Vientiane To Udon

[Pontare]

What is the best way to go from Vientiane to Udon after receiving the tourist visa at the embassy? Local buses from Vientiane apparently use a whopping 3 hours. Chartered taxi from Vientiane a couple of thousand baht. There is no mini-bus service.

Would it be possible to charter a vehicle to the border for a few hundred bahts, and then jump on a Thai bus on the other side? Are there transportation readily available on the thai side of the Friendship Bridge?

Any other good advice on how to get to Udon as quickly and cheaply as possible from Vientiane?

[lovelaos]

Your information is wrong. You can get the Lao-Thai International bus from the central bus station nxt to the morning market to Udon. It takes 1.5 - 2 hours. If you miss the bus there are minibus drivers hanging around ready to drive you to the bridge (dont pay more than 500 Baht per person) when you get to the bridge you catch the bus to Thai immigration (20 Baht). From there you can get a ride to Udon (dont pay more than 700 Baht) The International bus runs from 8 a.m every 2 hours. Get there early to get your ticket as they sell out quick.

If you dont want to pay for the ride on the Thai side, Nong Khai bus station is a short walk where you can catch a bus to Udon.

Edited April 11, 2012 by lovelaos

[Colabamumbai]

Tuk Tuk or Taxi to the border 30 minutes. Clear Thai imiigration, Tuk tuk to the bus station in Nong Khai, 10 minutes bus to Udon 1 hour. Don't complicate things.

[chris1970]

if your at the thai embassy in vientiene you have 2 options to get to udon :

tuk tuk to the border (max 200 baht even if on own 30 - 40 mins)

bus accross the bridge (20 baht)

tuk tuk to nong khai bus station (20-40 baht ?)

bus to udon city center bus station (60 baht or something but is a slow old bus)

or

tuk tuk to vientiene bus station ,

bus to udon - recommend buying the bus ticket in advance maybe the day b4 or certinaly in the morning , it's called the vientiene express and also goes to the inner bus station in udon (120 baht ?)

the quickest way is probably tuk tuk to the border then a private car hire on the thai side to where ever you want to go in udon but it's also more expensive maybe 700 baht i once paid.

[Pontare]

if your at the thai embassy in vientiene you have 2 options to get to udon :

tuk tuk to the border (max 200 baht even if on own 30 - 40 mins)

bus accross the bridge (20 baht)

tuk tuk to nong khai bus station (20-40 baht ?)

bus to udon city center bus station (60 baht or something but is a slow old bus)

or

tuk tuk to vientiene bus station ,

bus to udon - recommend buying the bus ticket in advance maybe the day b4 or certinaly in the morning , it's called the vientiene express and also goes to the inner bus station in udon (120 baht ?)

the quickest way is probably tuk tuk to the border then a private car hire on the thai side to where ever you want to go in udon but it's also more expensive maybe 700 baht i once paid.

Thanks. Unfortunately didn't make it to the bus station this morning, so I'll be the latter.

[dollarman]

I feel like hijacking this thread Can one obtain the multiple entry Thai tourist visa in Vientiane the the same day if one give them the passport early in the morning (without using fixers) or will they return the passport the next day? What time does the Thai embassy in Vientiane open?

[lopburi3]

No. 0830

[Mario2008]

You pick up the next day in the afternoon.