Looking for feedback and advice on a Thailand-Laos-Cambodia itinerary plan

Udon Thani (3 nights)

Why such a big detour that’ll double the length of your Roi Et–Nakhon Phanom trip?

Personally, and especially as you get older, I’d **avoid** one-night stops—better to do fewer legs and really scope out the ones you pick. 4 nights in Sangkhlaburi seems like too much to me.

Well, because I can't find any direct transport between Roi Et and Nakhon Phanom... If I have to go back via Khon Kaen, then Udon Thani is on the way. But if there's a more direct route, I'm all ears...

Overnight stops are just passing-through stops where I don’t have much choice or that help avoid overly long travel days: - Thong Pha Phum: a stop after a long day. Maybe I could skip it and head straight to Shangkhlaburi, but I’m not sure... - Kanchanaburi: this is the return from Shangkhlaburi before catching a bus north the next morning, so it’s a must.

Because I can't find direct transport between Roi Et and Nakhon Phanom... If I have to go back via Khon Kaen, then Udon Thani is on the way. But if there's a more direct connection, I'm all ears...

I had a feeling, hence my not-so-naive question...😎

I've never done this route (I arrived in N. Phanom from Bueng Khan), but with my experience traveling by bus in Thailand, I can still tell you there will be a way—maybe not direct, perhaps with an immediate connection in Kalasin or Sakon Nakhon—but there will be one. No matter the option, you can make the trip in a single day if you leave Roi Et before 10 AM. The best place to find this info is always directly at the bus station (or from your hotel if there isn’t one) by asking the day before. Definitely not on sites like 12Go, which only show options that earn them money through bookings and carefully hide the ones you can’t reserve—like the bus(es) that’ll take you to N. Phanom.

I’m having trouble checking available transport: I usually use 12Go.asia

Bad habit.

I’ll have to scale back my plans

Already 3 nights saved...

Bangkok (1 night)

If your flight arrives before noon and you're feeling brave and energetic, you could easily skip this stop: from the airport, take a taxi to Mo Chit minivan station (Sathani Mo Chit Lot Tu) and hop on an air-conditioned minivan to Kanchanaburi. The trip takes 2.5–3 hours with several departures per hour (luggage on your lap).

Thong Pha Phum (1 night)

Or 2.

Ayutthaya (3 nights)

3 nights is great if you have the time. Don’t miss the boat ride at sunset—it lets you see some ruins in a different light, creating a whole new atmosphere. Ask your accommodation to arrange it for you.

Nakhon Phanom (3 nights)

Or 2.

Thong Pha Phum: A stop after a long day—maybe I can skip it and head straight to Sangkhlaburi, but not sure...

If you do the planned route (6-hour train to Kan, Tham Krasae, Sai Yok Noi, Hellfire Pass, maybe Sai Yok Yai), you’ll probably be pretty wiped out. Adding another 1.5–2 hours of bus or minivan to Sangkhlaburi... Plus, at that hour, you might not even find transport.

Thanks for all these details. I’m adjusting my plans accordingly.

- I arrive at 10:05 in Bangkok, so I can actually head straight to Mochit bus terminal to get to Kanchanaburi. Good point, especially since I always set aside 2 days at the end of my trip in Bangkok to do some shopping at Chatuchak Market... - Why not 2 nights in Thong Pha Phum if you suggest it... - And 2 nights in Nakhon Phanom—sounds good if I’m trying to save a few days...

That’s 4 days saved! 🙂

As for 12go.asia, yeah, I eventually figured out it only lists routes run by commercial companies—regular buses never show up...

Okay, moving on to Laos now. The first part in Thailand is pretty much set, though things can always change once I’m on the ground depending on unexpected stuff. But overall, the route is mapped out! 😎

Thanks so much for your help!

There are several buses, including the blue and white government buses, that travel directly between Kanchanaburi and Songkhlaburi. That’s one night saved!

the government blue and white buses, which run directly between Kanchanaburi and Songkhlaburi.

In nearly 40 years, I’ve only seen the 4-5 daily orange regular buses, the 3-4 daily red a/c1 or a/c2 buses (depending on the schedule) that used to run the Mo Chit-Kanchanaburi-Sangkhlaburi route—which no longer operate at that frequency—and minivans. Are you confusing them with the a/c1 bus 81 that runs Sai Tai-Kanchanaburi every 20 minutes? But in any case, the plan here is to take the train to Tham Krasae, then walk 5-6 km to Route 323 before hopping on and off to visit certain sites along the way to Thong Pha Phum, not to take the direct route, which will only be done on the return trip from Sangkhlaburi.

Ah okay, yeah probably.

