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Flights from Chiang Mai to Vientiane

No nonstop links Chiang Mai and Vientiane in October 2026: you connect in Bangkok-Don Mueang or Luang Prabang, for 2h 40m to 5h 40m in total. By road, a night bus reaches Nong Khai in about 11h 30m, just before the Friendship Bridge.

By Pierre-Marie Coupry · updated · sources

Wat Si Saket and its brick-paved courtyard surrounded by galleries

Photo by Basile Morin on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Boarding pass · at least one stop

one way · Chiang Mai, from

$141

fare checked October 12, 2026; it changes with your dates

Compare on Aviasales

Affiliate link · opens in a new tab

Nonstop
none in October 2026
With a stop
2h 40m to 5h 40m
One way
from $141
Night bus
≈ 11h 30m to Nong Khai

Chiang Mai to Vientiane: which way, with no nonstop?

Three ways to make the trip: via Luang Prabang, via Bangkok, or overnight by road. Times are for the trip itself.

Fly to Luang Prabang, then the train

Our pick

≈ 1 hr flight, then ≈ 2 hrs by train

Right for you if

You want to see Luang Prabang on the way: Lao Airlines nonstop four days a week, then the Laos-China Railway to Vientiane, 1h 46m to 2h 20m.

Not for you if

You're leaving on a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday: no nonstop to Luang Prabang on those days.

One stop via Bangkok

Simplest

2h 40m to 5h 40m · Thai AirAsia

Right for you if

You want to arrive the same day, any day of the week: Thai AirAsia connects via Don Mueang.

Not for you if

You'd rather skip the detour: the stop in Bangkok, to the south, adds a lot of distance.

Night bus to Nong Khai

Cheapest

≈ 11h 30m · 890 to 1,100 baht

Right for you if

You travel light: leaves around 8 p.m., arrives in Nong Khai in the morning, then the Friendship Bridge, where the e-Visa is accepted.

Not for you if

You want to arrive fresh: door to door, allow 14 to 16 hours.

Buses and times on 12Go Affiliate link

Chiang Mai to Vientiane flight prices by month

The lowest one-way fare seen for each departure month.

One way, lowest fare seen

  1. January : –
  2. February : –
  3. March : –
  4. April : –
  5. May : –
  6. June : –
  7. July : –
  8. August : –
  9. September : –
  10. October : $166
  11. November : $141 the cheapest
  12. December : $197
January
–
February
–
March
–
April
–
May
–
June
–
July
–
August
–
September
–
October
$166
November
$141the cheapest
December
$197

Source: Aviasales via Travelpayouts, lowest one-way fares seen in recent days, checked October 12, 2026. “–”: no fare seen for that departure month.

From Wattay Airport to downtown Vientiane

Wattay is in town, 4 km from the center. Fill in the Lao Digital Immigration Form (LDIF) online within 3 days before you arrive.

Official taxi

140,000 kip

Fixed fare, paid at the desk inside the terminal before you walk to the car. About 20 to 35 minutes depending on traffic.

Ride-hailing

≈ 70,000 kip

With the LOCA app, or inDrive, the ride downtown costs about half the official taxi. You need a data connection on arrival.

Shuttle, bus no. 44

40,000 kip

It runs to Talat Sao bus station via the hotels, every 1.5 to 2 hours, 8:10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. from the airport.

Next, southern Laos

From Vientiane, the south is an hour's flight away in Pakse, or a night on the bus. That's where Champasak and the 4,000 Islands begin.

Chiang Mai to Vientiane: FAQ

Do you have to change airports in Bangkok?
Not with Thai AirAsia: both the Chiang Mai and the Vientiane flights use Don Mueang. With two separate tickets and a landing at Suvarnabhumi, though, you'd have to cross the city.
Where do you cross the border by bus?
At the First Friendship Bridge, between Nong Khai and Vientiane. The e-Visa is valid there; a visa on arrival costs around $40.
Can you go via Huay Xai and the train?
In theory, yes: Chiang Khong, Friendship Bridge IV, then a transfer to Na Teuy station on the Laos-China Railway. We couldn't find reliable times for this route: check before you go.

Sources: flights, Kayak and trip.com (October 2026); bus, 12Go, redBus and Rome2rio (2026); Laos-China Railway, Seat61 (June 2026); fares, Aviasales via Travelpayouts (weekly check); visa, official portal laoevisa.gov.la and Seat61 (June 2026); Wattay, GeckoRoutes and KPL (2026). Updated October 12, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.