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| Udon Thani Railway Station, Thailand |
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| Kamsavath Railway Station, Laos |
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| Patuxay Monument, Vientiane, Laos |
Saturday Feb 15 2025 (Day 6 - Vientiane, Laos) - my group's 2nd overland border crossing by train from Udon Thani Railway Station, Thailand > Kamsavath Railway Station, Laos, in my 2 previous trips from Bangkok / Ayutthaya to Vientiane, I took sleeper trains to Nong Khai, a Thai border town near the Laos border & used public bus or tuk tuk to travel to Vientiane. After our hotel check-in, we e-hailed a Lao cab from our hotel > Patuxay Monument.
Travel Itinerary: Udon Thani > Nong Khai (Thailand) > Kamsavath (Laos); 76km 1 hr 40 mins.
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| Udon Thani > Nong Khai (Thailand) > Kamsavath (Laos) |
Ground transport + Food: 235bht + LAK185,000
- Udon Thani Railway Station > Kamsavath Railway Station: 235bht = US$6.80 per pax
- Taxi (Kamsavath Railway Station > Hotel): LAK250,000 @ LAK62,500 (cost sharing of 4)
- Lao Cab: LAK37,000 @LAK9,250 (cost sharing of 4)
- Food: LAK80,000 + LAK13,000 + LAK20,000
1) E-hailed a Laos cab (LAK37,000) from hotel > Udon Thani Railway Station, Thai train (235bht = Rm31) from Udon Thani, Thailand ETD 08.45 > Kamsavath Railway Station, Laos
2) Countryside scenery as viewed from the moving train (Udon Thani, Thailand > Kamsavath, Lao)
3) Arriving in Nong Kai Railway Station for Immigration clearance (exit Thailand) & re-boarding the train to Kamsavath Railway Station, Laos
4) Thai Train passing the Thai - Lao Friendship Bridge
5) Welcome to Lao PDR !
6) The old Thanaleng Railway Station, Laos
7) Arriving in Kamsavath Railway Station, Laos
8) Immigration clearance & passport stamping (enter Laos) in Kamsavath Railway Station, paid a service fee of 20bht to Immigration counter for passport processing !
9) Laos-China Railway Ticket Counter, Kamsavath Railway Station, Laos - after our Laos Immigration clearance in Kamsavath Railway Station, our group bought 12 train tickets (3 x 4 pax) covering 1) Vientianne > Vang Vieng (LAK123,000 = US$5.70), 2) Vang Vieng > Luang Prabang (LAK195,000 = US$9.05) & 3) Luang Prabang > Xishuangbana (940bht + US$28). The counter accepts either Lao LAK currency or Thai Bahts to pay for the tickets. The counter collects a service fee of LAK20,000 per ticket issued. So this advance buying of train tickets in Kamsavath Railway Station made life easier for our group ! Likewise, you could buy your train tickets covering Laos > Thai train journey.
10) Ticketing booths for public transport from Kamsavath Railway Station > Vientiane Railway Station & City Centre. Our group of 4 booked a private cab (LAK250,000 = US$11.60) from a Ticketing Booth to our hotel in Vientiane city centre.
11) Kamsavath Railway Station, Laos - approx 6 to 7km from the Vientiane City Centre.
12) Due to our early arrival, we left our luggage in the hotet & spent our time roaming the downtown Vientiane visiting the Night Market & temples / shrines in the nearby area.
13) Our group's lunch in AIE Restaurant near The Night Market, savoured a plate of chicken rice (LAK50,000) + Mango Sticky Rice (LAK60,000, twin sharing)
14) Our group bought 1 local Sim Card (LAK80,000 = US$3.70) from ME SHOP, Vientiane to cover our 1 week stay in Laos
15) Hotel Accommodation (Vientiane): our 2 nights stay in Batman Guesthouse, near Riverfront, room tariff Rm94 (US$21) twin sharing.
16) E-hailed a Lao cab (LAK40,000 = US$1.85) from our hotel > Patuxay Monument - Patuxay is a war monument, built between 1957 > 1968, dedicated to those who fought in the struggle of independence from France.
17) After the Patuxay Monument visit, we took a leisure walk back to our hotel passing temples, President Palace, Talat Sao Mall
18) Talat Sao Mall & Morning Market, Vientiane, Laos
19) Wat Sisaket Museum, Vientiane, Laos
20) President Palace, Vientiane, Laos
21) Downtown Vientiane by Night
22) Vientiane Night Market
23) Bought bamboo black sticky rice (LAK25,000) + skewer chicken satay & offal (LAK75,000) as takeaway to be eaten in our hotel.
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