Thailand–Laos border crossings

Choose the crossing before applying for a visa

The Lao Immigration directory gives the following hours and entry facilities. Hours describe the immigration checkpoint, not the last bus, train or onward connection.

An eVisa is not interchangeable with a visa on arrival. Use the official Lao eVisa portal to check your passport and arrival point, obtain approval before departure and print the approval letter. A visa-on-arrival symbol does not establish eligibility for every nationality.

Nong Khai to Vientiane: road or railway

For a road crossing, use the First Friendship Bridge checkpoint outside Nong Khai. Clear Thai departure control, take the crossing transport to the Lao checkpoint and complete Lao entry before continuing into Vientiane. Arrange the transfer from the Lao checkpoint to your accommodation separately unless it is included in your ticket.

The railway uses a different arrival point, Vientiane (Khamsavath). SRT's timetable lists train 133 from Bangkok's Krung Thep Aphiwat via Nong Khai and train 134 in reverse. Search for Khamsavath, rather than assuming a road-bridge ticket and a railway ticket use the same immigration building. Confirm the departure and document-check instructions for your travel date with SRT.

Khamsavath is explicitly listed as an accepted Lao eVisa port. It is also a separate station from the Laos–China Railway's Vientiane station: an onward train requires a transfer and a separate departure allowance.

The current Lao online arrival form offers Friendship Bridge I alongside three airports. Complete the form for an arrival there as instructed by Lao Immigration. Do not select the road bridge to represent arrival at a different crossing or station.

Chiang Khong to Huay Xai

Use Friendship Bridge IV for the Chiang Khong–Huay Xai crossing. It accepts Lao eVisa approvals and offers visa on arrival to eligible passports. The bridge checkpoint and Huay Xai's onward boarding points are separate stops.

If continuing towards Luang Prabang, allow for Thai exit, the bridge transfer, Lao entry and the journey to your next departure point. A checkpoint opening at 06:00 does not guarantee a same-morning riverboat connection. Confirm the boat departure and transfer before making a tight connection, or stay overnight in Huay Xai.

Bueng Kan to Paksan: two different bus fares

The Fifth Friendship Bridge connects Bueng Kan with Paksan in Bolikhamxay. Obtain the necessary Lao visa in advance: this checkpoint's official record shows no visa on arrival and no eVisa acceptance. Confirm that the visa issued to you is valid for this arrival point.

The Bueng Kan provincial transport notice distinguishes two services:

• A through bus from Bueng Kan Provincial Bus Terminal towards Paksan, priced at 100 THB per person. The published departures in each direction are 08:00, 10:30, 13:00 and 15:30.
• A bridge shuttle, priced at 20 THB per person, with a published operating window of 08:00–17:00.

These are the fares and timetable in the provincial notice available in October 2026. Confirm the service at the terminal before relying on it. The 100 THB fare is not the price of a short transfer between the two border buildings. Use the crossing transport arranged for your journey.

Chong Mek and Vang Tao towards Pakse

Chong Mek in Ubon Ratchathani province faces Vang Tao in Champasak. The Lao checkpoint operates 06:00–20:00, earlier than the bridge checkpoints in the table. It offers visa on arrival to eligible passports and does not accept the Lao eVisa.

Check your passport's visa requirements and payment instructions before leaving Ubon. Allow for the transfer after Lao immigration to Pakse; an arrival at Chong Mek is not an arrival in central Pakse. Ubon's railway connection is on Thailand's northeastern network.

Returning from Laos to Thailand

The general Thai 30-day and 15-day tourist exemptions normally allow two land entries per calendar year, with designated exceptions for Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Singapore. Bilateral arrangements have separate rules. Read the passport-specific Thai entry guide before deciding whether an exemption fits your return.

Complete the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card within three days before your arrival date. This is a date-based window, not an exact 72-hour countdown, and the declaration is separate from a visa.

Have accommodation and onward travel details available. For tourist exemption, the Thai embassy specifies cash equivalent to 20,000 THB per person or 40,000 THB per family; a banking-app balance should not be your only evidence.

Thailand Transport Hub

Written and maintained from Bangkok. The people behind this site have lived in Thailand for two decades and cross these borders themselves. Routes and visa rules get rechecked whenever something changes, not on a fixed schedule that lets stale information sit for months.