Travel and Transport Info for Loei, Thailand by Hobo Maps - - - Home

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Loei is a nice town but isn't often considered as a travel destination. More like a transport hub and provincial capital. Loei isn't very large and most places are reachable by walking. Tuk tuks and songtaew buses are plentiful and cheap for charter but English is rare.

We haven't seen any places in Loei that rent bicycles or motorbikes to visitors. Many local people do peddle bicycles around and the town is good for cycling. A separate paved bike trail goes beside Hwy. 201 south from town for many kilometers - stretch your legs.

Tourism of Thailand TAT office is open 08:30 - 16:30 & is helpful with maps & info. Located at grid code FK160 on THIS MAP. A Loei Info Center is nearby.

The Loei Bus Station is located at grid code FO157 on THIS MAP. It's not a large bus station since many of the buses start their routes in other places (Udon Thani, Phitsanulok, etc.) and only stop in Loei for a few minutes. This creates a big problem for passengers who want to be sure of getting a seat on these thru buses since the bus may be full on arrival in Loei. For an extra cost you can ask the Loei ticket seller to buy you a ticket and reserve a seat from where the bus starts its trip. We bought tickets from Udon Thani to Phitsanulok but boarded in Loei.

Loei Bus Station has big songtaew buses (trucks) departing frequently for Chiang Khan. Also to Pak Chom where passengers can change to a regular bus going to Nong Khai on Hwy. 211 along the Mekong (nice cycling route).

Nakhon Chai has buses that stop in Loei on the way to Chiang Khan. Sunbus may have big buses to Chiang Khan but not regular schedule.

Chiang Khan departure schedule below at Nakhon Chai Company bus station August 2019 for air con big buses

Pak Chom departure schedule below at bus station August 2019 for big songtaew style buses

- these buses take about 2.5 hours and can be a bit stressfull - the 10:00 AM bus from Pak Chom to Nong Khai will usually wait for this bus to arrive at Pak Chom

Loei doesn't seem to have a minivan bus station like most Thai towns.

All International bus service was suspended in 2020, 2021 and into 2022 due to pandemic and border closures - info below is from before the suspension

International Bus Station is located at the Loei Bus Station in a separate building and has buses to Luang Prabang and Sainyabouli, Laos (Sayaboury) departing at 08:00 daily. The bus stops at the Lao border near Tha Li where passengers go thru immigration and customs. The trip to Luang Prabang takes about 9 hours in a big air conditioned bus on a decent paved road (Hwy. 4) almost entirely in Laos. In March our bus from Loei arrived in Sayabouri at 15:10 PM = 7 hrs 10 minutes trip. A great bus trip. The August 2019 schedule and cost is below:

As of October 2019 there are unconfirmed reports that Laos no longer will issue Visas on Arrival at the Thai-Lao border (Tha Li/Kenethao). If true, visitors from most countries will need to have a Laos visa in advance before boarding the bus in Loei.

Daytime schedule for buses to Pitsanulok (Phitsanulok) shown below as of August 2019. It shows when the buses arrive in Loei (they start their trip earlier in Udon Thani).

Nighttime buses to Pitsanulok and Chiang Mai stop in Loei around 22:00 to 24:00 after starting in Udon Thani

Nighttime buses to Udon Thani stop in Loei around 04:00 early morning after starting from Chiang Mai or Pitsanulok

Nakhon Chai has buses going south to Rayong & Ubon Ratchathani - also north to Chiang Khan

Phetprasert has buses from Loei to Phitsanulok and Chiang Mai (429 baht). These buses start in Bueng Kan or Nakhon Phanom and pass thru Loei and Udon Thani on the way.

From Chiang Mai to Loei - Their daytime bus starts in Chiang Mai at 09:30 and arrives in Loei around 19:30. It has stops along the way in Lamphun, Lampang, Uttaradit, Phitsanulok, Dan Sai and Phu Reua. Their 20:00-21:00 night buses stop in Loei around 04:00 on the way to Udon Thani and Nakhon Phanom and Bueng Kan.

Phetprasert bus schedule below shows departure times from Loei going to C. Mai and Nakhon Phanom - August 2019 picture

Northeastern Thailand routes for Phetprasert buses below - March 2017 picture

Buses to Chiang Rai per schedule below August 2019 - looks like the buses stop in Loei at 18:30, 21:30 & 23:00 but not sure. Buses to Chiang Rai that start their trips in Udon Thani and Sakon Nakhon also stop in Loei on the way to Chiang Rai.