There is now a once a day direct train service from Vientiane to Khon Kaen. Sleeper berths and seats on this new service are available to book online.
Train Times from Vientiane to Khon Kaen
There is currently 1 direct train service a day from Vientiane in Laos to Khon Kaen in Thailand.
| Train | Vientiane | Khon Kaen | Service |
| 134 | 18:25 | 22:49 | Rapid |
- By train the journey from Vientiane to Khon Kaen is scheduled to take 4 hours 24 minutes.
Buy Tickets from Vientiane to Khon Kaen
Use the Search Box below to buy your train tickets from Vientiane to Khon Kaen.
See below for ticket prices and available seat types.
Please note that if the direct train from Vientiane to Khon Kaen is fully booked there are two further long distance train services a day from Nong Khai to Khon Kaen.
Ticket Prices from Vientiane to Khon Kaen
Train tickets from Vientiane to Khon Kaen purchased online cost 50 to 100 THB more than the same tickets purchased at a train station.
| Seat Type | Online Price | Station Price |
| 2nd Class A/C Sleeper | 720 THB | 620 THB |
| 2nd Class A/C Seat | 372 THB | 310 THB |
| 3rd Class Fan Seat | 205 THB | 155 THB |
Location of Vientiane Railway Station
Trains from Vientiane to Khon Kaen depart from Khamsavath Train Station.
Location of Khon Kaen Railway Station
About Train Travel to Khon Kaen
It’s a relatively short journey by train to travel from Vientiane to Khon Kaen, and there is a lengthy stop on route a short way into the journey. Other than that, travelling by train from Vientiane to Khon Kaen is a pleasant and not so stressful way to travel compared to completing the journey by bus.
Immigration Procedures for Train Travel to Khon Kaen
There are two parts to the immigration process for train travellers from Vientiane to Khon Kaen:
- Part 1: Before boarding the train at Khamsavath Train Station passengers need to visit the immigration desk in the terminal building to receive an exit stamp in their travel document for departure from Laos.
- Part 2: 30 minutes into the journey, at 18:55, Train #134 is scheduled to stop at Nong Khai Railway Station for 1 hour 20 minutes. During that time train travellers need to leave the train and go to the Thai immigration desk in Nong Khai Railway Station to complete immigration procedures for entry into Thailand.
Once the train departs from Nong Khai passengers do not need to leave the train for the remaining 2 hours 23 minutes of the journey to Khon Kaen.
Trains from Vientiane to Khon Kaen stop at Nong Khai Railway StationAbout Staying in Khon Kaen
Khon Kaen is one of the four large cities in the populous North Eastern Region of Thailand. It’s a busy vibrant city, which is economically important but manages to attract very few tourists, particularly foreign tourists. The reason for the absence of any tourists is partly because the city is a long way from a beach, and partly because the city has no other major tourist attractions.
Khon Kaen does, however, have a good range of facilities for visitors. There are a small number of restaurants and bars catering specifically to foreign visitors in the area close to the Pullman Khon Kaen Raja Orchid, particularly on Soi Kosa,
Places to Visit in Khon Kaen
There are a small number of places of interest to visit in Khon Kaen, the four best of which are:
- Khon Kaen National Museum
- Wat Nong Waeng
- Wat Chai Si
- Bueng Kaen Nakhon lake and park