mai to Vang Vieng in Laos. Then a few days later I will be travelling from there down to Ko Phangan, can anyone tell me the best ways of making these trips bus/train/plane? We are on a reasonably tight budget and as we don't have a lot of time either we would be willing to pay maybe 4000 baht for flights but only as a last option.

Also can anyone tell me if we will have any problems at the Laos border, we do not have any visas as we will only be in asia for 29 days.

Thank you,

Kevin

Your cheapest way is to take a bus from Chiang Mai to Udon Thani then jump on a small bus or something similar and go to the border at Nong Kai, from there you will be in Vientiane and if you go to the bus station you will be able to find a bus to Vang Vieng then back to Udon then Bangkok and from there you can take buses and ferries to Koh Samui. You should have no trouble getting a visa for Laos at the border but it costs around $35 or more US for the visa, I cant remember the exact price. Another problem you may encounter in Laos is finding someone who speaks english to point you to the right buses. It has been about 10 years since I've been to Vang Vieng and it was very scenic but not much other then scenery there. As far as doing it for 4000 baht buses would be the only way you can do it that cheap and probably not aircon even. Good Luck and have fun.

[callao]

Hi

Around this time next week I will be travelling from Chiang mai to Vang Vieng in Laos. Then a few days later I will be travelling from there down to Ko Phangan, can anyone tell me the best ways of making these trips bus/train/plane? We are on a reasonably tight budget and as we don't have a lot of time either we would be willing to pay maybe 4000 baht for flights but only as a last option.

Also can anyone tell me if we will have any problems at the Laos border, we do not have any visas as we will only be in asia for 29 days.

Thank you,

Kevin

the easiest way would be to fly to Luang Prabang bus to VV bus VV to Veintaine and over night train or bus to Bangkok, the bus from Chaing Mai to Udon is a good 12 hour run, plus another 2 hours to get to Veintaine from there, no problem with getting a visa $30-35 you do need at least 1 passport photo, you can fly from Udon back to BKK for cheap on asia air you could look at asia air website and see if its cheaper to fly back to BKK then up to Udon, lao air is about $130 Chaing Mai to LP, still a 7 hour bus ride to VV from LP, 3.5 hour bus if you come from VTE and note that if you cross back into thailand overland (not by air) you will only get a 15 day visa for thailand

[kevinw]

Hi

Around this time next week I will be travelling from Chiang mai to Vang Vieng in Laos. Then a few days later I will be travelling from there down to Ko Phangan, can anyone tell me the best ways of making these trips bus/train/plane? We are on a reasonably tight budget and as we don't have a lot of time either we would be willing to pay maybe 4000 baht for flights but only as a last option.

Also can anyone tell me if we will have any problems at the Laos border, we do not have any visas as we will only be in asia for 29 days.

Thank you,

Kevin

the easiest way would be to fly to Luang Prabang bus to VV bus VV to Veintaine and over night train or bus to Bangkok, the bus from Chaing Mai to Udon is a good 12 hour run, plus another 2 hours to get to Veintaine from there, no problem with getting a visa $30-35 you do need at least 1 passport photo, you can fly from Udon back to BKK for cheap on asia air you could look at asia air website and see if its cheaper to fly back to BKK then up to Udon, lao air is about $130 Chaing Mai to LP, still a 7 hour bus ride to VV from LP, 3.5 hour bus if you come from VTE and note that if you cross back into thailand overland (not by air) you will only get a 15 day visa for thailand

Thank you very much for your reply, both of you. I don't understand though why would we only get a 15 day visa when we are returning to Thailand? We will be leaving Thailand about 18 days after coming back from Laos, will we be fined or what? How much will that fine be?

Also I have been looking at the air asia flights and it seems like the only fly to Kuala Lumper from Laos. Lao airlines may seem like the better airline, what do you know about this airline? Is it safe?

Thank you,

Kevin

[callao]

Hi

Around this time next week I will be travelling from Chiang mai to Vang Vieng in Laos. Then a few days later I will be travelling from there down to Ko Phangan, can anyone tell me the best ways of making these trips bus/train/plane? We are on a reasonably tight budget and as we don't have a lot of time either we would be willing to pay maybe 4000 baht for flights but only as a last option.

Also can anyone tell me if we will have any problems at the Laos border, we do not have any visas as we will only be in asia for 29 days.

Thank you,

Kevin

the easiest way would be to fly to Luang Prabang bus to VV bus VV to Veintaine and over night train or bus to Bangkok, the bus from Chaing Mai to Udon is a good 12 hour run, plus another 2 hours to get to Veintaine from there, no problem with getting a visa $30-35 you do need at least 1 passport photo, you can fly from Udon back to BKK for cheap on asia air you could look at asia air website and see if its cheaper to fly back to BKK then up to Udon, lao air is about $130 Chaing Mai to LP, still a 7 hour bus ride to VV from LP, 3.5 hour bus if you come from VTE and note that if you cross back into thailand overland (not by air) you will only get a 15 day visa for thailand

Thank you very much for your reply, both of you. I don't understand though why would we only get a 15 day visa when we are returning to Thailand? We will be leaving Thailand about 18 days after coming back from Laos, will we be fined or what? How much will that fine be?

Also I have been looking at the air asia flights and it seems like the only fly to Kuala Lumper from Laos. Lao airlines may seem like the better airline, what do you know about this airline? Is it safe?

Thank you,

Kevin

I believe that now anytime you enter Thailand from an overland border crossing you only get a 15 day visa if you fly in you get 30 days, Lao air is fine for most routes they use ATR72 and MA 60 turboprop aircraft that are fairly new for the major routes, you can fly Asia air Udon Thani to BKK from Veintaine as a lower cost alternative getting back to BKK, maybe stay a couple more days in laos or fly back to BKK from VTE

[harrry]

if you cross back into thailand overland (not by air) you will only get a 15 day visa for thailand

This is not a visa it is a permit to enter without a visa. I suggest you eiher get a re entry permit from immigration before leaving thailand or get a new visa in Vientianne and you will get the full period on entry.

[ham]

Hi

Around this time next week I will be travelling from Chiang mai to Vang Vieng in Laos. Then a few days later I will be travelling from there down to Ko Phangan, can anyone tell me the best ways of making these trips bus/train/plane? We are on a reasonably tight budget and as we don't have a lot of time either we would be willing to pay maybe 4000 baht for flights but only as a last option.

Also can anyone tell me if we will have any problems at the Laos border, we do not have any visas as we will only be in asia for 29 days.

Thank you,

Kevin

Hi Kevin

we did it twice, but the opposite way, coming from Ko Phangan. We fly Suratthani to BKK, taking the comfortable and nice train ride (sleeper 2nd, better 1. class of coarse, it is hot now!!) through Issan (morning time) to Nong Kai. Then crossing the border to Laos and sleeping in Vientiane one night. Ordering the bus for the next day to VV in the guesthouse. Busride about 5 h to VV.

I send you my website link (having al about Phangan and some info about VV). Air Asia you can book over the web.

In Bangkok you can make yourself fresh in the Railwaystation, clean shower rooms etc. for 10 Baht. Vang Vieng is a lovely destination.

In VV you can make the visa (back to Thailand) through a agency as far as i remember, but now not shure about that. You can save the expenses there and doing a day trip again from Ko Phangan to Kuandon (Malay border), end spending the money for this trip (about 1800 B/person, it's a daytrip only (in urgency another "visa run") and you see a lot from the south.

No problem at the Lao border! (see other info on this thread), all well organized to get your money ;-)

have a good trip

ham