Laos Travel Forum

My friend and I will be heading to Laos this fall. The tour itinerary we're looking at has us starting at the border crossing at Huay Xai and ending at the border crossing at Chong Mek. Effectively, the trip starts in Huay Xai and ends in Pakse.

Questions:

(1) Can we fly between Bangkok and Huay Xai (or somewhere nearby)? If not, how does one get to Huay Xai from Bangkok? It seems like a very long drive.
(2) I see that there is a flight between BKK and Pakse, but it's only three days a week, and I'd like to do the trip on a Saturday (no flight that day). How long does it take to drive back to Bangkok from there?

I realize these questions are probably more about Thailand than Laos, but hopefully people who have been to Laos have dealt with these issues already!

1. Yes, you can fly from Bangkok to Chiang RAI on budget airlines such as Thai Air Asia or perhaps Nok Air. Chiang Rai is only 2.5 hours from the Chiang Khong to Huay Xai border crossing but the bus from C. Rai drops you off in town so you'll still have to take a short tuk tuk ride several kilometers to the Thai immigration building, exit formalities, then catch a very short boat ride across to H. Xai where you can get the Lao visa upon arrival but BEST to pay in U$35 dollars because it costs more if you pay in Thai baht. there's a small exchange booth as well but only exchange a little bit because the rate is not that great. Also, you can get by with Thai bahts and U$ until you get into larger tourists centers but it's usually best to pay in local Lao kip.
PS--there's also a very long overnight VIP bus from Bangkok's Mochit Bus Station near Chatuchak Market (end of the Skytrain noth line and you'll have to transfer to a taxi for the bus station).

2. While Lao Airlines operates a Pakse-Bangkok flight, this last year quite a number of these flights got cancelled on short notice due to lack of passengers. Some passengers had to re-route from Ubon Ratchathani across the border in Thailand. There's an international bus that runs between Pakse's bus station and Ubon Ratchathani several times a day. Previously there used to be VIP bus service between the Chong Mek border all the way to Bangkok's Mochit
Station but I'm not positive now. There's certainly VIP overnight buses and the overnight sleeper compartment train to Bangkok's Hualamphong Station as well from Ubon Ratchathani. Also budget flights on Thai Air Asia between Ubon and BKK but best fares are booked well in advance via their website.

seagypsy, thanks VERY much for that detailed information. It certainly sounds like this trip is going to be something of a logistical challenge (if not a logistical nightmare!)

How long is the bus/train trip from Ubon to Bangkok? From Pakse to Ubon? This is looking like the most time-critical part of the trip for me.

I've taken the overnight VIP bus (very comfy) but have taken the overnight train to Laos' more popular border crossing at Friendship Bridge at Nong Khai near Vientiane many times, and the overnight sleeper train was also quite comfy (2nd class AC, upper and lower).
However, if you're pressed for time, then taking the flight with Air Asia back to BKK from Ubon is almost as cheap if booked well in advance on their website (take a look at airasia's website).
Heck there may even be a VIP bus all the way to BKK from Pakse now but I don't know for sure. If you're taking the international bus between Pakse and Ubon Ratchathani, leave several hours for the transport, allowing for delays and border formalities.

Thanks again--really helpful!