Laos to Thailand by Bus (from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai overland)
Traveling by bus may not be the fastest way to go from Laos to Thailand, but it sure is one of the cheapest. So if your goal is to save money by going overland, you came to the right place: we’ve compiled all the information you’ll need to do so.
Where to buy Bus tickets to Chiang Rai
In Luang Prabang vouchers for Bus tickets can be bought in advance at the travel agencies located on Sisavagnon street. Prices will vary slightly from agency to agency, so is up to you to look for the best offer.
Bus ticket price: around €32
Timetable: 6:00 PM on Tuesdays and Fridays
Departure: Luang Prabang Bus Station
Trip duration: 17 hours
However, if you prefer to buy your bus ticket online, we recommend www.bookaway.com (use the code “gravy5″ at checkout to get 5% off the ticket price).
On the day of departure, you must be at the Luang Prabang Bus Station counter by 5:30 PM to check-in and exchange your voucher for the final bus ticket.
Tuk-tuks to the bus station cost around 15,000 Kip (€1.50) per person.
The Bus trip
Even though we bought tickets for a sleeping bus, we ended up on a bus with reclining seats — probably due to the small number of people traveling that day. Nonetheless, everyone got a blanket, and the spacious seats were comfortable enough to sleep in. It was a surprisingly tolerable 17-hour trip.
At the start of the trip, all passengers got a complimentary water bottle, a small soy milk box, and snacks.
We had 2 bathroom breaks during the night, and 1 more early in the morning. At the latest, we stopped at a service station with food stalls and a large clean washroom.
This first leg of the trip took around 14 hours (from Luang Prabang to the Huay Xai border post).
Crossing Huay Xai (Laos) – Chiang Khong (Thailand) border
Being Saturday morning, we had to pay a weekend fee of 10.000 Kips (€1.00) to get our passport exit stamp. The bus waited on the other side of the border.
From there, it takes 3 more hours to get to Chiang Rai.
Remember to check beforehand your entry requirements for Thailand: Visas and border crossings.
Arriving at Chiang Rai
We arrived at Chiang Rai Bus Terminal 2 at 11:00 A.M.
Here’s where all long-distance buses stop, and unfortunately, it’s also the furthest bus station from the city center.
From here you can hop on a songthaew and head to town. Share the fare with other people from your bus as many will be going to Chiang Rai too.
We ended up paying €0.50 each for a ride to the city center.
To keep saving money on transportation while visiting Chiang Rai, check the posts:
• Taking the public bus to the White temple
• Public bus to the bizarre Black House (Baan Dam) in Chiang Rai
Cover photo by Jim Holmes / AusAID
Transportation to Vang Vieng: options, costs, and timetables
Whether you’re in Vang Vieng or Luang Prabang, any guesthouse, travel agency, or tour company will sell you bus tickets for a small commission. Prices vary from door to door, so you’ll have to look out for the best deal.
However, if you prefer the ease of buying your tickets online, we recommend www.bookaway.com (use the code ‘gravy5’ at checkout to get 5% off your ticket price).
The most common transportation options to Vang Vieng are:
• Minivan
• Express Bus
• VIP Bus: a bus with 3 double-decker rows of beds, AC, and some snacks for the trip. Having said that, you can be downgraded to a minivan without previous notice if there are not enough people to fill a bus.
Image by Calflier001
• Sleeping Bus: a bus with AC and wider reclining seats, or a bus with 3 double-decker rows of beds.
In this post, we’re going to be sharing all the info on minivans and express buses.
From Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng
On a Minivan
As we mentioned before, tickets are fairly easy to find everywhere around Luang Prabang. We bought our tickets from one of the travel agencies located on Sisavangvong street.
Cost: €11.90 (110.000 kips) can go up to €15.00 (150.000 kips) based on the commission charged by the travel agent.
Duration: 5 hours (one more if it rains).
Depart hours from Luang Prabang: 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM
Pros: Minivans are the fastest way to get to Vang Vieng. Hotel pick-ups are included in the tickets.
Cons: Tight and crowded.
Image by Nick Hubbard
One thing that made the 5-hour minivan trip tolerable was the beautiful mountainous landscape of Laos.
We stopped once for a bathroom break, and twice by the military for what appeared to be a quick routine inspection. All drop-offs are on Vang Vieng main street or Peisan Road—where the backpacker hostels are.
On an Express Bus
Cost: €11.90 (110.000 kip) up to €16.00 (160.000 kip).
