Quick summary
BKS runs 10 daily trips on the 87-kilometre Udon Thani–Vientiane cross-border bus at 80 baht one-way, as of 3 October 2026. Outbound buses leave Udon Thani Bus Terminal 1 at 7:00, 9:00, 11:30, 13:30 and 15:30, stopping at Udon Thani Airport 30 minutes later.
No direct Udon Thani–Vientiane flight exists, so the bus is the only through option — but Laos entry eligibility, not the fare, decides whether you can board it.
BKS began its Udon Thani–Vientiane service on 9 September 2026 with a single round trip a day. Within four weeks, it had grown to five departures in each direction. The airport stop lets travelers join the bus without going into Udon Thani city. But Laos entry eligibility decides whether they can board.
Anyone asking whether the Udon Thani to Vientiane bus is cheaper than flying has no flight on that segment to compare it against.
For travelers from North America, Europe including the UK, and Australia and New Zealand, the question is not bus or plane on this stretch. It is whether their paperwork allows the land crossing at all.
An earlier version of this page claimed the land route saved $80–140 per person against flying into Vientiane. No current source prices both sides of that comparison, so the saving cannot be verified.
The new Udon Thani–Vientiane bus, explained
The cross-border service runs as Route No 2, an 87-kilometre link between Udon Thani Bus Terminal 1, Udon Thani International Airport and Vientiane. BKS uses 40-seat, second-class air-conditioned buses. The fare is 80 baht per journey in either direction. One ticket covers the whole run from the Thai bus station to Vientiane.
By 3 October 2026, the route had grown to 10 daily trips: five outbound and five back.
For anyone who has crossed this border before, the change is the through ticket. The old pattern meant an airport bus to the Nong Khai Friendship Bridge, a bridge shuttle, then onward transport on the Lao side, each with its own queue and payment.
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What the 10 daily trips look like
Outbound buses leave Udon Thani Bus Terminal 1 at 7:00, 9:00, 11:30, 13:30 and 15:30. Each reaches Udon Thani International Airport 30 minutes later, putting airport pickups at 7:30, 9:30, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00.
Return buses leave Vientiane at 8:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 17:00. They stop at the airport before continuing to Udon Thani Bus Terminal 1. Tickets are sold through the BKS website, the BKS E-Ticket app, BKS’s Facebook page, the LINE account @BKS99 and BKS counters nationwide.
A late flight can turn the crossing into an overnight wait. A landing much after 15:30 leaves you waiting until 7:30 the next morning.
Entry rules that decide the land route
Thailand’s rules changed on 15 September 2026: the visa-exempt stay for eligible nationalities fell from 60 days to 30 days per entry. The eligible list was also trimmed to 60 countries and territories. The change was published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026.
On the Lao side, visa on arrival and the eVisa both give a 30-day stay, extendable once for another 30 days at a Lao immigration office. eVisa fees typically run US$35–50. They are non-refundable, and fees vary by nationality.
The same document does not work at every crossing. As of late October 2025, some Lao crossings accept both the eVisa and visa on arrival, some accept only one, and some accept neither. A traveler with the wrong document can be refused entry.
Cash still matters at the bridge. ATC’s guide to Laos visa-on-arrival payments at the border explains why the condition of the notes you carry decides what you actually pay.
Why there is no direct flight to compare
No airline sells a direct Udon Thani–Vientiane flight on the 43-mile segment as of March 2026. Udon Thani Airport handles mainly domestic traffic. Carriers connecting it to Bangkok include AirAsia’s Bangkok–Udon Thani flights and Thai Airways’ Udon Thani service. Vientiane is reached by air from Bangkok, not from Udon Thani.
The comparison is therefore not bus against plane over the same stretch. It is the bus against a separate flight into Vientiane from Bangkok.
The routing changes where you connect and how much buffer you need. Travelers from North America, Europe and Australia and New Zealand reach this corridor through Bangkok, and a self-transfer between Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang adds a 45-kilometre road leg; ATC’s guide to the two Bangkok airports sets out the time that requires. From North America, routing options to Laos often run through a third hub before Bangkok, which changes the day you can reach Udon Thani.
Book the bus once your documents clear
The constraint is no longer capacity but the clock. Your flight arrival has to leave time for the last airport pickup.
- Time the arrival: land at Udon Thani before 15:30 if you want to reach Vientiane the same day, and treat the 16:00 airport pickup as the hard deadline.
- Reserve a seat through the BKS website, the BKS E-Ticket app or LINE @BKS99 rather than turning up for the 7:00 departure.
- File the TDAC within 72 hours before arrival and keep the confirmation with your passport for Thai immigration.
- Watch whether BKS adds departures beyond the current 10 daily trips or pushes the last Vientiane departure past 17:00 — either would change the same-day calculation.
If BKS keeps adding trips, the bus becomes the default way into Vientiane from northeast Thailand rather than a budget trick. Verify your Laos entry eligibility before you book.
Reporting by
Questions? Answers.
Which passport holders can use Laos visa on arrival at the Friendship Bridge?
Laos issues visa on arrival and an eVisa to a wide range of nationalities, and both give a 30-day stay that can be extended once for another 30 days at a Lao immigration office. Not every crossing accepts both documents, so confirm the Friendship Bridge’s current policy before booking. Fees vary by nationality, and eVisa fees typically run US$35 to US$50.
What is the exact BKS schedule from Udon Thani Airport to Vientiane?
BKS runs five outbound buses a day from Udon Thani Bus Terminal 1 at 7:00, 9:00, 11:30, 13:30 and 15:30, each stopping at the airport 30 minutes later, and five return buses from Vientiane at 8:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 17:00. Seats are sold on the BKS website, the BKS E-Ticket app, Facebook, LINE @BKS99 and counters, and by phone on 02-936-2841-48 or 080-079-7315.
How far is Udon Thani from central Vientiane by land?
The BKS route covers 87 kilometres from Udon Thani Bus Terminal 1 to Vientiane, with the airport stop 30 minutes into the outbound run. The air segment it replaces is 43 miles, and no airline flies it.
What happens if I miss the last BKS bus?
The last airport pickup is at 16:00 and the last departure from Vientiane is at 17:00. Miss either and the next bus is the following morning: 7:00 from Udon Thani Bus Terminal 1, or 8:00 from Vientiane.
Does the BKS bus stop at Udon Thani Airport on the return leg?
Yes. The airport stop is included on the return leg before the bus continues to Udon Thani Bus Terminal 1, so you can be dropped at the terminal for a domestic flight instead of in the city.
