Travel from Bangkok to Chiang Khong

The alternative to taking a direct bus service from Bangkok to Chiang Khong is to travel by train, or fly, to Chiang Mai and then take a connecting bus to Chiang Khong.

Bus Times from Bangkok to Chiang Khong

There are currently 6 bus services a day from Bangkok to Chiang Khong available to book online.

• The journey by bus from Bangkok to Chiang Khong is scheduled to take 12 hours 30 minutes to 14 hours 35 minutes depending upon which bus service you use.

Buy Tickets from Bangkok to Chiang Khong

Use the Search Box to buy your tickets from Bangkok to Chiang Khong.

Bangkok Bus Station

Bus services from Bangkok to Chiang Khong depart from Bangkok Northern Bus Terminal.

Chiang Khong Bus Station

Bus services from Bangkok to Chiang Khong terminate at Chiang Khong Local Bus Station.

About Travel to Chiang Khong

Most foreign visitors who come to Chiang Khong are either coming from, or going to, Laos. Chiang Khong is close to Friendship Bridge Number 4, which is the crosing point to the town of Huay Xai in Laos. The famous slow boat services to Luang Prabang depart from Huay Xai at 11:00 daily, and take 2 days to travel up river to Pak Beng near Luang Prabang. Many travellers will spend one night in Chiang Khong before departing early in the morning the next day by tuk-tuk to the border crossing at Friendship Bridge Number 4 in order to be on time for boat departures at 11:00 in Huay Xai. It can take a while to negotiate the crossing and organise a visa for Laos, so if you take the overnght bus from Bangkok to Chiang Khong you may struggle to get from the bus station in Chiang Khong to the boat pier in Huay Xai by 11:00.

For a town with very little in the way of tourist attractions, Chiang Khong is surprisingly lively and with good facilities for foreign travellers. Enough people stay overnight in Chiang Khong to finance a range of hotels, bars and restaurants serving international food. The riverside location also makes Chiang Khong a pleasant place to stay. Walking, jogging and cycling along the river are popular activities and some visitors choose to go on walks into the surrounding countryside, which is home to a people from a diverse range of ethnic backgrounds, including hill tribes such as the H’mong and the Lahu.

There are two major tourist attractions near to Chiang Khong, which are most easily visited if you have your own transport or a car and driver for the day:

• Doi Pha Tang is a mountain 59 km by road to the South of Chiang Khong. Doi Pha Tang straddles the border between Thailand and Laos and offers excellent views across the surrrounding area. What Doi Pha Tang is most famous for, however, is the mist which accumulates in the valley below early in the morning. To see the mist you need to stay overnight at one of the many campsites, resorts or hotels.
• 65 km to the North West of Chiang Khong is the famous Golden Triangle where two rivers converge to create a three way border between Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. The area is best viewed from Golden Triangle Park overlooking the rivers. The park features a museum and amenities such as parking and toilets.