I naively thought I would be able to pull this information from the embassy's website, but since I can't find it, maybe someone here can help me. How much time should I plan to spend in Vientiane when applying for an ED visa?

Also, Nok Air offers "fly'n'ride" service to Vientiane. Can anyone tell me where the bus to Vientiane departs from?

With the correct paperwork, supplied by a school, an Ed visa can be applied for in the AM of day one and picked up in the PM of day two during the working week.

So you should plan for a minimum of a one night stay.

The bus to Vientiane leaves from the airport in Udon Thani. Schedule is here: http://nokair.com/content/en/destinations/fly-n-ride/pakse.aspx

Thanks, you two. Very helpful.