Two daily nonstops link Bangkok and Luang Prabang: Thai AirAsia from Don Mueang, in 1h 25m, and Bangkok Airways from Suvarnabhumi. By rail, the night train to Vientiane then the Laos-China Railway take 16 to 18 hours.
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Boarding pass · nonstop
one way · Bangkok, from
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$98
fare checked October 12, 2026; it changes with your dates
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Two flights a day from two airports, or a night on the train followed by two hours on the fast train. Times are for the trip itself.
Right for you if
You want to arrive overland: train 133 leaves Bangkok at 9:25 p.m., reaches Vientiane around 9 a.m., and a fast train leaves for Luang Prabang late morning.
Not for you if
You're traveling heavy: in Vientiane, you'll need a taxi to the Laos-China Railway station, 14 km out.
Right for you if
You're staying in north Bangkok, or want the lowest fare: Thai AirAsia is usually the cheapest on this route.
Not for you if
You're landing at Suvarnabhumi on a long-haul flight: Don Mueang is a different airport.
Right for you if
You're arriving at Suvarnabhumi from overseas and want to leave from the same airport.
Not for you if
You want flexibility: one departure a day, as Lao Airlines doesn't fly year-round.
The lowest one-way fare seen for each departure month.
One way, lowest fare seen
Source: Aviasales via Travelpayouts, lowest one-way fares seen in recent days, checked October 12, 2026. “–”: no fare seen for that departure month.
The airport is 4 km from the old town: twenty to thirty minutes by road. Fill in the Lao Digital Immigration Form (LDIF) online within 3 days before you arrive.
≈ 100,000 kip
Fixed fare: buy the ticket at the desk inside the terminal, then walk to the vehicle. About 20 to 30 minutes to the old town.
≈ $40
Issued at the airport, in US dollars cash. The e-Visa, $50 on the official portal, is also accepted there.
Luang Prabang sits where the Nam Khan meets the Mekong: upstream, the slow boat heads to Thailand; downstream, the train runs to Vientiane.
Photo by Tomasz Dunn on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Photo by Clay Gilliland on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo by Christophe95 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources: flights and times, trip.com (flight status, October 2026), FlightMapper, Kayak and aerocorner (October 2026); trains, Seat61 (June 2026) and Tourism Laos (April 2026); fares, Aviasales via Travelpayouts (weekly check); visa, official portal laoevisa.gov.la and Seat61 (June 2026); Luang Prabang airport, aifly (May 2026). Updated October 12, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.