I’m starting to plan a route in Laos, and so far it looks like this: - Thakhek, then Konglor in Phou Hin Poun National Park, which seems like a beautiful spot. I’m either going straight to Konglor or doing the famous loop—or part of it—but I’m not sure because 450 km seems like a lot to do by scooter. I’ll see what alternatives are possible once I’m there. - Then back to Thakhek and heading to Savannakhet, where I’ll stay for 2 or 3 days. So far, so good, but I’m realizing that between Savannakhet and Pakse, there’s practically nothing to see or places to stop!

So, I’m wondering if it might be better to cross back into Thailand at Mukdahan (across from Savannakhet), and head to Khong Chiam, probably via Ubon Ratchathani, then cross back into Laos and arrive in Pakse...

Any ideas for a Savannakhet–Pakse route via Thailand? ;-)

So paying for the Laotian visa twice...

I’ve never stopped in Mukdahan. Next is Ubon Ratchathani, a big city but quite open and pleasant for 2-3 nights. Accommodation of all kinds. Then head to Khong Chiam, a nice village (where I’m probably one of the few *farangs* to have gone twice...). That’s where another major river, the Mun, flows (splash!) into the Mekong—you can see the two rivers aren’t the same color. The village is quiet on weekdays, a bit livelier on weekends since it’s a Thai tourism spot, but even then it stays charming and peaceful. There’s a boat excursion nearby that Thais love. Several places to stay ranging from 500 to 1500 baht. Getting from U. Ratchathani to K. Chiam, two options: -A few direct *thamada* buses, but not many. Once I even ended up hitching the reverse trip. -Via Phibun Mangsahan (on the route of buses heading to the border). You get off in Phibun where the bus drops you—it’s not the bus station. You walk partway through the (small and quiet) town toward the modest bus station near the Mun and wait for a bus to K. Chiam. To continue to Laos after that, as you’ve figured out, no need to go back to U. Ratchathani—just change buses in Phibun M.

In Bangkok, I can actually head straight to Mochit bus station

Make sure to tell the taxi "Motchit Minivan" (Motchit Lot Tou), otherwise they’ll take you to the main station. Walking between the two only takes about ten minutes, but it’s poorly signposted, requires using an elevated walkway, and is a hassle when you’re lugging luggage—best to avoid it. At Motchit minivans, there are four small buildings side by side (A, B, C, D) depending on the destination. For Kanchanaburi, it’s building D.

So paying for the Laotian visa twice...

Oh damn, you're right—I thought with a one-month duration it would be fine, but no, if you leave early, it's over, you'll need a new one... :-( Well, if I have no choice, I'll do it.

To continue on to Laos after that, you’ve got it—no need to go back to U. Ratchathani, you change at Phibun M.

Oh, really? I was hoping to go directly from Khong Chiam to Chong Mek—I see a road on the map. But anyway, it's all very close, so if I have to go through Phibun M., no problem.

Monchit minivan, yeah, I’ve been there before! I arrived from Sukhothai by bus and ended up at Mo Chit "main." The day had been, let’s say, complicated from the morning, and I was super tight on timing. So I crossed that famous footbridge in full stress mode and made it to the minivan for Hua Hin with only 10 minutes to spare before the departure I’d booked on 12go.asia! I still remember it... After that, the driver was really speeding—it was a bit sketchy. I can tell you, my first beer in Hua Hin was *well* deserved! (Even if Hua Hin later disappointed me, but that’s another story.)

Thanks again for this info—always super helpful. I think I’ll do it this way, and I’ll minimize the kilometers on Laos’ roads too! ;-)

Oh, I was hoping to go directly from Khong Chiam to Chong Mek—I see a road on the map.

I see, route 2173 followed by 217. Check on the spot if there’s a regular songthaew at least as far as 217. Otherwise, since this shortcut makes the total trip to Chong Mek only 25 km, talk to your hotel owner—they might be able to sort something out and find someone willing to drive you for a few small bills. That’d be a max of 30 minutes compared to 2-3 hours by bus via Phibun, so I think it’d be worth a try, as long as the driver doesn’t charge an exorbitant amount, of course.

the departure of the minivan I booked on 12go.asia!

On the planned route so far, the only things I see you need to book are:

-The day before (on the spot), the minivan from Sangkhlaburi to Kanchanaburi. If you take the regular bus that takes 5 hours, it’s unnecessary (and impossible anyway) to book, but still check the schedules because there are only 4-5 departures per day.

-The day before at Ayutthaya station, the Express 71 train (recommended + upper class) for Ayutthaya-Pak Chong, and at the same time, this same 71 for two days later from Pak Chong to Khorat. Note that this last leg can also be done by minivan (whereas for Ayutthaya-Pak Chong, the train is really the best option). For everything else, you don’t need to book—just arrive at the bus station, buy your ticket, and go.

