After almost 12 hour bus ride, we arrived the northern bus station in Vientiane. We took the public tuktuk to the central bus station, near Talat Sao Mall. (fare:
20,000kip)
mornings at the central bus station in Vientiane
I made two options for my return journey to Nong Khai station, from Vientiane city centre.
First, I will be doing the reverse
of what I did when I first arrive from Bangkok. Hire a tuk tuk
back to Thanaleng station… that will cost me 300 baht or more… then ride the
border train to cross the bridge over Mekong River. With this option, I needed
to arrive Thanaleng station before 5pm, because the last trip schedule of Thanaleng-Nong
Khai train is 5pm.We tried bargaining with tuk tuk and van
drivers, but they’re just very expensive. I only have few bucks left. This led
us to my other option – later I realized was the cheaper and better and more
comfortable option.
Second, is to ride the local bus from the
central bus station in Vientiane to Nong Khai bus station. Fare is
only 15,000 kip. Then from Nong Khai bus station, hire a tuk tuk to Nong Khai
railway station – standard tuk tuk rate is 50 baht per person, but Kim and I
was able to bargain for 60baht for two persons. Haha. Seriously, you need to
master your haggling skills if you’re dealing with tuk tuk drivers.
So we decided to take the bus to Nong Khai
station. I was hesitant about the second option because I thought we will be
riding an ordinary, non-AC bus. But I was surprised when I saw this one. After
all, we will be crossing the border…
In all fairness, it was way more comfortable than riding the tuk tuk. From the central bus station, we dropped off the Lao Immigration for our departure stamp... and the border immigration in Nong Khai for our arrival stamp to Thailand. It was very quick and easy.
REMINDER IF YOU’RE HEADING TO THE TRAIN
STATION:
After getting you passports back and
finally crossing Nong Khai border immigration, you don’t need to ride the bus
again… because the railway station is just a 10-15 minute walk away from the
border. Just ask for directions. With this, you can save at least 30baht for
the tuk tuk ride from the terminal.
It was too late for us to realize this when
we saw the signage directing to the railway station. We wanted to halt the bus
driver but we were too shy to do so. So we arrive in the bus station and we
were mobbed by the ever present and ever persuasive tuk tuk drivers. Funny, they didn’t actually care about me,
as I look very local to them. It was my white complexioned companion, Kim, that
they continued to crowd around before she can even get her luggage in the bus
compartment.
The one and only driver we asked charged us
with whooping 60 baht per person to the railway station. He even showed us
their taripa. But we walked away. He
followed us to the other side of the terminal until he agreed to our price of
30 baht per person.
We hopped into the tuk tuk and after 10
minutes, we arrive in Nong Khai railway station.
Kim was able to purchase one second class
upper deck sleeper bed for 488 baht… just across my assigned bed. I bought my roundtrip tickets in Hualamphong Railway
station the day I travelled to Laos.
Arriving in the station four hours early
from your estimated departure time can be very boring… good thing Nong Khai
railway station has free wifi, though not very stable, but just enough to check
FB messages and update one’s status. Haha.
They also have shower rooms… bigger and
cleaner than the ones in Hualamphong railway station. I had no plans taking a
bath, but upon feeling the lukewarm waters of the shower, I decided to have
one.
sunset somewhere in Thailand
The train departed the station at exactly 620pm, and was expected to arrive in Bangkok railway station at 625 the next morning. Apparently, it did not happen. We arrive in the station at around eight in the morning.
Now I’m back to Bangkok.
No comments:
Post a Comment