Trains from Nakhon Ratchasima to Vientiane

It is possible to travel by train all the way from Nakhon Ratchasima to Vientiane, however, passengers need to change trains in Nong Khai. Passengers wishing to travel by bus from Nakhon Ratchasima to Vientiane also need to change bus in Nong Khai.

Train Times from Nakhon Ratchasima to Vientiane

The first part of the journey by train to Vientiane is to take a train as far as Nong Khai, which is near the border with Laos.

• There is currently 1 train a day from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai.

• There are currently 2 trains a day from Nong Khai to Vientiane.

Bus Times from Nakhon Ratchasima to Vientiane

It’s also a 2 part journey if you travel by bus from Nakhon Ratchasima to Vientiane. There are no direct bus services.

• There are 4 services a day from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai jointly operated by KoratUdon and RG Adventure TH.

• From Nong Khai there is 1 bus service a day to Vientiane operated by Naluang.

Buy Tickets from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai

Use the Search Box below to buy your tickets from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai.

Location of Nakhon Ratchasima Train Station

Read more about Nakhon Ratchasima Train Station.

Location of Nong Khai Train Station

Read more about Nong Khai Railway Station.

Location of Khamsavath (Vientiane) Railway Station

Trains from Nong Khai to Vientiane terminate at Khamsavath Train Station.

About Train Travel to Vientiane

By train the journey from Nakhon Ratchasima to Vientiane is currently scheduled to take at least 11 hours 35 minutes, with 5 hours 20 minutes of the overall journey spent at Nong Khai Railway Station waiting for a connecting train to Vientiane.

Train Travel from Nakhon Ratchasima to Vientiane

The single daily train service from Nakhon Ratchasima to Vientiane is a Local service with only 1 seat type, 3rd Class Fan Seat. The journey is scheduled to take 5 hours 45 minutes.

The reason why there is only 1 train service, and that train service is a Local service, is that Nakhon Ratchasima is not currently located on the mainline from Bangkok to Nong Khai. Train services from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai initially travel along a small branch line as far as Bua Yai Junction where the train is then routed to the mainline for the remainder of the journey. Passengers could, if they wished, alight at Bua Yai Junction and wait for one of the long distance train services to call in at the train station.

Combining Train and Bus Travel

Travellers wishing to avoid the 5 hour 20 minute wait between the arrival of Train #415 at 12:05 in Nong Khai and the departure of Train #147 to Vientiane at 17:25 have option of completing the last part of the journey by road.

There are three stages to the journey by road from Nong Khai Train Station to Vientiane using public transport:

• Local tuk-tuk service from Nong Thai Train Station to the Thai immigration centre located on the south side of the First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge.
• Public shuttle bus service from the Thai immigration centre to Lao immigration centre located on the north side of the First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge.
• Bus, minivan, or taxi from Lao immigration centre to Vientiane city centre.

The cheapest, and most hassle free way, of travelling from the Lao side of the border to Vientiane is to take public bus service Bus #14. Bus #14 is a frequent service operating during daylight hours which is scheduled to take just under 1 hour to complete the journey. Bus #14 terminates at Vientiane Central Bus Station, which is located in the centre of Vientiane near the city’s large morning market.

Immigration Procedures for Train Travellers

Passengers travelling by train from Thailand to Laos need to pass through immigration control at both Nong Khai Train Station and Khamsavath Train Station during the journey.

• At Nong Khai Train Station passengers need to visit the immigration centre located inside the train station to complete immigration procedures for exiting Thailand before they board the train to Vientiane.
• At Khamsavath Train Station passengers need to complete immigration procedures for entering Laos before leaving the station. There are immigration desks located inside Khamsavath Train Station where eligible nationalities can also apply for Visa on Arrival for Laos.

Train Services from Nong Khai to Vientiane

The journey by train from Nong Khai Railway Station to Khamsavath Train Station takes only 30 minutes. Both train services from Nong Khai to Vientiane are Rapid services with 3 different seat types available:

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

The first train of the day from Nong Khai to Vientiane (Train #133) originates in Bangkok and both 2nd Class A/C Sleeper berths and 2nd Class A/C Seats on this train are likely to be fully booked in advance. The second train of the day (Train #147) originates in Nong Khai and tickets for all seat types are much more likely to be available for purchase at the train station on the day of travel.

Arrival in Vientiane

Khamsavath Train Station is not located in the centre of Vientiane, nor is it located near Vientiane’s other train station,  Vientiane Laos – China Railway Station.

• Distance by road
  • Khamsavath Train Station to Vientiane city centre: 8 km
  • Khamsavath Train Station to Laos – China Railway Station: 16 km

There are two forms of public transport available at Khamsavath Train Station, tuk-tuk and public bus.

• Travel by tuk-tuk
  • Khamsavath Train Station to Vientiane city centre
    • Typical Cost (not fixed): 250,000 LAK per vehicle
    • Journey Time: 21 minutes
  • Khamsavath Train Station to Laos – China Railway Station
    • Typical Cost (not fixed): 250,000 LAK per vehicle
    • Journey Time: 27 minutes
• Travel by public bus
  • Khamsavath Train Station to Vientiane city centre
    • Fare: 20,000 LAK per person
    • Bus Number: 12 (inbound)
    • Departure Times: 10:10. 10:40, 11:00, 13:30, 16:00, 17:30, 18:30 & 18:40
    • Journey Time: 30 to 35 minutes
  • Khamsavath Train Station to Laos – China Railway Station
    • Fare: 30,000 LAK per person
    • Bus Number: 12 (outbound)
    • Departure Times: 08:25, 11:45 & 14:15
    • Journey Time: 30 minutes

An important point to note with tuk-tuk fares from Khamsavath Train Station is that they are for a vehicle which can accommodate 5 passengers.

Tuk-tuks in Laos are generally shared, and even if you commission a tuk-tuk privately more often than not the driver will attempt to stop and pick up other passengers along the way. It’s the custom in Laos. Travellers who do share tuk-tuks with 4 other passengers can expect to pay only one-fifth of the total fare, typically reducing the cost of travel to 50,000 LAK per person for both journeys to the city centre and Laos – China Railway Station.

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