Question about the Bangkok-Vientiane train

Hi there,

I need to take a sleeper train from Bangkok to Vientiane in January. I found some ticket options on 12Go Asia, but booking doesn’t seem possible at the moment. I’ve tried simulations for several dates, but no luck. I’m wondering if it’s already fully booked, if they’ve stopped selling tickets… yet 12Go still features it every day 😕

Has anyone else run into this issue? Can I find tickets on another site? (I tried Baolau, but no sleepers left for January 8th.)

Thanks!

Hi there, On the SRT website, there are still seats available in 2nd class A/C sleeper on 8/01 for Rapid 133. https://dticket.railway.co.th/DTicketPublicWeb/home/Home

- The site’s a bit slow, - If the page appears in Thai, change the language at the top right, - From Bangkok, the departure station name to enter is Krung Thep Aphiwat

There are still seats available on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th as well.

In Vientiane, the Thai train’s arrival station isn’t the same as the Chinese train’s departure station.

Thanks so much! 🙂 I tried on SRT—the site’s pretty slow but eventually loads. But I can’t enter the date! I’ll try again later.

Hi Kate,

If you're talking about the 8:25 PM train that goes to Nong Khai (the modern train number 25), there are seats available in both first and second class on the 8th.

Train 133, which departs at 9:25 PM and goes to Vientiane, also isn’t fully booked in second-class sleeper.

(On the Thai trains website)

Hi Agnès

I know there are still sleeper berths available up to Nong Khai, but that’s the terminus, and after that it gets trickier to reach Vientiane train station. Because actually, we’re going all the way to Luang Prabang!

I’m looking for berths on the sleeper train that goes from Bangkok station to Vientiane station (with just a stop in Nong Khai for border paperwork). If I can’t find anything, I’ll take second-class sleepers—the kind with those half-reclining seats! !

On the other hand, I can’t enter the date!

Just tried it again on my computer, and it works.

I also told you there were seats available on the Bangkok-Vientiane train. 😉

Personally, I’d take the one from Nong Khai. The special trains are much more likely to stick to their schedules and are more comfortable.

Plus, crossing the border will be quicker on your own than with a whole train...

I did the Nong Khai-Vientiane route a while back. It was easy even 25 years ago.

Because actually, we're going all the way to Luang Prabang!

Not even one night in Vientiane?

That’s a real rail marathon you’ve got there!

That’s a real rail marathon you’ve got there!

Yeah, that’s why we wanted to optimize the route 😉 And that’s not all. At the end of the trip, we’ll have a big detour because of the Cambodia/Thailand border closure. That part’ll be by plane.

But why not just take the plane to Luang Prabang, by the way?

It's under 80 €, sure, a bit pricier than the train, but at least you won’t arrive completely shattered.

Just reading about your plan exhausts me! !🤪

As you hint, when you get older, not only do you become afraid of everything, but you also get more and more sensitive.

But why don’t you just take a plane to Luang Prabang, though? Under 80 €, sure, it’s a bit pricier than the train, but at least you won’t arrive in pieces. Just reading your plan exhausts me!

It’s not about the price—it’s about the experience and trying to cut back on flying since we’ll be forced to take planes twice later on. For a bunch of reasons, but definitely not budget. When we can, we avoid flying.

As you imply, when you get older, not only do you become afraid of everything, but you also get more and more sensitive.

Yeah, no, not necessarily—well, in my case, that’s definitely not true. I travel much more relaxed and free from a bunch of things now than I did 25 years ago.

I already corrected the first part of your statement in another thread:

The older we get, the more experiences we accumulate, the more we eliminate the bad ones.

For the second point, it depends on the person.

I don’t have any more taste for the discomfort of a night on public transport today than I did yesterday. If I can, I avoid it—even though it’s impossible for long-haul flights.

After that, like Kate, I sometimes try experiences, but much more limited ones. I won’t be repeating the Surat Thani-Bangkok night train trip I took recently, even though it was first class. The next day was a zombie day.

I think lack of sleep really doesn’t agree with me at all!

On the other hand, sleeping in a rooftop tent in the middle of nowhere isn’t, in my opinion, uncomfortable.

