The Udon Thani to Vientiane train is a service connecting Northeast Thailand to the capital of Laos. This service began operations in July 2024 (along with the Bangkok to Vientiane overnight service) when the station at Vientiane Khamsavath was officially opened.
This short service is a more pleasant way to cross the border compared to the bus or van, and it’s a good option if you are exploring the Isaan region before heading to Laos.
This guide covers what to expect on the trip and the border-crossing procedure.
Udon Thani – Vientiane train map
Stations on the Udon Thani – Vientiane train service are shown on this map.
[Map of Udon Thani – Vientiane Khamsavath train.]
Train times and tickets
There is one train a day in each direction between Udon Thani and Vientiane:
Train: 147 Rapid
Depart: Udon Thani 16:00
Arrive Vientiane (Khamsavath): 17:55
Train: 148 Rapid
Depart Vientiane (Khamsavath): 9:35
Arrive Udon Thani: 11:25
Ticket prices (correct as of August 2024):
2rd Class 200 THB
3rd Class 100 THB
I bought tickets at dticket.railway.co.th. The ticket is a PDF copy of the tickets that are issued at stations. You can print it out or show the PDF on your phone.
You could also just turn up and buy tickets on the day of travel. After riding in both directions, I would be very surprised if this service ever got sold out.
Udon Thani Station
Udon Thani Station (written as Udornthani at the station) is in the city centre at the top of Pajaksinlapacom Rd. This is the best area to stay for visitors, so it’s nice to be able to stroll from a hotel to the train station.
Onboard
2nd Class has reclining seats in an air-conditioned carriage. The A/C is often set too cold in Thailand, and this trip was no exception.
3rd Class has padded bench seats with fans.
The windows can be opened in this section, so I prefer sitting in these carriages on short journeys.
With no grimy windows, this is a better section for taking photos and to be closer to the sights and smells of the Isaan region.
[The Isaan region in it’s splendid rainy-season green.]
This is a short trip so there are no food or drink vendors.
The train has a toilet onboard.
There is also a squat toilet, if that is your preference.
Nong Khai (Thailand immigration)
Nong Khai is the last station in Thailand before crossing into Laos. There is an immigration checkpoint the end of the platform, and you need to get off the train with all of your luggage. This is not like a European border crossing where guards come onto the train to check passports.
Passports are stamped at this point, and there is a customs inspection point where you may be required to have your bag inspected.
While this is happening, the train moves forward into the immigration area. You have technically left Thailand in this section. You can board the train again once you have cleared customs.
There were about 10 people on the train when I went, so we were all processed in under 10 minutes. The train waits at Nong Khai for 45 minutes, presumably to account for days with more passengers.
The train on the right in this picture is a sleeper train that will go from Nong Khai to Bangkok later that evening. The sleeper carriages do not travel to Laos.
Crossing the Mekong River into Laos
The train crosses into Laos via the First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge.
This bridge over the Mekong river is a combined road and rail bridge. The bridge is closed to road traffic while the train is crossing.
[Crossing the Mighty Mekong by train on the First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge.]
There are flags on the bridge, so you know when you have entered the Laos side of the bridge.
Thanaleng Station is the first station after the bridge crossing. This was as far as the train used to go before the extension to Vientiane Kamsavath. The train briefly stops at Thanaleng to pick up Laos railway workers, but immigration is no longer done here.
The train passes by the Thanaleng Dry Port area, where containers from the metre-gauge railway of Thailand are moved the the standard-gauge railway of the Laos China Railway.
Vientiane Khamsavath
Vientiane Khamsavath is the station for trains from Thailand to Vientiane. Some maps also refer to it as Vientiane-Tai Railway Station. This is not the same station for the Laos China Railway.
Laos immigration is processed at Khamsavath. I travel on an Australian passport, so I got a visa on arrival. There is an area to fill out forms, and it cost $40 USD for a 1-month visa. Laos has been offering visa-free travel to more countries, so check what your status is before travelling.
There were very few passengers on this service, so when I arrived there were no buses or taxis. A station attendant called a taxi for me and I was quoted 400 THB ($11.77 USD / 260,000 KIP) to go to the city centre. Thai baht is useful here, so keep some for your Laos travels.
Khamsavath is about 8 km from Vientiane Central Bus Station (close to the old city area) and it takes about 20 minutes.
Vientiane Station (for the Laos-China Railway) is about 16 km away and 30 minutes by taxi. If you are going on the Laos China Railway you it would be better to get the overnight train from Bangkok that arrives in Vientiane in the morning.
Vientiane to Udon Thani
I got a taxi from Vientiane to Khamsavath, and I was quoted 200,000 KIP ($9.07 USD / 308 THB). They don’t have Grab here yet, but LOCA is the local ride-hailing app.
The Vientiane to Udon Thani train uses the train set that brings passengers from the Bangkok to Vientiane overnight service.
[Passengers from the overnight Bangkok service arriving at Vientiane Khamsavath.]
Departure immigration is handled at Khamsavath, and passengers can board the train after the engine has been repositioned.
There were only a few passengers on this leg as well, so it didn’t seem to matter where you sit. I went to the 3rd Class carriage even though I had a 2nd Class ticket. I switched to 2nd Class in Thailand,
See you again, Laos!
Inbound immigration into Thailand is at Nong Khai, and there is also a 45-minute wait for the onward service to Udon Thani.
Nong Khai is worth a visit, so you could also get off here instead of going to Udon Thani.
The train arrives at Udon Thani at 11:25. If you are a day-tripper from Vientiane, that gives you 4 hours and 35 minutes to have lunch and go shopping.
[Vientiane train arrived at Udon Thani.]
People from Vientiane use Udon Thani Airport, and you can get a tuktuk from the station to Udon Thani Airport for 150 THB.
Future services
I was concerned that there were so few passengers on the Udon Thani – Vientiane service that it might not be viable in the future.
The train service from Vientiane to Udon Thani is how the State Railway of Thailand returns the overnight train to Thailand. The SRT need to run this service, even if there aren’t many passengers.
I tried to book tickets on the overnight Bangkok to Vientiane service but it was booked out weeks in advance. I was glad to see so many passengers arriving at Vientiane from Bangkok, so this Udon Thani service should survive.
What I would like to see is the trains timed with the day train between Bangkok and Udon Thani. The day service that runs from Bangkok to Nong Khai (Train #75) departs Bangkok at 8:45 and arrives in Udon Thani at 16:55, so it’s too late to connect to the Udon Thani – Vientiane service.
The current service runs on the single-track metre-gauge railway, but it will eventually be double-tracked. The double-tracking will mean faster and more frequent services, so maybe there will be the option for a day train from Bangkok to Vientiane.
Thailand is currently building a high-speed railway from Bangkok to Nong Khai, which will connect to the Laos China Railway in Vientiane. This project is behind schedule so it will be years before there is a high-speed rail service from Bangkok to Vientiane. This new railway will make the metre-gauge redundant, and I have not found any logical explanation as to why the SRT are building two separate railways in the same corridor. I have written more about the mixed-gauge mess of Thailand’s railways.
For now, enjoy the ride in a 3rd Class carriage with the windows open. There are few international trains that offer that option, and it will soon be a thing of the past.
Subscribe to the Future Southeast Asia Newsletter to get updates about the high-speed railway project.
Read more about the international train services in Southeast Asia.
This train travel review is part of the Southeast Asia railways guide.
