Posts by Pled

Ah, thanks—I missed your reply! We’ll see, probably next year (winter 2027). I’d love to hear your tips and recommendations!! 👍 I’m starting to think about a trip like northern Thailand - Laos (north and central) - then we’ll see, Cambodia or Vietnam. Both are interesting.

Thanks for your offer anyway, that’s really nice!

All this makes me want to visit northern Thailand next time! Though I could do without the winding mountain roads that make you sick—I know that feeling too...

But I’m adding Mae Salong to my map! Thanks for the tips @Monday!

Hi Songsam,

Heh heh, you’ve got a knack for asking about the tricky connections! 😉 This was the only leg I couldn’t do as planned... Here’s the story:

I was in Roi Et at the end of the year, and that didn’t make things any easier... When I went to the bus station to book a ticket to Nakhon Phanom for 12/26, they first said okay (tomorrow at 6:30 AM), then caught up with me and explained in very broken English that there were no buses the next day—Saturday—or Sunday. A taxi driver suddenly appeared out of nowhere and offered me a ride for 3500 THB, then quickly dropped it to 3000 THB... I hesitated—it was all happening a bit too fast—but I still said okay for 8 AM the next day, and we exchanged phone numbers.

On my way back from the bus station, I started wondering if I’d made a mistake—was this a scam? Hard to tell, especially with the language barrier. Later, back at the hotel, I talked to the receptionist, who called a private bus company she knew, but no luck—it was fully booked because of the upcoming New Year’s festivities. I took the chance to check the price of a GRAB taxi: 2500 THB. So, I asked the receptionist to call the taxi guy and cancel. He offered to lower the price, but I refused. Plus, I’d seen his pickup truck—it was a total wreck! 🙁

Once in my room, I checked Booking.com to book a place in NP, but surprise—only expensive hotels were left, thanks to the holidays. I looked at the map and spotted Mukdahan, a bit farther south along the Mekong, with a border crossing to Laos... There were plenty of hotel options, so I booked two nights. A GRAB taxi there would cost 1500 THB (a bit closer to Roi Et).

That afternoon, I went back to the bus station, where I ran into the taxi driver—he didn’t look happy. He spoke to me in Thai, and I explained I wasn’t going to NP anymore because of the hotel situation. He eventually walked off, grumbling. I found the ticket counter for Mukdahan, but the woman told me there was only one bus a day, and it was probably full—if it was, it wouldn’t even stop in Roi Et. I could try my luck in the morning, but no guarantees... This whole thing was turning into a nightmare! 🤪

The next morning, I got up at 6:30 AM and headed to the bus station to try my luck. As expected, the bus was full—no chance. I grabbed a coffee at the nearest 7-Eleven and tried GRAB again, but no luck—no cars available (the area isn’t well-covered by GRAB, apparently). I tried Bolt instead, and found a driver who took me to Mukdahan for 1200 THB (2 hours and 15 minutes). And off I went—I finally made it to Mukdahan!

I stayed there for two days. It’s a really nice little town with a very active Vietnamese community—I don’t regret stopping there. From there, I took a bus to Nakhon Phanom in the morning and then connected straight to a bus to Thakhek, crossing the border.

Phew! 😎

Hi Songsam,

Yes, I’m back after a week, and I wanted to thank you for all your advice—it turned out to be really valuable and helpful.

Here’s all the info, including schedules and fares! ;-)

For the Kanchanaburi to Uthai Thani route, I did what you suggested first: took a bus to Chainat (191 THB). But when I got off the bus in Chainat, they immediately asked where I was going, and when I said Uthai Thani, they explained I had to stay on the bus to continue to Nakhon Sawan (63 THB)! Even though it’s not obvious on the map (Chainat is closer), there’s no direct bus connection between the two towns. So I continued to Nakhon Sawan, where I could catch another bus to Uthai Thani (40 THB).

Departure at 6:40 AM, arrival at 1 PM! Total cost: 294 THB, about 8 €.

