The Thai town across from Vientiane, at the end of the first Friendship Bridge. A promenade along the Mekong, the Sala Keoku sculpture park, and the night train from Bangkok that runs on into Laos.
Photo by Christophe95 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo by gary4now on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
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Photo by satori.corvus on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
Photo by Lou Barros on Unsplash
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Photo by Lavishoptimism on Wikimedia Commons · GFDL
Photo by Christophe95 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo by ThaiZauber on Wikimedia Commons
Photo by Christophe95 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo by Pitt on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo by Perthite on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
Photo by Christophe95 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Nong Khai is Thailand's gateway to Vientiane. The first Friendship Bridge, opened in 1994, crosses the Mekong west of town, and since 2024 the train from Bangkok runs on to Khamsavath station on the Lao side. The town faces the river: a long promenade, Tha Sadet market, temples on the bank. Most people stay a day or two, for the Sala Keoku sculpture park and, to the west, the river road to Sangkhom.
Photo by Christophe95 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Huge sculptures of Buddhas, Hindu gods and a seven-headed naga about 25 m tall, built from 1978 by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat, who had already made Buddha Park in Vientiane. On the Bueng Kan road, east of the centre.
Photo by Christophe95 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
In the morning, Thai and Lao traders by the Mekong; many stalls pack up around noon. Friday to Sunday, from 5 to 10 pm, the walking street sells silk, cotton and handicrafts beside the two giant nagas, 45 m long.
Photo by ThaiZauber on Wikimedia Commons
The town's most revered Buddha. Tradition has it that it was one of three statues brought down the river from Vientiane; another sank during the crossing.
Photo by Pitt on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
A Lao chedi that slid into the Mekong in 1847, Phra That Klang Nam. It only shows at low water: in March 2023, after the drought, it emerged in three pieces.
Photo by Perthite on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
At Wat Pha Tak Suea, a U-shaped glass-floored walkway, opened in 2016 above the river and the Lao bank. About 1 h 30 west by road 211, which follows the Mekong; Than Thong waterfall is on the way.
Naga fireballs: on the night of Ok Phansa, the end of Buddhist Lent (October 26 in 2026), glowing balls rise from the Mekong, locals say. Most people watch from the districts of Phon Phisai and Rattanawapi, to the east: 141,381 spectators in 2024, about 31,500 in 2025.
A 4-star hotel on the Mekong, a resort with a big pool near the station, and a budget guesthouse in a garden in the centre.
Photo: LePont Riverfront Resort
A 4-star hotel with river views: outdoor pool, spa, gym, restaurant and bar, 24-hour front desk.
≈ $113 a night
Photo: Park & Pool Resort
A French colonial-style hotel with a large outdoor pool, open-air massages and a restaurant; 3.8 km from Tha Sadet market.
≈ $25 a night
Photo: Mut Mee Garden Guest House
Rooms set in a tropical garden near the Mekong, some with fans, others air-conditioned with a balcony; Thai and Western restaurant, vegetarian dishes.
≈ $23 a night
Booking affiliate links · average nightly price checked in October 2026
Krung Thep Aphiwat → Nong Khai · 10 to 10.5 hours
Two sleeper trains: no. 25 (8:25 pm → 6:25 am) and no. 133 (9:25 pm → 7:55 am), which continues to Vientiane. Second-class berths from 784 to 994 baht, first class from 1,350 to 1,550 baht. A day train, no. 75, leaves at 8:45 am.
Tickets and times on 12Go Affiliate linkUdon Thani airport (UTH) · about 1 hour by road
Thai AirAsia flies from Don Mueang, up to six times a day; Thai VietJetAir from Suvarnabhumi, four times a day. No international flights. Minibuses link the airport with Nong Khai.
Nong Khai → Khamsavath · 30 min
Two trains a day, at 8:35 am and 5:25 pm. Thai exit on the platform at Nong Khai, Lao entry at Khamsavath, 7 km from central Vientiane: visa on arrival or e-Visa.
Tickets and times on 12Go Affiliate linkInternational bus · 1.5 hours
Four buses a day from the bus station, 7:30 am to 6 pm. The Lao post on the bridge is open 6 am to 10 pm; if you need a visa on arrival, the bus does not always wait.
Road 212, along the Mekong · about 4 hours
No boat or train on these 200 km. 12Go only sells private taxis on this route.
Taxis and prices on 12Go Affiliate linkTimes and prices checked on October 10, 2026 on 12Go, for an October 12 departure, and on Seat61 (June 2026): check again before you travel.
November to February: dry season, 27 to 30 °C in the afternoon and 17 °C at dawn in December and January. April is the hottest month, 34 °C. May to October is the monsoon: up to 412 mm of rain in August.
| Month | J (current month) | F (current month) | M (current month) | A (current month) | M (current month) | J (current month) | J (current month) | A (current month) | S (current month) | O (current month) | N (current month) | D (current month) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airhigh / low | ||||||||||||
| Rainmm | ||||||||||||
| Daysof rain | 2 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 23 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 12 | 3 | 1 |
| Mekonglevel | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Rising | Rising | High | High | High | Falling | Low |
| Our take | Ideal | Ideal | Fair | Fair | Fair | Difficult | Difficult | Difficult | Difficult | Good | Ideal | Ideal |
| Month | Low – high | mm | River |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan (current month) | 10 | Low | |
| Feb (current month) | 15 | Low | |
| Mar (current month) | 34 | Low | |
| Apr (current month) | 69 | Low | |
| May (current month) | 246 | Low | |
| Jun (current month) | 316 | Rising | |
| Jul (current month) | 379 | Rising | |
| Aug (current month) | 412 | High | |
| Sep (current month) | 308 | High | |
| Oct (current month) | 95 | High | |
| Nov (current month) | 20 | Falling | |
| Dec (current month) | 8 | Low |
Tour · Vientiane, across the bridgeGetYourGuide
About 25 km by bike from Vientiane with an English-speaking guide: Buddha Park, made by Bunleua Sulilat before Sala Keoku, the Lao end of the Friendship Bridge, the old city walls and a craft workshop.
Sources: climate, Open-Meteo (ERA5 archive, 1991-2020 averages); trains, Seat61 (June 2026) and Tourism Laos; buses and taxis, 12Go (checked October 10, 2026); flights, ch-aviation and TTR Weekly (August 2026); Friendship Bridge, Australian Embassy in Thailand; Lao border, Lao Department of Immigration and Tourism Laos; entry to Thailand, Thai embassies and France Diplomatie (October 2026); sights, Thai Holiday Guide (July 2026), KTC (2025) and The Nation; naga fireballs, The Nation (2025) and Thansettakij (October 2026). Updated on October 12, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.
