Thailand has just announced the launch of a new bus route connecting Laos’ Vientiane and Thailand’s Udon Thani International Airport, via Udon Thani city, strengthening cross-border travel links between the two countries.
The Thai Transport Company (BKS), Thailand’s state-owned intercity and cross-border bus operator, will begin operating the service on 9 September.
The 87-kilometer route will use a 40-seat, second-class air-conditioned bus, with fares set at THB 80 (USD 2.40) per trip. Two round trips will operate each day.
Buses will depart Udon Thani Bus Terminal 1 at 9 AM., stop at Udon Thani International Airport at 9:30 AM., and arrive in Vientiane at noon.
The return service will leave Vientiane at 2 PM, reach Udon Thani Airport at 4:30 PM., and arrive at Udon Thani Bus Terminal 1 at 5:00 PM.
The route will provide a direct bus connection between Udon Thani and Vientiane, including stops at the airport in Udon Thani.
The launch builds on BKS’s recent resumption of another major cross-border route linking Vientiane and Khon Kaen, a neighboring province of Udon Thani.
In October 2025, BKS relaunched the Khon Kaen route after a five-year suspension that began in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Khon Kaen route covers 194 kilometers and takes approximately four hours, using air-conditioned buses that seat 42 passengers. BKS charges 180 baht (around USD 5) per ticket and runs two daily round trips, departing Khon Kaen at 8:15 AM and returning from Vientiane at 2:45 PM.