PS: I really enjoyed the two days in Uthai Thani—nothing much to see or do, but the people were super friendly. Even though few spoke English, it didn’t stop the smiles or the warmth. Non-touristy areas are great for that, and for the same reasons, I loved my trip through Isan.

Okay, possible the guy was misinformed...

Thanks for your feedback, it reassures me, even though I wasn’t really that worried. 🙂

Hi, I’m arriving soon in southern Laos and the 4000 Islands, with plans to head to Cambodia next. The latest news I got this morning (Paksé, La Boulange) isn’t great—the Cambodian border is also in a latent conflict with Laos for the same reasons as with Thailand...

So, what’s the best site to check for updates on the border opening? Since the situation isn’t stable right now and could change from one day to the next?

Thanks for your input.

Okay, I finally contacted the airline (Kuwait Airlines) directly via WhatsApp.

Here’s their response:

Hello! dear passenger, Please be advised that to avoid the requirement for a transit visa, your layover at Kuwait International Airport should not exceed 24 hours. Additionally, ensure that all connecting flights are booked under a single itinerary

That’s the case for me—I tick both boxes.

Phew, that’s one less thing to worry about. It’s always stressful to be left hanging with stuff like this.

Good evening and thanks for the Sherpa link!

Sherpa says:

International travelers don’t need a visa to transit through Kuwait if they stay inside the airport. International travelers who leave the airport must obtain a visa to enter Kuwait. Visit the government website to check the allowed length of stay and other entry conditions.

That confirms what I thought...

For my ticket, it’s all with Kuwait Airways, and here’s how the transit visa requirement is shown:

Seen from this angle, it’ll be a night in Bangkok then! ;-) But as I discussed with Erwanploz, if I can find direct transport to KTI airport early in the morning, it might be doable—allowing me to catch an earlier flight in the morning. Then, from Suvarnabhumi, I can take the train to Ramkhamhaeng station and then a moto-taxi to Ekamai to save time... Well, we’ll see when I get there. By cutting out Khong Chiam, I’ve got a few extra days of flexibility—that’s cool.

So, I updated the map by removing Ubon Ratchathani and Khong Chiam. I also added Thong Pha Phum and Phnom Penh, which were missing, and Stung Treng, since I’ll have time to make a stop there. It’s better this way...

Thanks Erwanploz, Yeah, I’ll try to find direct transport to the new KTI airport. It’s south of the city, and it’d save a ton of time! Might even make it possible to reach Ban Phe in the same day... I can get up early, no problem—when I’m traveling, I’m always a bit in "jet lag" mode anyway, so it’s easy! ;-)

Just a post to share the itinerary in map form (I did this by hand, so the route lines are approximate).

In the end, I moved Kanchanaburi to the beginning—it doesn’t really change anything. Here’s what it looks like, roughly: - one month in Thailand (31 days) - 3 weeks in Laos (23 days) - 2 short weeks in Cambodia (12 days) - 5 days around Ban Phe - 2 days in Bangkok

PS: You can see that the detour to Khong Chiam... is a real detour! 😎

Thanks for your reply, Songsam.

Okay for the Phimai-Ubon R.-Khong Chiam-Roi Et-Nakhon Phanom route—if it’s more logical and shorter, that’s perfect!

About Cambodia, I know it seems short, but that’s because I’ve been there before (I did the Northeast loop two years ago, and Angkor twice already), and the closed land border complicates the original idea of doing a loop. I would’ve liked to go through the north of the country toward the west and Thailand (or along the Tonle Sap), but that’s off the table now... Still, I can extend it a bit depending on how I feel, like stopping in Stung Treng. I’ll see if I’m ahead of schedule or not, especially since the last 9 days can be shortened by a few days too. And I really like the Cambodian vibe, even if it’s only for about ten days! ;-) Kep is because last time, Kampot kind of annoyed me, and during a day in Kep, I chatted with a really nice French guy who goes there every winter and raved about how peaceful Kep is compared to Kampot’s liveliness. That’s why I thought I’d spend a few quiet days there.

