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In my quest to ride the train everywhere in Thailand (almost there, only 20 km from Trang to Kantang is missing - I was on that train on 20nov2015 but had to take a van as the track was closed due to accident), I recently (13jan2019) took the train from Nong Khai หนองคาย to Thanalaeng ท่านาแล้ง (Lao).
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Nong Khai is one of the most awful provincial capitals in Thailand that I have been to. There is no public transport system. On the day of the train ride, I walked 6:15-55 from my hotel in town 2.9 km, mostly along main road highway 212, to railway station, without a single restaurant or 7-Eleven along the way. Fortunately, there was a restaurant opposite railway station open, so I could have breakfast there.
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There is an out of service, but still connected by rail, old railway station in Nong Khai that I wrote about before: Old and new railway station in Nong Khai https://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2015/12/old-and-new-railway-station-in-nong-khai.html.
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Buy ticket for train 913 Nong Khai to Thanalaeng for 20 THB (avoid touts who try to sell overpriced combination tickets train + van to Vientiane). Train schedule is 7:30-45, real 7:58-8:08. Thai immigration opens 7:38, I get stamped out 7:53.
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I crossed the bridge (Thai-Lao friendship bridge 1) before on bus, but didn't pay attention and didn't notice that the railway track is in the middle of the road, and road traffic is blocked while the train passes the bridge. There is a kind of pedestrian sidewalk, but there were signs in Thai "do not cross" blocking the sidewalk.
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Thanalaeng railway station is 2 km from the main border crossing, 20 km from Vientiane, in the middle of nowhere. At least there is a free western toilet and running water and vans waiting for passengers.
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Lao visa on arrival took 8:09-57. If you don't know you need a visa, you could walk past visa counter and are in Lao. Visa fee is 30 USD or 1300 THB or 30 EUR. At current exchange rates, 30 USD is the cheapest, so I brought USD from Thailand.
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There was a French girl who argued with the officers that 30 USD would be 1200 THB at current exchange rate and tried to get a visa for 1200 THB, but in the end the officer told her that only USD are accepted. One other had old worn USD that were not accepted. But even with such delays, there is no explanation why it took so long. The main immigration is even worse, with more people (experience from 2011 and 2014).
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The whole train ride on youtube: International Train from Nong Khai to Thanaleng (Thailand - Laos Border Crossing)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnwAURRwvN4
No words spoken, Thai explanations written like subtitles.
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While this train crossing and Thanalaeng railway station is of little practical use to the traveller, the Chinese are building a connection between China and Thailand through Lao. Aerial pictures by a friend's drone:
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Picture on the ground:
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Copyright 2019 ChristianPFC
Thanks for the report.
ReplyDeleteCrossing by foot, I was asked for 2500 baht for my visa, which was $78 at the time.
I responded: "could I pay in dollars please ?" The price was quoted as $35, which I believe is the correct price for a UK citizen.
As far as I know, you cannot cross the bridge on foot. But there is a (compulsory)shuttle bus from Thai immigration to Lao immigration. Price of visa on arrival varies depending on your nationality. Beware of touts for visa agencies.
DeleteI mean ARRIVING by foot, although traveling independently without a pre-booked bus crossing the bridge & without any pre-booked onward travel would have been a better description.
DeleteWalk up to the Thai border post & get stamped out. Then as you say, we have to buy a bus ticket to cross the bridge. I don't remember the price, but it was reasonable. Since neither border post is immediately by the river, the bus is probably a good idea.
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Now we are waiting for Bangkok -Phnom Penh service
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