How to Get From Bangkok to Vientiane by Train

This guide shows you what it is like to travel by train from Bangkok (Thailand) to Vientiane (Laos) and how you can book tickets.

From Bangkok to Vientiane by train

If you want to travel overland from Thailand to Laos, the train from Bangkok to Vientiane is by far the best option, as it is comfortable and affordably priced.

There are two options for travelling on this route, as I will explain below.

Tickets can easily be bought online through the reliable booking website 12Go, which is the go-to portal for bus, train, and ferry tickets across South-East Asia.

With a single search on 12Go’s user-friendly booking portal, you can compare all available public transport options.

The website accepts all foreign debit and credit cards and instantly sends your train e-ticket directly to your email inbox.

The direct night train from Bangkok to Vientiane

A daily night train runs directly from Bangkok to Vientiane, using traditional Thai rolling stock.

It currently departs from Bangkok’s modern main railway station, Krung Thep Aphiwat Central, at 21:25 and arrives the following morning at 09:05 at Khamsavath station in Vientiane, Laos.

This train (which has number 133 from Bangkok to Vientiane, and number 134 in the reverse direction) offers three different travel classes.

The highest class available is the 2nd class sleeper, an open-plan, air-conditioned carriage with bunk berths on either side of the aisle.

Each berth comes with a privacy curtain.

In addition to 2nd class sleepers, the direct Bangkok–Vientiane train also has 2nd class air-conditioned seats and a 3rd class seated carriage with only a fan, though neither is really recommended for an overnight journey.

The modern Chinese-built train to Nong Khai

If you don’t mind making a single train connection at the border between Thailand and Laos, you can also travel in greater comfort on a modern Chinese-built night train between Bangkok and Vientiane.

In this case, you would take the night train from Bangkok to Nong Khai on the Thai–Laotian border, departing from Bangkok’s Krung Thep Aphiwat Central at 20:25 and arriving the following morning in Nong Khai at 06:25.

This train appears in the railway timetables as number 25 towards Nong Khai and number 26 in the reverse direction towards Bangkok.

At Nong Khai, you wait for about two hours for the direct Bangkok–Vientiane train to arrive, then connect to it for the short 30-minute journey across the Mekong River into Laos.

The two-hour wait at Nong Khai is not a major inconvenience, as the station has a small supermarket and a coffee shop where you can get breakfast and a drink.

The Bangkok-Nong Khai train has two travel classes available.

Like the direct night train to Vientiane, the night train to Nong Khai has 2nd class sleepers – open-plan, air-conditioned carriages with bunk berths on either side of the aisle – although these are more modern than the older carriages used on the Vientiane service.

The Bangkok–Nong Khai train also has modern air-conditioned 1st class sleepers – with two berths in a lockable compartment that also features a washbasin.

These are ideal if you are travelling as a couple or with a friend.

Solo travellers will share a compartment with another passenger of the same sex, unless you book both berths for private use.

For the journey from Nong Khai to Vientiane, you can then simply book a place in either the 2nd class air-conditioned carriage or the 3rd class seated carriage, as this is only a short trip.

I would recommend booking 3rd class for this short hop, as unlike 2nd class it has open windows, providing a fantastic way to cross the Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge. It’s Thai train travel at its best!

Walkthrough of a first class sleeper carriage on the Bangkok–Nong Khai night train. ©AndyBTravels

Which train is better?

Which train option is better depends on your personal preferences.

If you prefer a direct service, book a ticket on the direct train from Bangkok to Vientiane.

If you don’t mind changing trains in the morning, the Bangkok–Nong Khai night train offers more modern sleepers and the option to book a 1st class sleeper compartment, which the direct train to Laos does not provide.

Whichever train you choose, both options will get you to Vientiane at the same time.

The Nong Khai option is also worth considering if the 2nd class sleepers on the direct night train to Vientiane are fully booked on your chosen travel date.

Border procedure

Thai exit immigration is completed at the platform of Nong Khai station, and not the train.

If you’re on the direct Bangkok-Vientiane train you have to get off the train to clear exit immigration.

If you take the Bangkok–Nong Khai train, it is advisable to wait until the Bangkok–Vientiane train arrives in Nong Khai before completing exit immigration, as there are no facilities once you have passed passport control.

However, make sure you do this before all the passengers from the direct train to Vientiane disembark, as you don’t want to end up at the back of the queue!

Once you arrive in Laos, immigration procedures take place at the station.

At Vientiane station, you can buy a local SIM card and then take a taxi or use the rideshare app LOCA – the Laotian equivalent of Uber – to reach the city centre.

Conclusion

Taking the train is by far the best way to travel between Thailand and Laos, whether you choose the direct Bangkok–Vientiane night train or the more modern Bangkok–Nong Khai sleeper train, connecting at this border station onto another train into Laos.

If you want to read more about train travel in Thailand, check out the Thai train travel guide at DiscoverByRail.