So, discomfort is above all a personal notion.

it’s a question of experience and to calm things down a bit with the plane

I think you’re gonna get your fill of experience with this one! ;)

Transfer to Bangkok station – train – formalities – transfer to switch stations in Vientiane – long wait if you want to play it safe – train to Luang Prabang station – transfer into town. It’s quite the journey.

As for flying, I’m not a fan of hopping on multiple flights either, but more because it’s a hassle than for ecological, financial, or medical reasons.

You’re lucky you handle sleepless nights well (or can sleep anywhere).

Anyway, the daytime train from Vientiane to Luang Prabang is really nice. I would’ve taken it if it had existed back in the day. :)

Transfer to Bangkok station - train - formalities - transfer for station change in Vientiane - long wait if you want to play it safe - train to Luang Prabang station - transfer to the city, it's quite a journey.

That’s not *quite* how it went End of the day on January 8th: heading to Bangkok station, just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel where we spent 3 nights. At the two border posts, Thai side and Lao side, we get off the train for paperwork (with a new addition for Laos: the electronic LDIF). The train continues to Vientiane. It’s the same station for a train to Luang Prabang (2-hour trip).

You’re lucky to handle sleepless nights well (or manage to sleep in any conditions).

Same here—both of us! But I’d rather have a bad night’s sleep than deal with the hassles of air travel: waiting, airport lines, flights… I hate it! Plus, I’ve always loved entering a country through its land border.

By the way, thanks for your help—we bought our 4 second-class berths on the Baolau site. There were only 5 left! !

Since when is it no longer necessary to change stations? (Or starting from when?)

This site, like many others, isn’t up to date and still talks about two different stations.😮

For Bangkok, you’ve also had experiences staying in the Chatuchak district. It’s pretty unusual, and aside from the market and the station, you won’t run into many tourists.[;]

I already corrected the first part of your statement in another thread:

The older we get, the more experiences we accumulate, the more we eliminate the bad ones.

For the second point, it depends on the person.

I don’t have any more taste for the discomfort of a night spent in public transport now than I did before. If I can, I avoid it—even though it’s impossible for long-haul flights.

After that, like Kate, I sometimes try experiences, but much more limited ones. I won’t be repeating the Surat Thani-Bangkok overnight train ride I did recently, even though it was first class. The following day was a zombie day.

I think lack of sleep really doesn’t agree with me!

On the other hand, sleeping in a rooftop tent in the middle of nowhere isn’t, in my opinion, uncomfortable.

So, discomfort is really a personal notion.

For the first point, I know, but I like teasing you. 😛

For the rest, I feel the same way. That’s when you realize it’s really a lottery trying to give advice to others. Whether to go to a certain place or not, take this route or that, travel by train, plane, or bus...

Kate and her friends are really brave to do it the slow way, but I bet it’ll allow her to bring back more photos.

Yeah, you're right—we actually arrive at Khamsavath railway station, and the train to Luang Prabang leaves from Vientiane Railway Station. Okay, that’ll mean one extra little transfer 😉

Did you allow plenty of time between the two trains?

I’ve read a few reports where people mentioned two or three hours of delay on the first one 😵

Kate and her friends are really brave to do it the slow way, but I bet it’ll let her bring back even more photos.

Wow, I’m surprised! 😮 Usually, VF travelers tell you your itinerary’s too rushed, that you need to take your time, that trains and local transport are better than flying... So basically, I’m wasting time and energy by choosing the slowest option, and all that...? This long journey (Bangkok / Luang Prabang) is part of the trip with its complications and slowness, but I think it’ll bring us other kinds of joy. It’s a choice we might regret, but I’ll let you know honestly in my future travel journal 😉

Did you allow plenty of time between the two trains?

I’ve read a few reports where people mentioned two or three hours of delay on the first one 😬

We’ll buy the Vientiane/Luang Prabang ticket on the spot.

Let’s say you’re crossing in one night and one day what took me several days at the start of the century.

Anyway, it’s both slow (almost 24 hours, after all) and fast. 😉

I really like trains 😄 😄

Great find! 😛

I really like this site—it’s got tons of photos of the trains we’ll be riding, among other things.