Thanks for the info on doing the Uthai Thani-Ban Phe route in one day—it’ll be better than stopping in BKK. Actually, the French people I met in Ko Chang spend part of the winter between Ban Phe and Laem Mae Phim. They’re around Hua Lhaem Beach... The whole area seems nice, so it should be a great way to end the trip!

I’ll think about all this some more, but overall, it’s shaping up well, and I wouldn’t have gotten this far without all your advice. Thanks a million! :)

Here I am again after some long reflection and looking over the entire route for this trip: Actually, I’m a bit stuck because I have to leave Cambodia by plane from Phnom Penh and end up in BKK, so I’ve revised my itinerary: I’m moving all of Ratchaburi & Uthai Thani to the return in Thailand (after Laos and Cambodia). I’ll leave BKK heading to Isan, and as a result, I’ll have time to go to Khong Chiam, which saves me from paying for the Cambodian visa twice—it was a bit silly. The Savannakhet-Paksé route is a 4-hour bus ride, which should be fine. I’ve also dropped the idea of Attapeu based on Djalma’s advice.

Here’s what it looks like now:

Thailand 1 Ayutthaya (3 nights) - Pakchong (2 nights) - Phimai (3 nights) - Roi Et (3 nights) - Ubon Ratchathani (2 nights) - Khong Chiam (3 nights) - Nakhon Phanom (2 nights)

=> Question: Is it possible to go from Khong Chiam to Nakhon Phanom in one day?

Total TH1: 18 nights - Remaining: 55 nights

Laos I’ve decided not to do the motorbike "loops" (Thakhek & Bolaven), but instead to take transport to specific spots (Konglor and Tad Lo, respectively) and spend a few days there. It’s more relaxed, especially since I’ve already seen Tad Fan, Tad Yuang, Tad Champi, and Tad Itou, the waterfalls closest to Paksé.

Thakhek (2 nights) - Konglor (5 nights) - Thakhek (1 night) - Savannakhet (2 nights) - Paksé (2 nights) - Tad Lo (5 nights) - Paksé (1 night) - Champassak (2 nights) - Don Khon (3 nights)

Total LAOS: 23 nights - Remaining: 32 nights

Departure from Don Khon, cross the border, then Stoeng Treng (80 km) and Kratie (150 km). => Should be doable in a day, to be confirmed.

Cambodia I’ll head south fairly quickly, since I already know this entire area (I’ll pass through again with pleasure, but won’t linger).

Kratie (2 nights) - Kampong Cham (2 nights) - Phnom Penh (1 night) - Kep (4 nights)

Total CAMB: 9 nights Remaining: 23 nights

Return to Phnom Penh by bus (4-hour trip, arriving at noon), then flight to Bangkok. => Should be doable in a day, to be confirmed.

Thailand 2

Bangkok (1 night) - Kanchanaburi (3 nights) - Thong Pha Phum (2 nights) - Sangkhlaburi (4 nights) - Kanchanaburi (1 night) - Uthai Thani (3 nights) - Return to Bangkok (1 night?)

9 nights left: - Spend a week around Ban Phe (across from Ko Samet). I met some French travelers who raved about this quiet, authentic little spot—and it’s not too far from Bangkok. - Return to BKK for the last 2 or 3 days.

Yes, thanks @Djalma for all this info and the really interesting links about the Bolaven Plateau.

I’ll take a close look at them. I enjoy hiking, but with age and a minor circulation issue in one leg, I have to take it easy: carrying my backpack all day is no longer an option. Without a bag, and if the elevation gain isn’t too steep, I can still manage... :-) I’ll read through those links carefully...

I really liked the Vat Phou site in Champasak, though—I went there in the morning and found a special atmosphere. I didn’t visit the island across from it, though, so that’ll be a great opportunity for a bike ride!

@Songsam: You’re right, I misjudged the number of days for "Laos 2"—your schedule seems more realistic. I’ll adjust based on the info Djalma shared. And no, I don’t plan to go back to the western part of the country, partly because if the borders are closed, it’d force a U-turn. Plus, I’ve already been to Siem Reap/Angkor twice...

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...)