Chapeltom
Established Member
Hello all, I made the return trip to Vientiane from Bangkok over the last few days so thought I'd do a trip report on it. The purpose of my visit to Vientiane was to get a new visa for Thailand, known in the ex-pat community here as a visa run.
Sunday 18th/Monday 19th January - Bangkok to Vientiane
I left my apartment in south east Bangkok around 1520, took a bus to Hua Mak Airport Rail Link station and took the 1543 train to Phaya Thai arriving just before 4. From there I walked to the MBK centre, picked up some passport photos and took a bus to Bangkok Hualamphong station arriving shortly before 6. Unfortunately I had spent over an hour faffing in the MBK centre trying to find a photo shop but got to Hualamphong to buy a ticket for a train to Nong Khai (- 623km north - the Thailand/Laos border point) for that night. I was advised the sleeping section of the 2000 express service had sold out but was sold a seated ticket instead for 588 baht.
In the time between getting ticket and train I popped outside for some food, duck & rice, a beer and pepsi coming to 145 baht. I went back inside around 7pm and the station has an open concourse with a lot of seats and not departure boards. I decided to board the train on Platform 5 around 1930 and settle in. The journey to Nong Khai was one of the worst I have encountered anywhere as the air-con was on far too cold and even with a jumper, supplied blanket and the silk sheet I use as a bed cover, I was still cold. There were no stops between midnight and 3am but for some reason there was a tremendous bang around 1:10am which woke everyone up. The lights were dimmed but not the one above my head, the one upside was the seat reclined quite well and leg room was fairly decent.
Most people were awake by 6:30am and the train arrived into Nong Khai on time at 0745. From there there was a songthaew to the border point for 20 baht, here you get stamped out of Thailand and I was turned away as I hadn't filled in my departure card (given when you first arrive in Thailand!). You then pay a further 20 baht for a bus ride across to the Lao border point, the time now around 8:20am. The visa on arrival process is simple costing $35 or 1500 baht and within an hour I had a visa. It is then a shared mini-van/car into Vientiane itself costing around 100 baht and I was at the Royal Thai Embassy by 0945. Not a bad journey up.
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The next 30 hours was spent as follows, over 2 hours at the Royal Thai Embassy joining to the queue to apply for a new visa then a further 1hr 20 wait to pay for a new visa. In the afternoon I walked to That Luang and Patuxay (Victory Gate). Got a dorm bed for 40,000 kip (just over £3). Food slightly more expensive than Bangkok and in bed by 11pm after a few Beer Lao's. Tuesday morning I walked down the Mekong, round the National Museum (10,000 kip) and found an open gate at the former national stadium which I had a walk around, would have been rude not to
. From there onto That Dam and back to the embassy to pick up my new visa.
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Tuesday 20th/Wednesday 21st January - Vientiane to Bangkok
Once I had collected my visa I wanted to get back to Nong Khai as soon as possible as I didn't know if I would be able to get a ticket on the sleeper train back to Bangkok and with work on Wednesday afternoon it was imperative I got back whether in a bed or in a seat. I shared a ride with a fellow Brit and a German to the border point leaving at 1425 and arriving 20 minutes later. We got stamped out of Laos as I joined the fellow Brit for the trip back to Nong Khai and then loaded onto a crammed bus across Friendship Bridge to the Thai border point which cost 4000 kip or 32p.
The time was now 1505 and it took 35 minutes or so to get stamped back into Thailand but rather than pay 50 baht in a tuk tuk to Nong Khai I decided to walk as it was only a mile. It gave me chance to stop by 7 Eleven for a quick water break. I was at Nong Khai station at 1550 and had a ticket in my hand for the sleeper, in a bed for 688 baht just a couple of minutes later. The train was due to leave at 1820 so hung around the station for a bit before walking back up the road towards the border point to first head to 7 Eleven for some food and then the market that set up on the corner between the main road and road to the station. I picked up some Thai dessert and a three meat skewers, the time now 1710. I watched the incoming train from Thanaleng in Laos arrive and the station for Bangkok opened up for boarding a short while later.
On the train I got speaking to a German couple and I was supposed be in the bunk above the woman, they asked if I could take his lower bed so they could be together which I was not going to say "No" to! The train departed on time at 1820 but the fans strangely never got put on and the air-con wasn't on either so it was actually fairly warm. The beds were put into place at 1900 and it gave me chance to try and get some sleep. There are curtains and the beds are fairly comfortable and I probably got more sleep than I did the last time I traveled by sleeper in Thailand! The attendants came down the train around 4:45am to wake people up ahead of a 6am arrival into Bangkok. It was a bit frustrating but had been stirring for about 40 minutes so wasn't that fussed. We ended up arriving about 5 minutes late into Bangkok Hualamphong on Platform 2. The remaining hour or so of the journey was unremarkable in the dark.
I took the MRT to Phetchaburi, ARL to Hua Mak from the adjacent Makkasan station then bus back home, arriving in about 1hr 10 after arrival into Bangkok. It was nice to feel the city waking up as the sun rose up, attempted more sleep but the sun shines into my 16th floor apartment so that wasn't going to happen!