Don’t forget that for Kanchanaburi-Chainat, I wrote "I think I remember"—make sure to confirm this in advance. If it’s not correct, take an early regular bus to Suphanburi and check at the bus station upon arrival for the next leg to Uthai Thani or Chainat.

I think you might want to reconsider your entire route because there are some options that could make things unnecessarily complicated for you.

Well, so far this route doesn't seem bad to me. The fact that it's not all linear and easy isn't a problem—it's part of the journey to have to juggle things a bit, and I don't mind that. The most annoying thing I see is paying for the Laos visa twice, but Thakhek seems worth the detour, as does passing through Khong Chiam... You have to make choices after all.

your entire itinerary needs revisiting because some options are making things complicated for you

I'm open to comments, info, and ideas—that's the point of this post—but that’s way too general to work with. What are these options that are complicating things for me?

Here’s the updated itinerary:

THAILAND 1 Kanchanaburi (3 nights) Thong Pha Phum (2 nights) Sangkhlaburi (3-4 nights) Kanchanaburi (1 night) Uthai Thani (3 nights) Ayutthaya (3 nights) Pakchong (2 nights) Phimai (3 nights) Roi Et (3 nights) Nakhon Phanom (2 nights) LAOS 1 Thakhek - Konglor - Thakhek Loop (5 nights, to be defined) Savannakhet (3 nights) THAILAND 2 Ubon Ratchathani (2 nights) Khong Chiam (3 nights) -- That’s 39 nights at this stage -- LAOS 2 (still to be defined) Paksé Bolaven Plateau Loop Champasak Attapeu 4000 Islands then crossing into Cambodia...

So, about a month and a half before Cambodia, I can already forget about southern Thailand if I want to keep this pace. I can head south in Cambodia following the Mekong (I know and like the vibe of that part of the country), down to Kep (quieter) because Kampot kind of disappointed me two years ago. After that, depending on how many days I have left, I can go to Koh Chang / Koh Kood to finish in relax mode... (It’ll also depend on the state of the borders at the time—whether I have to go back through Phnom Penh to catch my flight...)

It’ll also depend on the state of the borders at that time: if you have to go back through Phnom Penh to catch your flight...

Hi there,

Are you planning ahead or waiting until the last minute for your flight ticket? I’m in the same boat and can’t decide whether to play it safe or not. Will there still be seats available? Won’t prices triple? 😕

-- That makes 39 nights so far -- LAOS 2 (still to be defined) Paksé Bolaven Plateau loop Champasak Attapeu 4000 Islands then crossing into Cambodia...

That’s about 1.5 months before Cambodia,

So about 6 nights for this Laos 2 plan—doesn’t that seem a bit too fast to you?

I’d add 5 extra nights for Laos 2, bringing it to 50 days before entering Cambodia. For example, 7 nights (including travel) for the final "relax mode" on a Thai beach + 3 nights in Bangkok for Chatuchak, leaving you with 15 nights for the Cambodia part—say, 5 stops of 3 nights each. That seems doable since you don’t seem to be planning a detour through the west of the country.

hi there,

I just read this:

Paksé Bolaven Loop Champasak Attapeu 4000 Islands then crossing into Cambodia...

Doing the Bolaven Plateau loop with stops all along the way (Tad Fan and Tad Lo, among others) and possibly some hikes is definitely worth it (personally, I really enjoyed it). However, I don’t think it’s necessary to go all the way to Attapeu. I passed through there on my way from Vietnam—it’s really wild and lush, but the town itself isn’t interesting at all. I didn’t see any other foreign tourists there. Taxis are rare, and there are no buses in the area; we mostly got around on foot in that town. If I’d been younger when I passed through, though, I would’ve loved it for the adventure of exploring the villages. In my opinion, it’s the most isolated and wild region in all of Laos.

On the Bolaven Plateau, a great spot near Tad Lo (if you want to visit Katu villages without going too far off the beaten path) is to stop at Somphone homestay in Ban Lavang (between Tad Lo and Thateng). Somphone is super friendly, also a hiking guide, and owns coffee and cocoa plantations... Worth checking out!

I think the entire route needs revisiting because some options are making things unnecessarily complicated for you.

I don’t see anything that complicates things—it’s just a "backpacker" route, a type that’s sadly becoming rare. I’m not used to seeing this kind of travel style in the Southeast Asia section of this forum, where most travelers seem to prefer things "sanitized or it’s the end of the world."

Hi Djalma, For a route across the Bolaven Plateau including the stops you recommend, what’s the ideal minimum number of days you’d suggest for the whole trip?