Word of caution--I don't like Thailand. Not from my very first ill-fated collision at the Poipet border in 2012, till now. If I must go to Thailand, I try to stay for as short a time as possible, get what I need, and go.
That's why I combined Chiang Rai with a trip to Laos...or rather, why I decided to go to Laos rather than explore Thailand further. Chian Rai is just a couple of hours from the northern border, so early this morning, I got up and left.
I'll write a brief summary of my experience since there's a lot of weird info about this topic (though I'll suggest that any hotel or guesthouse will have details if you want to undertake such a trip yourself). I didn't see a bus specifically to Laos--the ones that went to Luang Prabang cost up to 1600 Baht (as of April 2017)--so I just took a bus to the border.
I did it like this:
1 - Took a bus to Chiang Kheng--you can get this at the central bus station, and it leaves probably every half hour. COST: 65 B
2 - Took a tuk tuk to the border. For me, it cost 60 B, but I was alone. I am under the impression group discounts apply. Or you could walk, but it is a few km and not necessarily obvious how to get there. COST: 60 B
3 - Took a bus across the bridge to Laos. COST: 20 B
4 - Took a tuk tuk to Bokeo bus station. COST: 25000 Kip/ 100 B (yes, a little pricey, but again, it's a few kilometers away)
5 - Bought bus ticket to Luang Prabang. COST: 660 B
Bear some things in mind--this is April 2017. I started with the 12:00 bus from Chiang Rai, and arrived at the Bokeo Bus station around 3:30/3:45. There are places around for food, etc, and some really comfy recliner chairs (?) you could probably sleep on if you miss the last bus. I was told by the internet the last bus was at 4, but I got this one for 6pm--so I had to wait about 2.5 hours for the bus--which turned out to be a sleeper bus. They said it would arrive in Luang Prabang at 8 am, but in reality, it got in around 3 hours early much to my sleep deprivation.
That's why I combined Chiang Rai with a trip to Laos...or rather, why I decided to go to Laos rather than explore Thailand further. Chian Rai is just a couple of hours from the northern border, so early this morning, I got up and left.
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| Bus to Chiang Kheng |
I did it like this:
1 - Took a bus to Chiang Kheng--you can get this at the central bus station, and it leaves probably every half hour. COST: 65 B
2 - Took a tuk tuk to the border. For me, it cost 60 B, but I was alone. I am under the impression group discounts apply. Or you could walk, but it is a few km and not necessarily obvious how to get there. COST: 60 B
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| Tuk tuk to Thai border station |
4 - Took a tuk tuk to Bokeo bus station. COST: 25000 Kip/ 100 B (yes, a little pricey, but again, it's a few kilometers away)
5 - Bought bus ticket to Luang Prabang. COST: 660 B
 |
| Comfy chairs at Bokeo Bus Station |
Bear some things in mind--this is April 2017. I started with the 12:00 bus from Chiang Rai, and arrived at the Bokeo Bus station around 3:30/3:45. There are places around for food, etc, and some really comfy recliner chairs (?) you could probably sleep on if you miss the last bus. I was told by the internet the last bus was at 4, but I got this one for 6pm--so I had to wait about 2.5 hours for the bus--which turned out to be a sleeper bus. They said it would arrive in Luang Prabang at 8 am, but in reality, it got in around 3 hours early much to my sleep deprivation.
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| What it's like on a Night Bus |
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