We took the slow boat from the Thai – Laos border to Luang Prabang in Laos first hand at the beginning of 2023, so all the information in this article is valid as of January 2023. Please be aware that things in Asia can change quickly so if anyone finds conflicting information, please leave a comment.
Need to know
- Our Rating: ★★★★ An absolute must for all travellers going from Thailand to Laos!
- Minimum time: 2 days
- Costs: approx. €10-€15 per person per day
Most travellers wanting to travel from Thailand into Laos to continue their backpacking journey will have heard of the slow boat to Laos. This popular route is practically a rite of passage for backpackers following the banana pancake trail up through northern Thailand and into Laos.
The slow boat in Laos takes a leisurely pace down the Mekong river, taking 2 days to reach the cultural capital of Laos, and UNESCO world heritage site, Luang Prabang. The first day of the slow boat will be about 7 hours long, while the second day will last about 8 hours. It sounds like a lot, but for us the hours flew by! The slow boat will give you the opportunity to relax and soak in the scenery of the world-famous Mekong River. Spend time reading a good book, or make friends with the other passengers, drink a beer or play cards; there will be plenty of time and things to do.
If, like us, you’ve heard both good and bad stories about this method of transportation, and want to understand if it’s the right thing for you, then you’re in the right place. Short answer, it’s great and we loved it! In this article you will find our experience, tips and tricks we learnt along the way, including crossing the Thai – Laos border, so you can experience this once in a lifetime journey to its best, and not get scammed and save money on the way.
Getting to the border in Thailand
Most people will plan their journey on the slow boat starting in the northern capital of Thailand, Chiang Mai. This city is firmly on the list of every backpacker and traveller in Thailand and is easily accessible from all over the country.
To get to the border with Laos you need to first reach the city of Chiang Rai, which is a 3-4 hour journey from Chiang Mai by bus. Buses go multiple times a day from Chiang Mai bus Terminal 3 and cost 6.5 euros / 250 baht. Check ticket prices here.
From Chiang Rai you need to take another bus to Chiang Khong. There are a few different options here including a mini bus service aimed at tourists and backpackers, which costs around 10 euros, or the option we opted for; The local bus.
This local bus service seems to operate on a “when it’s full, it leaves” system, as our bus was an hour delayed setting off until it had filled up. This local bus service leaves from the Chiang Rai bus terminal in the centre of town, and costs just 65 baht, or 1.5 euros. We found this bus journey quite laborious as it was very slow, and stopped every 5 minutes to deliver post and parcels (it seems the bus service doubles up as a delivery service) but after 3-4 hours we arrived at the border. You’ll want to disembark the bus before the final stop of Chiang Khong, and get off directly at the border crossing area (the stop just before Chiang Khong).
Crossing the Thai – Laos border
Once at the border you’ll have to cross Thai border control, then purchase a border bus crossing ticket (40 baht / 1 euro) and wait in line to be picked up. This bus is mandatory and just takes you across the Thai – Laos friendship bridge. It will drop you off at the Laos border control booths. Once here you’ll have to fill in your visa application forms, pay the processing fee ($35 USD) and wait for your visa application to be approved.
Make sure you have a passport photo for this border crossing otherwise you’ll be forced to buy one at the border for an inflated price!
After you receive back your passport with your fresh Laos visa, you’re free and officially in the country of Laos. At this point you can haggle with the tuk-tuk drivers and group with other backpackers to negotiate a deal to get to Huay Xai, the border town on the Laos side where the slow boat departs from. These tuk-tuk drivers will accept Thai baht, but there are ATMs available at the border where you can withdraw the Laotian currency, KIP.
Huay Xai – the slow boat border town
There isn’t much to do in this town other than catch the slow boat and spend the night. If you, like us, arrive in this town after noon, you’ll have to wait for the following day to take the slowboat. Therefore, use this evening in Huay Xai to prepare for the journey, get supplies, order lunch (more on this below) to take with you on the boat, and relax before the 7 hours on the Mekong tomorrow. In the evening, I chose to go for a run down the Mekong, which offered a very scenic view. The locals found it amusing to see a tall westerner jogging through their small local villages. We then sat in a restaurant owned by a French expat and ate some Italian food (weird right?) and reflected on the previous few days’ travels before getting back to our homestay to sleep.
Where to buy the boat tickets in Huay Xai, and how much should they cost?
Boat tickets can be purchased from the Slow Boat Pier, about a 20 minute walk from the central area of town. The office to purchase tickets closes at 4pm so you need to be there before then if you want to buy your ticket for the following day. We missed the opening times due to the lengthy border crossing, but were still able to purchase tickets for the slow boat in the morning the next day, just make sure you get to the office for when it opens (8am).