Duration: 6 to 7 hours, depending on the weather conditions.
Departure time from Luang Prabang Southern Bus Station: 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM. Sleeping buses depart at 10:00 PM.
Pros: A bit more leg space.
Cons: As express buses leave from Luang Prabang Southern Bus station, you’ll be forced to pay for a tuk-tuk ride to the bus station (an extra 10,000 kip / 20,000 kip).
Drop-offs are on Vang Vieng main street (Peisan Road).
From Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang (or anywhere else)
To leave Vang Vieng buy the bus tickets at your hostel. In addition to having great deals there, your ticket will include transportation to the bus station.
We returned to Luang Prabang also on a minivan but this time around the tickets were a bit cheaper: €8.67 (80.000 kips).
Now that you know how much you should be paying for a bus trip, find the best deal and use the money saved to buy a Beerlao.
*Cheers*
Have a good trip and be safe!
Cover image by Basil Strahm.
Public bus to the bizarre Black House (Baan Dam) in Chiang Rai
If you want to save some money and don’t mind walking for a bit, the public bus is the cheapest option to get to The Black House (Baan Dam) in Chiang Rai.
Still, if you’re looking for an untroubled ride all the up to the gates of Baan Dam, there are some alternatives at the bottom of the post.
Catching the Green Bus
Go to the Chiang Rai old Bus Station (in the city center, near the night bazaar) and find the green bus going to Mae Sai usually parked on Platform 5.
Timetable: green buses departure every 15 to 30 minutes, or when the bus gets full.
Bus ticket price: 20 Baht one-way trip.
Duration: around 20 minutes.
When you buy your ticket inside the bus, let the driver and ticket holder know that you’re going to the Black House so they can signal you at the drop-off point. When you leave the bus you’ll have 2 route options:
The route to the back entrance (the shortest) Updated Nov. 2018
Right next to the drop-off spot is the correct lane to walk on. After walking 50 meters, The Black House buildings will become visible to your left.
Turn left at the wooden-gazeebo-looking-sign indicating Soi 13 and walk a further 10 minutes. This path will take you through some houses and up to a small clearing where you’ll see the back entrance of The Black House.
Heads up: visitors are now charged a fee to enter the park but you can’t buy a ticket at the rear entrance (yet). So even though this route works, you’ll end up being escorted by a guard to the main entrance to buy your ticket — and that can be annoying to him because it’s not his fault that we’re lazy.
Route to the front entrance
Alternatively, instead of turning left on Soi 13, keep walking straight on the paved road for approximately 400 meters and then turn left into a small Soi that takes you to the front entrance of Baan Dam. Check the map below.
Baan Dam – The Black House
Opening hours: opens daily (weekends included), from 09:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Closes for lunch from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.
Entrance fee: 80 Baht.
In a 100 acres parkland in the Ban Du district, north of Chiang Rai, Thai artist Thawan Duchanee spent 25 years creating Baan Dam (the Black House).
There are 40 buildings spread around the park along with art pieces and installations. Most buildings are made of black wood and decorated with macabre elements like bones, animal skins, pelts, and dead animal parts.
Duchanee’s art mixes traditional northern Thai design with Balinese, Burmese and African influences—and it’s all open to interpretation.
Some people see it as a commentary on Buddhist philosophies, while others state that his intention was to remind us of the darkness inside ourselves, and the imminent death of all things.
There’s a palpable, creepy vibe as you stroll around the park, but also a subversive sense of humor. It’s like the artist was trying to tell us: “Don’t take life too seriously, we’re all going to die”.
Portrait sculpture of Thawan Duchanee (1939-2014)
Back to Chiang Rai Bus Terminal
Head back towards the highway where you got off the bus and hail to any bus you see going in Chiang Rai direction — either the green ones you came in or the grey mini-buses. Have in mind that there’s no bus stop there.
The trip back to Chiang Rai is a further 20 THB.
Transportation alternatives
Hire a songthaew in Chiang Rai for about 300 Baht for the round trip. They’ll try to charge you more, so be ready to negotiate.
Any travel agency in Chiang Rai sells organized tours to Baam Dam that often include a visit to Wat Rong Khun. Prices will vary from agency to agency, so look around for the best deal.
Have in mind that departure and arrival times will be scheduled to fit everything on a tour. So you will be rushed.
Can we ask for a favor?
It’s likely that a ticket office will open in the back entrance. So if you try the rear entrance route, let us know if you were able to buy your tickets there — it’ll help other travelers.
Thanks in advance!