Though it's been hit hard with promotions from low-cost airlines lately, the government's Transport Company will soon launch a new bus route between Thailand and Laos. 

 

Launching this July, the route will run from the Northern Thai province of Nan to Xayaburi and Luang Prabang in Laos.

 

The full six-hour trip will cost B680 (or 170,000 kip), with 2-4 17-seat minibuses departing once a day. 

 

Buses do already run from Bangkok to Luang Prabang connecting at Udon Thani and Vientiane, but these take an extremely long time, especially given that the mountainous route from Vientiane to Luang Prabang already takes nine ours. The scheduled travel time between Bangkok and Udon Thani (eigh hours), Udon and Vientiane (two hours) are also highly unreliable.  

 

The Land Transport Department's director-general Sanit Promwong said plans for chartered buses running between Nongkhai-Laos-Vietnam have been terminated, citing legal and security problems. However, bus routes to Myanmar and Malaysia are now on the table.