Tickets cost 300k kip, which works out at 14 euros for the 2 days. You can also buy a ticket just to the halfway point, Pakbeng, for 150k kip, in case you want to spend a few days there. Don’t forget to keep your passport handy to book the tickets, so don’t forget to bring it with you. You will also be assigned a seat number with your ticket, but don’t fret too much if you aren’t next to your SO, you can easily rearrange on the boat.
Note: There are multiple tour offices in the town that offer to sell the boat tickets to you. Most hostels also offer this service. But this is always more expensive than just going to the pier yourself and buying the tickets in person, so it isn’t worth it. You all end up on the same boat with the same amenities, so anyone that tries to tell you otherwise isn’t being honest.
There are some operators selling luxury private boat tours down the Mekong to Luang Prabang, but expect to pay upwards of $150 USD for the journey, as opposed to the $15 for the local boat.
Where to stay in Huay Xai?
If, like us, you arrived in the afternoon in Huay Xai, you’ll want to find somewhere to stay before the boat ride the following morning. For hostels we liked Over the Moon Hostel, for its cheap price and clean rooms. And for guesthouses we recommend Sabaydee Guesthouse where double rooms can be had for around 10 euros a night.
Note: Another option is to visit the guesthouses in person and negotiate a room rate when you arrive. Lots of guest houses in Laos aren’t on booking websites, and it’s often cheaper to ask in person if rooms are available; Just show up and see for yourself!
Hotels in Huay Xai View all
What to do in Huay Xai?
- Order lunch for the boat – Nearly every shop, restaurant and hotel in Huay Xai offers a packed lunch service to take on the boat with you. It’s true that the boat has a small shop on board, but food options are limited to potato crisps, or instant noodles; and prices are very high. We recommend you order a sandwich to take with you on the boat in case you get hungry.
- Buy some snacks – As well as the packed lunch it helps to purchase some snacks beforehand too, such as bottled water, nuts, chocolate. The boat journey is a long 7 hours each day so being prepared is key.
- Find entertainment – We searched around for a shop selling playing cards to keep us occupied during the journey. We found some at the shop where the lady running it was exclaiming “I sell everything!”, and she really seemed to 🤣. You can also pick up some English language books in town, or magazines to pass the time. Maybe charge up your laptop / kindle too so you have something to do other than gaze out the side of the boat at the passing landscape.
Slow boat day 1
You’ve slept, you’ve charged all your devices, picked up your packed lunch and had your breakfast. Now it’s time for the boat journey to begin.
First you’ll need to get to the pier, so if you need a tuk-tuk, try grouping with other people in your hostel / guesthouse to share the cost. When you arrive at the pier you’ll be faced with the mass of other tourists waiting to take the boat with you. When you hear the boat being called you can head down to the water with your luggage, put it into storage, remove your shoes and head onto the boat to find your seat.
Note: Before departure, people will come onto the boat and urge you to purchase a night in a hotel at the halfway point, Pakbeng, to avoid being left out when you arrive. This is not necessary! Pakbeng has numerous hotels and hostels, enough for everyone in the boat to sleep comfortably, and the cost of a night is considerably cheaper if you book on arrival as opposed to from these salesmen, or even online.
After departing you are free to move around the boat as you want. Find a spot on the front of the boat in the sun and work on your tan, or check out the back where the engine is (just be warned it’s extremely loud!). The seats are comfortable but not bolted to the floor, so legroom comes and goes as people adjust their seat positions. We spent our time mingling with other travellers, playing cards, eating lunch and trying to fend off leg cramps by wandering around as much as possible. It is also good fun to “people watch” for the afternoon, seeing the travellers flirting and forming relationships, watching the loud and drunk (and usually British) travellers falling over themselves or singing at the top of their lungs, or the most introspective travellers, just reading or writing love poems.
After a leisurely 6-7 hours cruising down the Mekong, you arrive in Pakbeng!
The overnight stop in Pakbeng
Once you arrive at Pakbeng at the end of the first day, tired and ready to stretch your legs, a mad rush will unfold as everyone tries desperately to get off the boat and find their guesthouse. At this point, if you have already booked a guesthouse, you just need to look around for the person holding up the sign with the name on it. If, like us, you decided to book on arrival and save as much money as possible, you can start haggling with the guesthouse owners to see what the best deal you can get is. We managed to negotiate a twin room for 120k kip, or 5.5 euros with breakfast included (an absolute steal compared to the online prices!). Some other people we made friends with managed to get a dorm room with breakfast for around 3 euros per person.
