Help! -- I need to go from Chiang Mai to Vientiane, Laos

Hello Everyone,

I am in Chiang Mai, Thailand right now and want to go to Vientiane, Laos.

What is the best way bus or train? I am doing a visa run to get a double entry visa and my present 30 day stamp runs out on Dec 11, 2008.

Am I better to take the VIP Bus or train.

Is there a VIP Bus every night or only Mon, Wed, Fri. What is the bus ride like. When I went to the Bus station they said only one VIP bus Mon, Wed, Fri but then I just read it runs every night two companies.

Take train South to Ayuthaya then get off and take the train North to the Laos border. Maybe spend a day or 2 in Ayuthaya.

When getting to the border am I better staying on the Thai side Nong Khai or the Vientiane Laos side.

I have never been there so don't know what's best. Plan is to go into Laos for a week or two then get visa and come back to Thailand.

Thanks for your help and feedback.

Government bus from Chiang Mai to Nong Kai (via Udon Thani) where you will stay at Mut Mee and then head over the Friendship Bridge from there.

Thanks for responding.

How do you tell if it is a government Bus? I went to the bus station in Chiang Mai and it look like a privately own bus.

It was a VIP A/C bus. The card they gave me is in Thia otherwise I would have more info.

While at the bus station the ticket person said the bus goes to Udon Thani only how do I get to Nong Kai? How far is it? Can you take a cab?

Thanks!

Most folk in Thailand are in a habit of saying 'government bus' when in fact the buses which leave from the main bus stations are privately run.
we say government cause they are checked and authorized by the Ministry of Trans.

When you arrive in Udon, pop on a local bus to Nong Khai, only takes an hour.

When arriving in Nong Khai, take a 'samlor' (motorized-rickshaw) to the border. Go through immigration and take a border bridge bus (I think it's 20 baht). Go through immigration on the Laotian side and take a shared 'songthaew' (public passenger pick-up vehicle) to Vientiane (50-70 baht).

You'll have loads of people coming up to you offering personal trips into the capital (ie...you go alone) but tell them you want the normal shared one. Otherwise you'll be asked for 200baht+ and they'll pick up other passengers along the way anyway! For a tip the driver will take you to your hotel/guesthouse of choice. Unsure, where to stay, tell him to go the riverside near the 'nam-phu' (fountain). Lots of places to stay near there.

Nok Air (Nok Air) used to have flights between Chiang Mai and Udon Thani. It's a low cost airline from Thailand so flights are quite cheap. From there you can get a bus to Vientiane.

Also, Lao Airlines flies between Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang or Vientiane sometimes. This airline does not sell air tickets online but maybe you can get them through [URL=Mox Travel]www.moxtravel.com[/URL] in Bangkok.