Travel to Luang Prabang

[Kasset Tak]

Does anyone know which border crossings from Thailand to Laos that we as foreigners can use?
My friends have asked me to go with them to Luang Prabang, Laos. I do know that there are several small crossings up here in the North but I have never tried to cross any of those as they don't have visa on arrival so I was thinking about getting a visa from Laos embassy in BKK. But then, reading here on TVF and other places on the net I have realized that there are many crossings that only are for local people and not for foreigners. So back again to my initial question, which border crossings from Thailand to Laos can we as foreigners use?

[ubonjoe]

A list of crossings to Laos can be found here. http://www.laos-guide-999.com/Laos-border.html  and here http://www.immigration.gov.la/checkpoints.html

[BritTim]

The easiest way is to fly, but I guess you already know that. The cost to fly to Luang Prabang is far lower than it was a few years ago. By land, an easy solution is to cross at Nong Khai to Vientiane. The road from Vientiane to Luang Prabang these days is good and safe. I still like Luang Prabang, but it has lost most of the magic it possessed when I first visited almost 30 years ago.

[sanemax]

Cross the border at Chiang Kong and get a boat to LP.

You can get a Visa exempt stamp at CK (on the way back)

 

[howard ashoul]

Why not go for a biggest cross? To capital city Vientanie. You will get 30 days visa on arrival for 1500 Baht.

 

It also much more easier to catch a bus or mini van to Luang Prabang from there.

Edited March 27, 2017 by howard ashoul

[ubonjoe]

11 minutes ago, howard ashoul said:

Why not go for a biggest cross?

That would depend upon where he is traveling from.

Going to Vientiane and then to Luang Prabang would be back tracking if he is in the north of the country already. The same 30 day visa on arrival is available at other crossings.

[jethro69]

Chiang Khong was mentioned already, and if you got some time on your hands, going by boat is 2 days, with a stopover in Pak Beng. Another internatioal crossing, is Golden Triangle (Chiang Saen) but public transportation down to Huayxai is almost nonexistent. It's a long trip to Luang Prabang, as the roads goes up north to Luang Namtha first, then Oudomxay and finally south to LP.

I used a lot the crossing(s) in Nan province, but lately no motorcycles and at some point even no cars were allowed to cross. Same goes for Phu-Do crossing, Lao side has no VoA at that crossing, so very few (farang) crosses there, they took even pictures of me with the immigration chief, when I crossed last year. For the most recent situation look up the GT-rider or rideasia.net websites.

I used to go 3-4 times a year to Lao through the beforementioned crossings, but with the restrictions, Loa does not see my $$$ this years. Sure in Cambo they love'm too.