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Transportation
Welcome to Laos! Are you planning to travel to Laos or visit Laos soon? If yes, I will give you information about transportation to Laos. You have many options on traveling to Laos; depends on where you start from, where you will plan to travel in Laos is the landlocked country. So, Laos doesn’t have a border next to any sea. The easiest option to visit Laos, I prefer to recommend your coming by airplane or bus. Anyway, another option is okay and I wish that the Railway is a very good way in the future, too if it will be finished to service you soon. Other it may/may not and depending on your opinion/like.
Please find below is a list about four ways to Laos
- Plane
- Bus
- Visit Laos by Train/railway in 2021 (Soon)- under construction
- Car, Bicycle or bike
Plane (Visiting into Laos by airplane)
There are four main international airports in Lao PDR, one in central, two airports in the south, one in the northern.
1) Wattay International Airport
Location: Wattay village, Sikhodtabong district, Vientiane Capital
Website: www.vientianeairport.com
2) Savannakhet International Airport
Location: Kaisonphomvihan district, Savannakhet Province
Tel: (856) 041 212 140
3) Pakse International Airport
Location: Pakse district, Champasack Province
Credit Photo: Trillion Pixel
4) Luang Prabang International Airport,
Location: Luang Prabang province
Website: https://www.luangprabangairport.com/
List of Flight and Airline Service to Laos
- Lao Airline (QV)
- Bangkok Airline (PG)
- Thai Airways International (TG)
- China Eastern Airline
- Vietnam Airlines (VN)
- And Air Asia Airlines
Please noted that there isn’t a direct flight to Laos from Europe, the US, or others. Many tourists will arrive by many hubs to Laos, for example, Souvannabhumi airports in Bangkok, Thailand; Hanoi in Vietnam, Kuala Lumper in Malaysia or Singapore, which these countries have direct many flights to Laos. Please make sure that you should book a ticket to cover the whole trip; if you are convenient. Because you will get a discount for connecting fare with lower the risk of miss your connecting flight.
If you want to save money, you can fly to Bangkok, and then you can take an international flight service in Thailand. For example Air Asia, Nok Air, Flying from Bangkok to border such as Chiang Rai province, Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani province in Thailand. In the end, you will cross the border as follows:
Chiang Rai – Huay Xai
Ubon Thani – Pakse
Udon Thani – Vientiane Capital.
Anyway, Thai domestic flight is from Donmuang. You need to go to Donmeuang to take the flights; if you reach Souvannabhumi airports in Thailand.
Finally, It’s better to take a flight from Bangkok to Vientiane, Laos; because you will save more time for traveling in Laos. And then you can take a domestic flight of Laos like Lao Airline or Lao SkyWay to others provinces in Laos; going to Luangprabang, Champasack, and Savannakhet province as well.
Introducing Firefly New Routes:
From Penang to Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and Johor Bahru
Visit Laos by bus
Many tourist select to travel to Laos by bus and crossing the border to/from neighboring countries, for example, China (Kunming, Mengla), Vietnam (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City), Cambodia (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap) and the popular route is from Thailand (Nongkhai, Udonthani, Bangkok, Khonekean, Chiang Mai, Chiangrai, Loei, Khon Khaen, Nakonpanom, Mukdahan). There is an international bus Vangvieng- Udonthani (via Nongkhai) directly.
Chiang Khong (Chiangmai, Thailand) to Houay Xai (Sayyaboury, Laos)
You can take a bus from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang province directly
Visit Laos by Train / railway in 2021 (Soon)
Currently, there is only one train between two countries Thailand to Laos and crossing Mekong River; the destination from Nong Khai to Tha Naleng, which is not a popular way by many people. Because the railway is very short as it is only 3 Km long and some way 13 KM from Vientiane.
If you are in Bangkok, Thailand, you can travel from Hua Lamphong station, Bangkok to Nong Khai.
