Is There A Cheap Bus From Bangkok Or Hua Hin To Vientiane?

[GoGet]

Hi there,

Is there a cheap bus from Bangkok (or even better, Hua Hin) to Vientiane? Preferably with reclinable seats.

Also, how much is it to get a Lao visa at the border?

Thanks

GoGet

[loong]

Been a few years since I've been to Vientiane. So info is maybe not current.

I don't think that there is an international bus from Bangkok that will take you all the way.

You can get a bus from Nakon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen or UdonThani that goes to Vientiane morning market. You can't book these in advance and you have to have your Visa for Laos to be able to buy a ticket.

You can get a bus to Nong Khai, Tuk tuk to the bridge and then a bus the other side to Vientiane.

Visas at the Laos border vary slightly with nationality. Cheaper to pay with US $. Around $35 or 1,500 Baht.

If you buy the visa at the border, when they give you your passport back, it will already have the entry stamp, so you can walk straight past the immigration booths.

The booth that sells 10 Bt entry fee tickets are for Thai and Lao citizens without Visas. You do not need to buy one.

[allane]

The tuktuk driver may stop at a private visa agency about 500 metres short of the border and direct you to go inside. Naturally, these charge a steep fee, of which the tuktuk driver likely gets a percentage. Insist that he take you to the actual border where you can get your visa for yourself at the Lao Immigration Office.

And save some Lao money as you leave Lao to return to Thailand. They charge an exit tax for you to leave. I'm going from memory on this; I think it is 10,000 kip.

[phuturatica]

Loads of travel agencies have buses going to Vientiane from Bangkok. They'll take you to Nong Khai Friendship border and then onto Vientiane afterwards.

There are millions of travel agencies around the Khao San Road area of Bangkok.

[GreenSnapper]

The tuktuk driver may stop at a private visa agency about 500 metres short of the border and direct you to go inside. Naturally, these charge a steep fee, of which the tuktuk driver likely gets a percentage. Insist that he take you to the actual border where you can get your visa for yourself at the Lao Immigration Office.

This scam goes on since almost 20 years.