At this point you can jump into the back of the tuk-tuk for your guesthouse as it makes its ascent up the hilly roads of Pakbeng. This place really is built onto the hillside so unless you have just a 5 minute walk to the place, we recommend taking a tuk-tuk. Ours was free for people staying at the guesthouse, as was the drop off the following morning.
By the time you arrive at the guesthouse, check in and finally shower 🙏🏻, it will likely be getting dark outside. There isn’t much to do in the town of Pakeng other than restock supplies for the next day, have dinner and a well earned beer. Don’t forget this evening to place a packed lunch order for the boat the next day! We spent our evening swapping stories with other travellers we met on the boat earlier in the day that were staying at our guesthouse whilst enjoying a hot meal and a few cold beers before hitting the hay around midnight.
After a good night’s sleep you can enjoy breakfast at the riverside, and if you’re lucky see the elephants go down to the Mekong to bathe whilst you sip your morning coffee. The guesthouses start ferrying people back down to the pier about 9 am to catch the boat again.
Slow boat day 2
At this point you should know what to expect from the previous day. The people that spent the previous day heavily drinking and singing are likely more subdued at this point, nursing a hangover and catching some Z’s. The scenery is more of the same from day 1, with a few more stop offs at local villages to pick up and drop off packages.
After a few hours we made a few stops at local towns where people were selling bracelets and trinkets to us through the sides of the boat. We picked up a handmade bracelet for around 1 euro which we still have on our wrist to this day, 1 year later.
By hour 5-6 you will likely be ready to get off the boat, and the end is in sight. Once you pass under the massive modern high speed train bridge built by the Chinese you are only about an hour from Luang Prabang.
Being on the slow boat for two days gave us the chance to feel free as never before, contemplating the sheer nature around us. 2 days without internet and therefore without the possibility of being distracted by social networks. We met some fabulous people during these two days, who are still our friends today! And we also witnessed the birth of a few loves here and there, us included 🫶!
Arriving in Luang Prabang
On arrival in Luang Prabang, you will be dropped off at the Slow Boat Terminal, about 5 km outside of town. At this point you only really have one option, to queue for an official tuk-tuk taxi ticket. This costs about 2 euros and once they are full, they will leave and drop you off in central Luang Prabang, right next to the night market.
You’ve arrived! Time to enjoy some hot noodles and a coconut smoothie at the night market before heading off to find your guesthouse and reflect on the 2 days worth of journey you’ve just experienced. At times uncomfortable, maybe a little long, but interesting, diverse and scenic from start to finish. For us this was a very enjoyable experience, and we hope it will be for you too. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below; did you enjoy the journey? Do you have any tips we didn’t share here?
Safety, Concerns and Useful Information
- Bring toilet paper! The boat toilets aren’t great and the toilet paper provided won’t last more than a few hours on the boat. Bonus points for wet wipes!
- As stated previously, do not book accommodation in the half way place, Pakbeng, in advance. You will pay 2-3x more than booking when you arrive in person. This includes the people that come onto the boat before you leave on the first day urging you to book with them.
- Order a packed lunch for both days in town and take it with you onto the boat. You can find noodles, fried rice, or a selection of baguettes with fillings like cheese, peanut butter, even nutella! The boat shop options are limited to instant noodles or crisps, all of which are super overpriced!
- Avoid sitting at the back of the boat if possible. It is extremely loud in the engine room. If you have to, use your headphones to drown out the noise.
- For some people, their Thai sim card worked for most of the journey, for us it didn’t. We recommend downloading some music, books, films, netflix episodes on your phone / laptop to keep you amused during the journey. This also means making sure everything is fully charged including power banks if you have them (which you should!).
- Bring sunscreen and apply liberally, especially if you spend any time sunbathing on the front of the boat. Bring mosquito repellant for the evenings.
- Travel insurance is a must for any travel abroad, especially in south east asia. Although problems rarely arise, you want to be covered in the case that they do. We use SafetyWing and recommend it for anyone travelling around the world.
- When spending money abroad we use the WISE international debit card. You can withdraw up to 200 euros in cash per month free of charge. After that, you only pay a very low withdrawal fee.
- If you don’t have your accommodation booked in Luang Prabang make sure you arrive at your intended homestay as early as possible, as places book up quickly in the city unlike Pakbeng. Best to book before you arrive to avoid any issues!
What to do next?
If motorbike loops are your thing, there are 2 incredible ones in Laos, the Thakhek loop, and the Bolaven Plateau loop. Check out our guides on them so you can know what to expect!
Or for more articles on Thailand or Laos, check out the rest of the blog!
Planning a trip to Laos? Check out our Ultimate Laos travel guide for more information. This guide covers everything you need to know from places and attractions, saving money and staying safe.
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