Trains from Vang Vieng to Bangkok

To complete the journey from Vang Vieng to Bangkok travellers need to change trains in Vientiane. Two tickets need to be purchased, one for the train from Vang Vieng to Vientiane and another for the train from Vientiane to Bangkok.

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 Bangkok

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

• Buy tickets from Vientiane to Bangkok.

Location of Vang Vieng Train Station

Trains from Vang Vieng to Vientiane depart from Vang Vieng Train Station.

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 Bangkok depart from Khamsavath Railway Station.

Bangkok Train Station

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

About Travel to Bangkok

The first stage of the journey by train from Vang Vieng to Bangkok is very simple. Passengers need to take a local taxi or tuk-tuk service to Vang Vieng Railway Station, board a southbound train, and in around 1 hour they will arrive in Vientiane. For this first train journey passengers are not required to complete any immigration procedures.

Travel Between Train Stations

Train services from Vang Vieng to Vientiane terminate at Laos – China Railway Station, which is located to the north east of Vientiane City. In order to board a second train to Bangkok, passengers need to find their own way to Khamsavath Railway Station, which is located 16 km by road to the south of Laos – China Railway Station.

There are two ways to complete this journey between the two train stations:

• Taxi or Tuk-Tuk: There are normally plenty of drivers waiting outside the Laos – China Railway Station. There are, however, no fixed agreed prices for the journey. Passengers need to negotiate the fare in advance with the driver.
• Public Bus: Bus service Route 12 (Inbound) departs from Laos – China Railway Station every day at 09:00, 12:50, 15:20 and 16:50 and is scheduled to take 35 minutes to travel to Khamsavath Railway Station.

Immigration Procedures

Passengers travelling from Vang Vieng to Bangkok by train need to complete two sets of immigration procedures:

• Khamsavath Railway Station: Before boarding the train in Vientiane, passengers need to visit the Lao immigration counter in the train station to get a stamp in their passport indicating they they left Laos.
• Nong Khai Railway Station: 30 minutes after departing from Khamsavath Railway Station train services to Bangkok stop for 80 minutes at Nong Khai Railway Station in Thailand. During this period passengers might alight from the train to complete immigration procedures for entry into Thailand. The Thai immigration counter is located inside Nong Khai Railway Station.

Arrival in Bangkok

The final stop for train services from Vientiane to Bangkok is Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, which is located to the north of the city centre close to the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market. This is best station to travel to if you plan to travel into Central Bangkok.

Passengers can also choose to alight from the train at Don Mueang Airport Railway Station, which is one of the stops before Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal. Alighting from the train at Don Mueang Airport is the best option if you are planning to take an internal flight. It might also be a good option if you plan to travel to Pattaya as there are now direct bus services from Don Mueang Airport to Pattaya.

Public Transport in Bangkok

Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal is connected to Bangkok’s metro system, the MRT. We strongly recommend that passengers arriving in Bangkok consider using the MRT for at least part of their journey into Central Bangkok because the service is inexpensive, efficient and often faster than travelling by road in Bangkok.

The MRT station at Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal is called Bang Sue MRT station. The MRT covers the most popular areas of Bangkok, including Siam Square, and the Sukhumvit and Silom Roads. For travel to the Khao San Road area we recommend taking the MRT to Bang Pho MRT station from where it’s a short walk to Bang Pho Pier. At Bang Pho Pier travellers can board a Chao Phraya Express Boat service heading south and alight at Phra Athit Pier, which is a 10 minute walk from the Khao San Road.

How useful was this page?