Trains from Nong Khai to Vientiane

By train the journey from Nong Khai to Vientiane is scheduled to take exactly 30 minutes.

Train Times from Nong Khai to Vientiane

There are currently 2 train services a day from Nong Khai to Vientiane.

Buy Tickets from Nong Khai to Vientiane

Use the Search Box below to buy your train tickets from Nong Khai to Vientiane.

Services as far as Vientiane are operated by the State Railways of Thailand.

Connecting services from Vientiane to Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang and China are operated by Laos-China Railway Company.

Location of Nong Khai Railway 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 Travel to Vientiane

Travel by train from Nong Khai to Vientiane is a cheaper and faster way to complete the border crossing than travelling by road over the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. The border crossing at the bridge is often very busy causing long waits particularly for those travellers applying for a visa on arrival. From the Laos side of the border it then takes just under an hour to travel by public bus to the centre of Vientiane.

Immigration Procedures

Before boarding a train from Nong Khai to Vientiane all passengers need to visit the Thai immigration desk inside Nong Khai Railway Station. Passengers who board the train in Nong Khai without having first completed Thai immigration procedures to leave Thailand will be turned back by Laos immigration once they reach Vientiane.

On arrival in Vientiane, passengers travelling from Thailand need to leave the train to complete Laos immigration procedures at the immigration centre inside Khamsavath Train Station.

Local Transport in Vientiane

Khamsavath Train Station is located 8 km to the east of Vientiane city centre, and 16 km to the south of the Laos – China Railway Station, which is the departure station for high speed train services to Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang, and Kunming in China.

Taxis and tuk-tuks wait outside Khamsavath Train Station for the arrival of trains from Thailand. Fares are not fixed and generally drivers will often attempt to charge as much as they think they can get away with. A better value for money option is to take a public bus service either to the centre of Vientiane or to the Laos – China Railway Station if you plan to continue your journey north by rail.

Bus to the City Centre

Bu services from Khamsavath Train Station to Vientiane Central Bus Station (city centre):

• Journey Time: 30 to 35 minutes
• Bus Number: 12 (inbound)
• Departure Times from Khamsavath Train Station: 10:10. 10:40, 11:00, 13:30, 16:00, 17:30, 18:30 & 18:40

Bus to the Laos – China Railway Station

Khamsavath Train Station to Vientiane Laos – China Railway Station:

• Journey Time: 30 minutes
• Bus Number: 12 (outbound)
• Departure Times from Khamsavath Train Station: 08:25, 11:45 & 14:15

Accommodation in Vientiane

There are lots of hotels in Vientiane. Hotel booking websites list around 140, ranging in price from the equivalent of around $170 USD a night to as little as $10 USD a night for a small basic room.

There are also lots of different parts of the city where leisure travellers can stay. Most foreign visitors to Vientiane, however, choose to stay in one particular part of the city which is close to the river front road (Quai Fa Ngum) immediately to the west of the southern end of the Avenue Lane Xang. About half of the city’s tourist hotels are located in this area, along with lots of the types of restaurants and bars that cater specifically to foreign visitors.

Visitor Attractions in Vientiane

There are lots of places of interest to visit in Vientiane, some well known and others which many visitors simply find by chance wandering around the city.

Nearly all of Vientiane’s major tourist attractions are located on, or near, the Avenue Lane Xang which is the main street in the city connecting the Presidential Palace to the Patuxai Monument. Also located on, or close to, the Axenue Lane Xang are Si Sa Ket Temple and That Dam, which is a stupa associated with an important legend.

One major attraction which is not located on the Avenue Lane Xang is Pha That Luang. Pha That Luang is generally considered to be the most important temple in Laos. The modern version of the temple was constructed in the 1560s, however, according to local belief the temple was established during the reign of King Ashoka, Emperor of India, sometime from 268 to 232 BCE. The main feature of the temple is a golden stupa 67 metres wide at its base and 44 metres tall, enclosed by a perimeter wall.

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