Trains from Vang Vieng to Ayutthaya

It is now possible to travel all the way from Vang Vieng to Ayutthaya by train, however, you need to change trains in Vientiane.

Train 1: Vang Vieng to Vientiane

There are currently 6 direct train services a day from Vang Vieng to Vientiane.

• Buy tickets from Vang Vieng to Vientiane.

Train 2: Vientiane to Ayutthaya

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

• Buy tickets from Vientiane to Ayutthaya.

Location of Vang Vieng Train Station

Vang Vieng Train Station is located to the north of Vang Vieng town centre.

Location of Vientiane Laos – China Railway Station

Trains from Vang Vieng to Vientiane terminate at Laos – China Railway Station.

Location of Khamsavath Vientiane Train Station

Trains from Vientiane to Ayutthaya depart from Khamsavath Railway Station.

Ayutthaya Train Station

Ayutthaya Train Station is located to the east of Ayutthaya city centre.

About Travel to Ayutthaya

The total journey time by train from Vang Vieng to Ayutthaya depends on the time spent waiting between arriving in Vientiane and the departure of the next train from Vientiane to Ayutthaya. The actual time spent travelling on trains, however, is around 13 hours, with the first part of the journey from Vang Vieng to Vientiane taking around 1 hour, and the second train journey from Vientiane to Ayutthaya taking about 12 hours.

Changing Trains in Vientiane

Trains from Vang Vieng to Vientiane terminate at Laos – China Railway Station, and trains from Vientiane to Ayutthaya depart from a different train station, Khamsavath Railway Station. Khamsavath Railway Station is located 16 km by road to the south of Laos – China Railway Station.

There are normally plenty of taxis and tuk-tuks waiting outside Laos – China Railway Station waiting to take customers into the city centre or to Khamsavath Railway Station. However, the prices are not fixed and drivers rarely use their meters. To avoid paying high fares consider taking a bus public service between the two train stations:

• Bus Service: Route 12 (Inbound)
• Scheduled Journey Time: 35 minutes to Khamsavath Railway Station
• Departure Times: 09:00, 12:50, 15:20 and 16:50

Passport Control

Passengers travelling by train from Vang Vieng to Ayutthaya need to present their passport or other travel document to immigration officials twice during the journey.

The first immigration check is carried out by Lao authorities inside Khamsavath Railway Station, where passengers will receive an exit stamp out of Laos.

The second immigration check is conducted by Thai authorities inside Nong Khai Railway where the train stops for 1 hour 10 minutes to give all passengers time to alight from the train to undergo immigration checks for entry into Thailand.

Arrival in Ayutthaya

Ayutthaya Railway Station is located to the east of the city centre area which is often referred to as ‘Ayutthaya Island’. Ayutthaya Island is where Ayutthaya Historical Park is located. There are several hotels located within easy walking distance of Ayutthaya Railway Station. including Krungsri River Hotel and the budget Baan Are Gong Riverside Homestay.

Many visitors, however, prefer to stay in either the centre of the city, or in one of the more scenically located riverside hotels or guesthouses on the edge of Ayutthaya Island. Visitors wishing to be close to the city’s most lively bars and restaurants should consider staying near to Naresuan Soi 1, which is in the east of Ayutthaya Island.

Visiting Ayutthaya Historical Park

Ayutthaya Historical Park is located 4.4 km by road to the west of Ayutthaya Railway Station. The easiest way to get there is to travel with one of the many tuk-tuks which wait for business outside the entrance to the train station. The fare from the station to the historical park should be in the range of 100 to 150 THB for the whole vehicle.

Ayutthaya Historical Park contains 16 visitor attractions, 13 of which are old and dilapidated temples dating back to the period from 1351 to 1767 when Ayutthaya was the most important economic and political centre in the country. The temples themselves are in a poor condition, with the heads cut off most of the statues of the Lord Buddha, because they were heavily vandalised by a Burmese army which invaded the city in 1767.

There is no fee to gain access to the park as a whole, however, foreign visitors do need to pay a fee of 50 THB per person to enter into each of the old temples. The best three temples to visit are generally considered to be Wat Phra Si Samphet, Wat Phra Maha Tat, and Wat Phra Ram.

How useful was this page?