Then you continue to take the train from Nong Khai to Tha Naleng, Laos. Another option, you can take the two shuttle services daily crossing the border at Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge I.
| No. | Route Detail | Departure time | Arrival Time |
| Nong Khai to Tha Naleng | 9:00 AM | 9:15 AM | |
| 914 | Tha Naleng to Nong Khai | 11:15 A.M | 11:30 A.M |
| 917
|
Nong Khai to Tha Naleng | 14:45 P.M. | 15:00 P.M. |
| 918
|
Tha Naleng to Nong Khai | 17.00 P.M. | 17:15 P.M |
Progressing of new Lao – China Semi high-speed railway.
Do you know that you will have a new route option traveling to Laos soon? If you have ever been to Laos, how many ways to get into Laos? You may hear or may not hear about this article. Actually, many media already publish and this project is very talk of the town in Laos; moreover, this project is near to local Lao people’s land; or some Lao people may get effecting by this big project as well. I will explain and let you know more via this article and the below contents.
High way train coming soon. Laos is building the first new transportation Asia High-Speed train nature from Kunming in China through northern, pass by Vientiane capital to Thailand and Singapore. This new train will be completed in the year 2021.
Suppose to the type of train Lao-China CRH (CRH1, CRH3, CRH5, CRH6). The speed is between 140-200 km/hour. High mountain areas such as Botan-Vungvieng will allow speed 160-180 km/hour; speed 160-200 km/hour is in Vientiane capital, 120 km/hour speed is for product transportation.
This project started in 2015. Currently, over 44% is having progress in Vientiane capital. People expected to be able to ride the train in 2020 (or end of December 2021); about 6 billion dollars of total construction, 70% hold by China government and 30% hold by the Lao government. The distance of trail way is 414 km.
The starter rout is in Mohan in China and Botan in Laos, passed by Luang Namtha, Oudomxay, Luangprabang, Vungvieng of Vientiane province and end in Vientiane capital. This project supports the employment of Lao, so many Lao will be employed.
Finally, I hope that this railway will bring a new appearance and promote to the tourism industry; travelers can get to Laos easily with the new traveling option, it will save more time, also the distance is a shortage, comfortable, quickly during the journey.
The completing of the railway will develop the Lao infrastructure, an exchange between these main countries, other ASEAN nations as well.
It is expected that the cost of the train commute will be cheaper than another type of vehicle, the railway will be more popular in the near future; however, I think that the advantages are saving time and quick, which will have a great option on traveling to Laos. It will be able to attract more tourists from other countries as it will be a new way of connecting to Laos. It facilitates the transport of goods more comfortably, more quickly than both export and import goods, it will be good for another business sector as well.
Note: I will update your more detail about the railway later.
Visit Laos by Car/Van, Bicycle or bike
It is very normal to see a lot of Thai plate cars or Chinese plate cars in Vientiane, Laos. Of course, It’s quite very easy and simple to bring a vehicle traveling in Laos. Many neighborhood tourists prefer to bring their own cars, bikes, or bicycle as well, for example, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand (But, You cannot drive a car from Myanmar).
You don’t have to bring any bicycle’s document if you ride the bicycle crossing the border as mentioned countries; you only bring your valid passport and prepare your personal thing, equipment’s for your safety. Normally, You can get a carnet stamped at any international border. Of course! Don’t forget to bring your money in USD or Thai Bath and then you can have any exchange at any bank in Laos or any Exchange Agency that you will see.
When you drive car/van or bike, many supported vehicle document’s requirement and pre-arrangement will be done as follows:
1) Passport
2) A passport for your car or carnet;
3) other passengers’ passports;
4) International Driving license or Thai driver’s license;
5) A written permission document (if the car is registered in someone else’s name);
6) Insurance;
7) Vehicle’s official registration book and tax receipts; and
8) An International Transport Permit (If you come from Thailand Purple Book, it is required; many Thai calls “Lem Si Maung”.
Please noted that the driving side is on right in Laos and also be careful about driving as well. Because, many roads have unsurfaced, break down or under construction. Laos is quite dusty in some areas; if you ride a motorbike or bicycle, you should wearing a face mask for protecting dust.
Thank you information from Facebook Group name” Lao Rail ( ລົດໄຟດ່ວນ ສປຈີນ-ສປປລາວ) ”