Trains from Luang Prabang to Bangkok

At the moment you need to take 2 separate trains to travel from Luang Prabang to Bangkok. The first train is from Luang Prabang to Vientiane and the second train is from Vientiane to Bangkok.

Train 1: Luang Prabang to Vientiane

There are currently 6 direct train services a day from Luang Prabang to Vientiane.

• Buy tickets from Luang Prabang to Vientiane.

Train 2: Vientiane to Bangkok

There is currently 1 direct train service a day from Vientiane to Bangkok.

• Buy tickets from Vientiane to Bangkok.

Location of Luang Prabang Train Station

Luang Prabang Train Station is located 12 km by road to the east of Luang Prabang city centre.

Location of Vientiane Laos – China Railway Station

Laos-China Railway Station is located 16 km by road to the north of Khamsavath Railway Station.

Location of Khamsavath Vientiane Train Station

Khamsavath Railway Station is located 8 km by road to the east of Vientiane city centre.

Bangkok Train Station

The final stop for train from Vientiane to Bangkok is Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station.

About Train Travel to Bangkok

High speed train tracks in Thailand, and improved connections between the Thai and Laos rail networks, are currently under construction. In the meantime travellers need to change trains during the journey, and allow for slower travel times on standard trains in Thailand. However, much of the journey from Luang Prabang to Bangkok is completed overnight so passengers who book sleeper berths will spend the majority of the trip sleeping.

Luang Prabang to Vientiane

The first stage of the journey from Luang Prabang is very short. Depending on the train you take the journey from Luang Prabang to Vientiane takes from 1 hour 46 minutes to 2 hours 53 minutes.

Laos-China Railway carriages are very comfortable and kept very clean, including the toilets. A variety of different seat types are also also available:

• Business Class
• 1st Class A/C Seat
• 2nd Class A/C Seat
• Hard Seat (Ordinary trains only)

Arrival in Vientiane

On arrival in Vientiane passengers need to make their own arrangements for travel from Laos-China Railway Station to Khamsavath Railway Station. There are two ways to complete this 16 km journey by public transport.

• Tuk-Tuk: Local Lao style tuk-tuks wait outside Laos-China Railway Station for passengers. There is no official fixed fare, however, the current charge for the journey to Khamsavath Railway Station is typically 250,000 LAK which is 50,000 LAK per person if the tuk-tuk reaches its 5 person capacity. Sometimes travellers join together in sharing a tuk-tuk and the cost.
• Bus: There is a public service from Laos-China Railway Station to Khamsavath Railway Station. The service is called Route 12 (Outbound) and it departs from Laos-China Railway Station at 09:00, 12:50, 15:20 and 16:50. The journey is scheduled to take 30 minutes.

Immigration Procedures

Before boarding the second train to Thailand, passengers need to pass through the Laos immigration checkpoint inside Khamsavath Railway Station to complete exit procedures.

Passengers then need to complete Thai immigration procedures on arrival at Nong Khai Railway Station. The Thai immigration checkpoint is inside Nong Khai Railway Station, and the train to Bangkok stops in Nong Khai for 1 hour 20 minutes to allow time for all passengers to leave the train and complete entry procedures for Thailand.

Vientiane to Bangkok

By train the journey from Vientiane to Bangkok is scheduled to take 13 hours 05 minutes. High speed trains are not yet operational in Thailand, however, the train service from Vientiane to Bangkok has a restaurant car and it also has several carriages with sleeper berths, as well as other very inexpensive seat prices which are typically cheaper than travelling by bus.

The seat types available on Train #134 from Vientiane to Bangkok are:

• 2nd Class A/C Sleeper
• 2nd Class A/C Seat
• 3rd Class Fan Seat

Arrival in Bangkok

The final stop for trains from Vientiane to Bangkok is the recently constructed and very modern Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal. Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal is located slightly to the north of Bangkok city centre, not far from Chatuchak Weekend Market and Bangkok Northern Bus Terminal.

The easiest and cheapest way to travel from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal to other parts of Bangkok is to travel on the MRT, which is Bangkok’s very modern underground railway system. There is an MRT station (called Bang Sue MRT station) accessible via an entrance in the main terminal building at Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal.

From Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal you can travel direct via the MRT to popular destinations such as the Sukhumvit and Silom Roads, as well as China Town and former main railway station, Hua Lamphong. You can also connect with the  BTS (overhead suburban railway) and Chao Phraya Express Boat networks which cover parts of the city the MRT network does not, such as the Khao San Road area.

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