Travel and Transport Info for Nong Khai, Thailand by Hobo Maps- - - Home
Click to see our Nong Khai Town Map and our Nong Khai Area Map
Coming Into Thailand from Laos
- tuk-tuks and small buses are available at the Thai border immigration post after you enter Thailand to take you into Nong Khai town or elsewhere. Chartering a tuk tuk for the 5 km trip to central Nong Khai should cost about 80 baht if only one person or 50 baht each if more than one passenger.
Bus Transport
- The main Nong Khai bus station is at grid code LC340 on THIS MAP in central Nong Khai. There is no complete departure schedule at the station and many of the individual schedules are not in English. Since Nong Khai is at the northern Thai border almost all buses head directly south on Highway 2 at least as far as Udon Thani and many continue on to Khon Kaen and further south. In Thailand most buses depart either early morning or in the evening with few departing mid day.
There are frequent white minivan buses going to Udon Thani for 55 baht leaving every 30 minutes or so when each is full - most go to central Bus Terminal 1 in Udon Thani (for transfer to buses to Bangkok, etc.). These white vans depart from the Nong Khai central bus station as well as from a place about 200 meters from the Thai Immigration building at Friendship Bridge (near the 7-11 store on the left as you walk away and south from immigration).
There are frequent buses to Laos from the small Thai-Laos Bus Station in Nong Khai (not far from Friendship Bridge) that take passengers thru Thai immigration and across the bridge to Laos immigration for 30 baht. They depart every 20 or 30 minutes from the station at grid code LY309 THIS MAP. Minivans also do the Laos trip from this station and maybe will take passengers all the way into Vientiane which is about 20 km from the border.
International buses go from Nong Khai to Vientiane and Vang Vieng in Laos - you may need to have a Laos visa to take this bus as they don't want to wait at the border for passengers to get visas. Schedule in January 2023 below shows buses depart from Nong Khai main bus terminal to Vientiane at 07:30, 10:00, 15:30 & 18:00. The Nong Khai to Vang Vieng bus at 10:30 starts its trip from Udon Thani at 08:30.
New International Bus now operates between Nong Khai and Vang Vieng starting Nov. 1, 2024. The bus starts in Udon Thani and departs Nong Khai at 10:20 daily, goes to the border and waits for passengers to clear immigration at both checkpoints and continues direct to Vang Vieng via the expressway without stopping in Vientiane. Costs 450 baht per person and they didn't require a Lao visa in advance when we made the trip. See schedule and bus image below.
Nong Khai to Khon Kaen bus schedule below as of Dec. 2019
Buses go from Nong Khai to Bangkok & Suvarnabhumi Airport - schedules below at main bus station Nov. 2024
Buses go from Nong Khai main bus station to Chiang Mai at 19:00 some days (not every day) and cost was about 900 baht in Jan. 2023
There are no direct buses from Nong Khai to Chiang Rai - you need to get to the outer Bus Station 2 in Udon Thani where buses to Chiang Rai leave around 19:00 daily.
There is one daily bus from Nong Khai main bus station to Si Chiang Mai and Loei (130 baht) that departs at 07:30 daily. This is an old green bus that goes on Highway 211 most of the way along the Mekong. Loei passengers change to a big songtaew style bus at Pak Chom for the last 90 km to Loei via Hwy 2108. This is off the tourist route with nice Mekong views, little traffic and friendly locals.
Minivans go to Bueng Kan from main Nong Khai bus station - not sure of schedule but probably leave in the morning when they have a full bus.
Train Transport to Laos
Railway schedule & fares chart below for travel from Vientiane Khamsavath Station to destinations in Thailand starting 19 July 2024. Passengers can board the train or get off at any of the stops. Rapid Train 133/134 goes between Bangkok & Vientiane and has some sleeper berths while Rapid Train 148/147 goes between Udon Thani & Vientiane with seating only. Tickets can be purchased up to 180 days in advance at any of the stations in Thailand.
Both trains stop in Nong Khai - see schedule andd prices below.
See our special web page for the new Lao-Thai Railway line between Vientiane and Bangkok HERE
Train Transport
- Nong Khai is the end of the line for the Thailand Northeastern railway line as well as the starting point for the quick train trip across the Mekong a short distance into Laos. The train station is located at LZ316 on THIS MAP. Sleeper compartments are usually booked and sold out well in advance. January 2023 railway departure schedule below:
Nong Khai railway station image below:
Crossing into Laos
- Most people going to Laos take local transport to the Thai immigration checkpoint and then walk thru immigration carrying their baggage. After clearing customs they take a 5 minute cross-river bus to the Laos immigration checkpoint that departs every few minutes and costs about 40 baht. They then walk thru Laos immigration & customs and have options for the 20 kilometer trip into Vientiane. They can charter a tuk-tuk for about 200 baht that will depart immediately to the destination of their choice or wait for a group to form and pay about 50 baht each for the 30 minute trip to Talat Sao Market station in central Vientiane. Minivans are also available for charter.
- Thailand immigration is scheduled to be open 08:00 to 22:00 daily. The border is open on both sides for tourist transit at least from 08:00 to 18:00 daily. Bring clean new US Dollars for Laos visa fees or change money at the exchange booth by Laos Immigration. There are people to help with your luggage on the Laos side for a fee but not on the Thai side.
Cycling into Laos
- Bicycling across the Friendship Bridge into Laos is allowed without restriction and you can walk your bike through the immigration checkpoints on both sides, taking the bicycle as you would a baggage cart.
See Laos railway stations located across the Mekong from Nong Khai on Vientiane Map below. The Lao-China Passenger Railway Station has fast trains to Luang Prabang and Kunming China with many stops between.
Khamsavath Passenger Railway Station will have passenger trains on Thai-style narrow gauge tracks to/from Nong Khai. This may become a popular station for taking overnight sleeper trains to Bangkok.
Vientiane may soon also become a railway cargo hub for the region with the new Thanaleng Dry Port and Vientiane Logistics Park in full operation in 2023 - sending Thai durians to China.