Not a bad journey and far simpler than I expected!
Tom
Sunday 18th/Monday 19th January - Bangkok to Vientiane
I left my apartment in south east Bangkok around 1520, took a bus to Hua Mak Airport Rail Link station and took the 1543 train to Phaya Thai arriving just before 4. From there I walked to the MBK centre, picked up some passport photos and took a bus to Bangkok Hualamphong station arriving shortly before 6. Unfortunately I had spent over an hour faffing in the MBK centre trying to find a photo shop but got to Hualamphong to buy a ticket for a train to Nong Khai (- 623km north - the Thailand/Laos border point) for that night. I was advised the sleeping section of the 2000 express service had sold out but was sold a seated ticket instead for 588 baht.
In the time between getting ticket and train I popped outside for some food, duck & rice, a beer and pepsi coming to 145 baht. I went back inside around 7pm and the station has an open concourse with a lot of seats and not departure boards. I decided to board the train on Platform 5 around 1930 and settle in. The journey to Nong Khai was one of the worst I have encountered anywhere as the air-con was on far too cold and even with a jumper, supplied blanket and the silk sheet I use as a bed cover, I was still cold. There were no stops between midnight and 3am but for some reason there was a tremendous bang around 1:10am which woke everyone up. The lights were dimmed but not the one above my head, the one upside was the seat reclined quite well and leg room was fairly decent.
Most people were awake by 6:30am and the train arrived into Nong Khai on time at 0745. From there there was a songthaew to the border point for 20 baht, here you get stamped out of Thailand and I was turned away as I hadn't filled in my departure card (given when you first arrive in Thailand!). You then pay a further 20 baht for a bus ride across to the Lao border point, the time now around 8:20am. The visa on arrival process is simple costing $35 or 1500 baht and within an hour I had a visa. It is then a shared mini-van/car into Vientiane itself costing around 100 baht and I was at the Royal Thai Embassy by 0945. Not a bad journey up.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next 30 hours was spent as follows, over 2 hours at the Royal Thai Embassy joining to the queue to apply for a new visa then a further 1hr 20 wait to pay for a new visa. In the afternoon I walked to That Luang and Patuxay (Victory Gate). Got a dorm bed for 40,000 kip (just over £3). Food slightly more expensive than Bangkok and in bed by 11pm after a few Beer Lao's. Tuesday morning I walked down the Mekong, round the National Museum (10,000 kip) and found an open gate at the former national stadium which I had a walk around, would have been rude not to
. From there onto That Dam and back to the embassy to pick up my new visa.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday 20th/Wednesday 21st January - Vientiane to Bangkok
Once I had collected my visa I wanted to get back to Nong Khai as soon as possible as I didn't know if I would be able to get a ticket on the sleeper train back to Bangkok and with work on Wednesday afternoon it was imperative I got back whether in a bed or in a seat. I shared a ride with a fellow Brit and a German to the border point leaving at 1425 and arriving 20 minutes later. We got stamped out of Laos as I joined the fellow Brit for the trip back to Nong Khai and then loaded onto a crammed bus across Friendship Bridge to the Thai border point which cost 4000 kip or 32p.
The time was now 1505 and it took 35 minutes or so to get stamped back into Thailand but rather than pay 50 baht in a tuk tuk to Nong Khai I decided to walk as it was only a mile. It gave me chance to stop by 7 Eleven for a quick water break. I was at Nong Khai station at 1550 and had a ticket in my hand for the sleeper, in a bed for 688 baht just a couple of minutes later. The train was due to leave at 1820 so hung around the station for a bit before walking back up the road towards the border point to first head to 7 Eleven for some food and then the market that set up on the corner between the main road and road to the station. I picked up some Thai dessert and a three meat skewers, the time now 1710. I watched the incoming train from Thanaleng in Laos arrive and the station for Bangkok opened up for boarding a short while later.
On the train I got speaking to a German couple and I was supposed be in the bunk above the woman, they asked if I could take his lower bed so they could be together which I was not going to say "No" to! The train departed on time at 1820 but the fans strangely never got put on and the air-con wasn't on either so it was actually fairly warm. The beds were put into place at 1900 and it gave me chance to try and get some sleep. There are curtains and the beds are fairly comfortable and I probably got more sleep than I did the last time I traveled by sleeper in Thailand! The attendants came down the train around 4:45am to wake people up ahead of a 6am arrival into Bangkok. It was a bit frustrating but had been stirring for about 40 minutes so wasn't that fussed. We ended up arriving about 5 minutes late into Bangkok Hualamphong on Platform 2. The remaining hour or so of the journey was unremarkable in the dark.
I took the MRT to Phetchaburi, ARL to Hua Mak from the adjacent Makkasan station then bus back home, arriving in about 1hr 10 after arrival into Bangkok. It was nice to feel the city waking up as the sun rose up, attempted more sleep but the sun shines into my 16th floor apartment so that wasn't going to happen!
Not a bad journey and far simpler than I expected!
Tom
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I will admit I struggled with the names of these places, as I know nothing about Thailand or even that part of the world in general.