Thai - Lao Friendship Bridge No.IV — Local services in Chiang Rai Province

We crossed this border using a company called K Buddy about 4 days ago.

We first bussed from Chiang Mai to Chiang rai and hung out there for a couple days - was fab! Quieter and things close early but that’s okay.

We booked our crossing using 12go Asia. About $30AUD each. k buddy driver picked up from our hotel in Chiang Rai city centre and picked up one other person. We drove in a sedan to the Thai border. The driver was fantastic he spoke great English and had plenty of funny stories. This drive took 2 hours ish. No traffic at all!

At the Thai border the driver took our picture and sent it to the Laos pick up staff. We then got a sticker (the bus over the bridge was included in our ticket). The border station was dead quiet. Had toilets and seats to sit and wait on.

Jumped on the 5 min bus to Laos. There was a driver who collected us at the other side and gave us our paperwork. We filled in 3 forms. Visa, arrival and departure forms. Gave paperwork and passport at window 1. Paid 80baht for passport photos. Moved to window 2, got my passport back with departure card and qr code. Super easy and quiet station.

QR code is for your visa purchase info. You can pay in baht/USD/kip. There are atms and exchange facilities. Kip is the most expensive. The driver grabbed our QR codes and money then did our visa payments for us whilst we just jumped in the back of the truck and were driven to our hotels.

Also SIM cards are expensive here don’t buy, Thai sims work in Huay xai. Get one there for cheaper.

It was all so smooth! Pick up was at 12:45pm in Chiang Rai and dropped off in Huay Xai by about 4:30pm.

4 star since the Laos visa was expensive. $73aud in baht/$43usd. If you pay in kip...

I did this border run yesterday from Chiang Mai Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge No 4: Book bus from Chiang Mai to Chang Khong 12go.asia. Around 325THB Meet at assigned Chiang Mai bus terminal Enjoy bus ride about 8 hours. Cozy seat but comfy to doze and sleep. Snack, water and wet tissue provided on board. Several stops in between the journey to alight passengers and 5-10mins toilet breaks and 1x 20 mins meal break Arrived at Chang Khong around 16:45. Bus conductor will transfer you to a Tuktuk, 50B and bring you to immigration. (Tuktuk all standby once you alight the bus) Once you stamped out your passport at Thai border, there will be bus service to send you to Laos for 25B. Waited for 10 mins before bus arrive. At Laos, fill up arrival form and Laos lady officer asked for 40B overtime fee. BRIBE!! Stamped and entered Laos At Laos do an immediate way back to Thai border ,40B. Waited only 10 mins. Once at Thai border, stamp into Thailand. Get ready to place of residence when asked. It’s around 6:30pm now and only have private vans to bring you to your hotel, 10km at 100B. Spent a night at Chang Khong before heading back to Chiang Mai

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Bus Luang prabang to Chiang Mai / Rai Done in Feb 2025.

Go to Sokprasert Bus Station (Northern Bus station) outside Luang prabang and take a bus to Huay xai.. One sleeper bus leaves at 430-5pm, timings are flexible for these guys, so try to be there by 4pm..

Once at the bus station, take a taxi/ minivan to the Laos immigration office.. Clear the immigration, you will have to pay 20k kip/ 1usd as processing fees for exit stamp on the passport..

Upon clearing, take a bus ticket to cross the border via Thai laos friendship bridge no. 4 to thai immigration, make sure you got exit air ticket from thailand(no passport size photos were asked), they might check..

Keep some thai baht ready beforehand for the bus tickets later..

Upon clearing immigration, take minibus to nearest town Chiang khong from the thai immigration..

Once in Chiang khong, take bus to chiang rai/ chiang mai as necessary.. Welcome to thailand.. (Ticket from Chiang khong to Chiang rai 90thb Local bus transport / chiang mai 316thb Bus service - Greenbus)

The hostel at Luang prabang charged me 900k(42 usd) for the whole journey to Chiang rai, but if done yourself, probably can be done for like 25-30usd... You will just have to go through the pain of walking here and there to find bus to next place..hope...