Udon Thani morning bus ticket, best time to buy

[Hal65]

I assume Udon Thani bus station is like others where you can't buy your ticket days in advance.

 

If I want to buy the 8am bus ticket to Vientiane what time would you guys advise I go to ensure I get the ticket before it sells out?

 

I believe the 8am ticket is the earliest one they have available based on this 8 year old post elsewhere:

 

Quote

8 years ago
There are 6 buses per day from Udon Thani bus station to the Talaat Sao bus station in Vientiane. 0800 1030 1130 1400 1600 1800. Fare is 80 baht (might have gone up to 100)

 

[loong]

I haven't used the Vientiane bus for many years, but back then you could not buy the tickets in advance going either way.

Of course it may be different now.

I always found that I could get a ticket at Udon Thani 1 hour before the bus left. Not so easy in the afternoon in Vientiane.

[CelticTam]

They will only sell you a ticket from Udon Thani to Vientiane on the International if you have a Lao visa as they don't want to hang around for farangs waiting to apply for a visa.

[CelticTam]

Of course, you can catch a mini bus (every half hour) from Udon Thani bus station to Nong Khai at the Friendship Bridge near to Thai immigration. Then when you cross over to Laos on the bus 15 or 20 baht). After you have obtained your visa (remember the photo and pay by $)  you come through Lao immigration, you can catch the green bus which is parked up over on the right. The bus leaves every 20 minutes or so and is 8,000 Kip = 30 Baht. It drops you off at the bus station at Talat Sao same as the international bus from Udon Thani.

[Hal65]

25 minutes ago, CelticTam said:

They will only sell you a ticket from Udon Thani to Vientiane on the International if you have a Lao visa as they don't want to hang around for farangs waiting to apply for a visa.

 

Is this a new policy? I read that they prefer you have a Laos Visa and may leave if you take too long, but there is no strict requirement. This may be old information though (most reports on TripAdvisor regarding the crossing are old).

 

13 minutes ago, CelticTam said:

Of course, you can catch a mini bus (every half hour) from Udon Thani bus station to Nong Khai at the Friendship Bridge near to Thai immigration.

 

Then when you cross over to Laos on the bus 15 or 20 baht). After you have obtained your visa (remember the photo and pay by $)  you come through Lao immigration, you can catch the green bus which is parked up over on the right.

 

The bus leaves every 20 minutes or so and is 8,000 Kip = 30 Baht. It drops you off at the bus station at Talat Sao same as the international bus from Udon Thani.

 

Do you know when the first van leaves? Would be nice to start the trip at 7am instead of 8am.

 

 

[SunsetT]

1 hour ago, Hal65 said:

Is this a new policy?

Not new. This is the reason that I have never taken the bus. I always prefer the train (13thb)  about 11am then tuktuk (30thb) to the border. There may be an earlier train but Im not sure of the time.