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This is a thorough budget travel guide on how to travel from Chiang Rai in Thailand all the way to Huay Xai (or Luang Prabang) in Laos.
There are two main reasons you might want to make this trip, but the most common one is because your Thai visa is about to expire and you need to leave the country to renew it. Lots of people simply cross the border to Laos, get the visa stamp and then turn around and come straight back to Thailand on a new visa. Boom, problem solved!
The other reason is that you may just want to straight up get to Laos the cheap and adventurous way to continue your travels!
Most commonly travellers will start the famous Mekong slow boat journey to Luang Prabang from Huay Xai after crossing the border, but in this guide I’ll cover all the ways to travel south once you cross the border, as well as all the details you need to know before setting off on your journey.
In short, the best place to aim for in Thailand to cross into Laos is a town called Chiang Khong on the Mekong River, about 100km from Chiang Rai and easily reachable by local bus. Then, from Chiang Khong, you take a bus over the Mekong River to Huay Xai in Laos.
- Chiang Rai/Chiang Mai – Chiang Khong (Thailand)
- Chiang Khong – Huay Xai (Laos)
What you'll need to take
- Your passport (obviously!)
- Your Thailand departure card
- Either Thai baht, Laos kip or USD cash to pay for your visa in Laos
- Small Thai notes for the border crossing bus
- A small self portrait printed out
- If you plan to return to Thailand straight away, you may be required to show proof of address
Where is Chiang Khong
Chiang Khong is the small town you need to aim for, which is located in the far northeast of Thailand on the border with Laos.
View it on the interactive map below.
Getting from Chiang Rai or Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong
From Chiang Mai
You can get to Chiang Khong from Chiang Mai by either taking a 6 hour direct bus with GreenBus (link below) for about $8 USD, or by taking separate local buses to Chiang Rai and then Chiang Khong.
Local buses connect this route every hour of every day, so you’ll never be waiting for long. To get on a local bus in Thailand you just need to turn up at the bus station and ask one of the friendly locals to direct you to the correct bay. No pre-booking is available or necessary. Each journey will be just 70 THB ($2 USD).
From Chiang Rai
From Chiang Rai there are local buses every hour or so to Chiang Khong from the main bus station. The journey takes around 2.5 hours depending on how many times the driver stops to drop off post along the way – a typical thing on local buses here!
Again, just turn up at the bus station and ask for directions.
The journey to Chiang Khong is 70 THB (£1.60/$2) which you’ll pay on the bus. If you ask the ticket lady she can arrange for you to be dropped at the Thai/Laos border for an extra 40 THB which many people do.
Chiang Khong to the border
If you didn’t get the bus to drop you at the border as mentioned above, you’ll get dropped in downtown Chiang Khong.
The best way to get from Chiang Khong to the Thai border is by tuktuk, which there are plenty of. The 15-20 minute drive should cost about 150 THB (£3/$4).
Thinking of visiting Southeast Asia soon? Don’t miss these essential guides to help planning your trip:
Overnight in Chiang Khong
I highly recommend spending the night with this amazing family and having dinner in their onsite restaurant while looking over to the mountains of Laos.
When I returned to Chiang Khong 3 weeks later to head back to Chiang Mai, I stayed at Namkhong Guesthouse & Resort which is also a great budget option in Chiang Khong. I had one of their many private cabins for just £5 a night! Plus, it has a swimming pool…
Leaving Thailand
You’ll need your departure card from when you arrived in Thailand for this bit, so hopefully you haven’t lost it!
The whole process, from arriving at the terminal to sitting on a moving bus towards Laos took me less than 3 minutes. I was one of only 5 people in the building and it was the most stress-free border process I’ve ever experienced. The bus then takes you over the Mekong river on the Friendship Bridge and within 2 minutes you’ll be at the Laos border.
Before you jump on the bus you need to pay a small fee of 20 THB for a seat.
Laos visa on arrival
For this you’ll need a small self portrait photo and either Thai baht, Laos Kip or USD cash.
Once you’ve arrived at the Laos border, go to the “visa on arrival” desk. Fill out the form and arrival card, pay a small 20 THB service fee and then wait a few minutes to get your passport back at window two. It’s a very simple process, the same as it would be at an airport.
When you collect your passport you’ll receive a receipt with a bar code on it. This is how you’ll pay. Go through passport control then approach the payment window and present your visa receipt and passport.
The 30 day Laos visa costs 1400 THB or $40.
Getting to Huay Xai
After leaving the terminal the best way to get to Huay Xai is to approach one of the trucks and discuss where you’d like to go. It’s a small town so they’ll know it.
You can continue to use baht at this stage as well, which means you avoid the terrible ATM rates at the terminal. I’d suggest just using baht in Laos until you can’t anymore! Most places in Huay Xai will accept it.
A seat on the truck to Huay Xai costs 100 baht and you’ll most likely need to wait until it’s full (8 people) to leave. The journey to town takes 15-20 minutes.
Where to stay in Huay Xai
If you’re looking to stay the night in Huay Xai like I did, you’ll find you have very limited options.
By far the best budget option is the Little Hostel which has beds in 4-bed dorms with air-con and good WiFi for just 90,000 kip ($6). I actually ended up staying here for 3 nights because it was a nice place and I was in no particular rush.
My new friend Nok runs the hostel and she will help you out with anything you need. She can help with getting to Luang Prabang and book it all for you, provide SIM cards for Laos and give any general advice.
Book Little Hostel on Booking.com below.
Huay Xai to Luang Prabang
And that’s it – you’ve made it to Laos! At this point you can just reverse the process and get a bus back to Thailand with a new visa or continue your journey in Laos!
Usually, people travel onward to Luang Prabang from Huay Xai, and there are 3 main options to do that:
- 12-15hr overnight bus = 300,000 kip ($19)
- 2 day Mekong slow boat = 300,000 kip ($19, not inc overnight hotel stay)
- 5hr minivan + 2hr bullet train = 480,000 kip ($30)
With option 3 (the most popular) you are picked up from your accommodation in Huay Xai at 5:30am by minivan and driven 5 hours to Nateuy to catch the new Chinese bullet train to Luang Prabang. Prepare for an extremely bumpy minivan ride because the roads in rural Laos are absolutely terrible, but you’ll be in Luang Prabang nice and early, around 2pm.
The slow boat is also a great experience but takes nearly 2 days and the price doesn’t include your hotel overnight in Pakbeng. I didn’t take the bus, but I’ve heard the overnight journey is very cramped, you potentially have to share a bed with a stranger, and if it’s been raining heavily it could take up to 16 hours!
It’s up to you what is the “most comfortable” option I suppose, but none of them are first class, that’s for sure!
I took the third option on the way to Luang Prabang and later the Mekong slow boat on the return leg. The train is the most expensive but quickest option.
What to do next
There’s so much to see in this part of the world, so I really suggest spending some time in northern Laos and Thailand if you can!
Here are some of the best things to do:
- Stay in Chiang Rai and explore northern Thailand
- Check out the temples and French architecture in Luang Prabang
- Visit the stunning Kuang Si Falls
- Head south from Luang Prabang to Vang Veing
- Spend some time in Pai, Thailand
- Relax in the vibey city of Chiang Mai
- Trek in the mountains and waterfalls of Nong Khiaw
Best tours in Luang Prabang
Thank you for reading this travel guide – I hope you found it helpful! Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible 
Happy travelling!
HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR PLANNING YOUR TRIP
Accommodation: Booking.com, Hostelworld
Tours: GetYourGuide, Viator, Klook, TripAdvisor
Transport: 12Go, Omio, Trip.com, Rome2Rio
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