Bangkok to Yangon - Flight

Before you do anything you must apply for an E-Visa for Myanmar (Burma). It costs $50 and takes a day or two for approval.

So do we fly or get the bus from Thailand to Myanmar? We decided a month in advance that we would fly as prices were only around £30 including free 15kg hold luggage.

The two main companies offering flights out of Bangkok daily to Yangon were AirAsia and NokAir at similar prices however you have to pay extra for luggage with AirAsia.

We booked tickets for the 10.25am NokAir flight from Don Muang airport in Bangkok. We decided to get a taxi not long after 6 to beat the rush hour traffic. We advise you not to get a taxi around Khao San Road and instead walk just a few minutes to the main road to flag down a taxi. You can alternatively book a minibus service with various travel agents.

After a couple of taxis wanted 500 baht upfront we finally found a taxi to use the meter. We knew the cost should only be around 250/300 baht. We also got the choice of going on the highway or not which costs 120 baht extra in toll charges. We did this however you don't need to at that time of the morning as the roads were very quiet.

All international flights leave from terminal 1.

Check in was available 3 hours in advance and was quick and efficient. You must have your Myanmar E-Visa approval letter printed off to show them. Passport control to get stamped out of Thailand took quite a while as they only had a few members of staff working. Try and go to the foreign passport control section furthest to the left as they had more staff counters available. Remember to fill in your departure card beforehand!

Don Muang airport had plenty of shops and coffee/food outlets including Boots, Starbucks and McDonald's. There is also a lot of currency exchange counters however you can't get Mynamar Kyat from any of them.

Boarding didn't take too long and we got a shuttle bus from the terminal to the plane. The outside of NokAir planes have a fun bird design!

Interesting plane design!

The flight took 1hr 10min. You get given arrival and custom forms to fill in upon arrival at Yangon airport. You also get a small snack box with water and a muffin.

After landing at Yangon airport, immigration control was very quick for foreigners as the majority of people on the flight were from Myanmar. You hand all your paperwork in and after a few minutes you get stamped into Myanmar. At the airport you have a few currency exchange counters to get some Kyat and also there are some ATM machines available.

After going through customs with your bags you can easily get a taxi to downtown Yangon at the taxi counter for 8,000 kyat which takes about an hour in traffic.

Downtown Yangon

5 out of 5 

Kanchanaburi to Bangkok - Minibus

This was a fairly straightforward trip. On the main street called Maenamkwai Road there are plenty of travel agencies or hotels offering tickets for a reasonable price to Bangkok. Minibuses leave every hour to the Independence Monument, Bus Station and Khao San Road.

We booked to the latter for 160 baht per person via minibus that included pick up. We also asked about luggage after our other journey (previous post). He said for luggage you pay an extra 120 baht to buy another seat whilst backpacks are fine. I said to him we had  big backpacks but he didn't seem to understand so we just payed for one extra seat for the luggage.

The next day we were picked up promptly by a minibus taking us to the bus station in Kanchanaburi. Before boarding the bus the person who sold us our tickets earlier that morning saw our big backpacks and said we shouldn't of paid for another seat. Before we knew it he rushed off to get the 120 baht we paid to refund us which was very kind as he could of said nothing.

The next minibus we boarded was very nice with leather seats and plenty of room even with our backpacks inside. We probably waited a good 30 minutes for them to fill up the bus with locals before we left for Bangkok.

The journey to Khao San Road took about 3 hours with minimal traffic midday. We did stop once just outside Bangkok for 15 minutes for fuel.

4 out of 5 

Sukhothai to Kanchanaburi via Bangkok - Day Bus

After two days in New Sukhothai, we were ready to leave and head on towards Kanchanaburi. With this not being a very common route of travel we had a few various options. We could opt to take the most direct route, which involved changing buses or we could head towards Ayuthaya or Bangkok and change.

We decided the safest bet was to get a bus to Bangkok and travel onwards from there. We managed to book a bus in New Sukhothai through our guesthouse-who went to get the tickets from the bus station for no extra commission which was a nice gesture!

The timetable of buses offered various departures between three companies with the earliest at 7.50am. We decided to use WinTour buses again (even though the last one wasn't great) as they had a first class bus leaving the bus station at 8am. This cost 310 baht each to Bangkok.

We arrived at 7.45 and waited around half an hour until the bus showed up. We boarded the bus with only one other foreign couple and the rest locals. We were given seats upstairs at the back of the bus presumably as we wouldn't be getting off anywhere before Bangkok.

This first class bus was fantastic and very new! The reclining seats were very comfortable, we were given water and snacks and the two screens showed a fast and furious movie further down the bus. We had seats 12a and 12b however if possible get 12c and 12d as your in front of the emergency exit and therefore have lots of leg room!

Nice modern bus

Screens showing Fast and Furious

This bus only stopped a few times for locals to get on and off throughout the journey with most coming around arrival at Bangkok. We also stopped once around midday for a 20 minute break. Here we redeemed a 20baht voucher we got with the ticket for some local food.

We arrived into Bangkok northern bus station around 3.15pm. From here, we tried to locate buses going to Kanchanaburi and after asking around for a while managed to find a minibus. We bought tickets for 120 baht each for a bus leaving at 4.30pm.

We boarded the bus around 4pm with our big backpacks to find that they had no storage for them on the minibus. The only option was to put them on a seat which they weren't happy about and wanted to charge us money for. We declined (as did another backpacking couple) and said they saw we had big backpacks when we bought the tickets and after some huffing and puffing, they filled up the remaining seats and we left 15 minutes earlier than scheduled. 

Not much room on the minibus!

With traffic we got told it might take over 4 hours to arrive in Kanchanaburi but thankfully it only took 3 hours. The driver really couldn't drive and we were all really crammed in but oh well.

Sukhothai to Kanchanaburi via Bangkok cost 430 baht per person with the first part of the journey being much better than the 2nd!

4 out of 5 

Pai to Sukhothai via Chiang Mai - Day Bus

We had a look around Pai for buses going to Sukhothai but we couldn't find any on offer. The only choice we had was to get a minibus to Chiang Mai and then a bus onwards. We manged to do this for 357 baht each.

In Pai, we booked a minibus with a company called Prempacha. We decided to use them instead of aYa Services as they drop you off at the bus station in Chiang Mai. This cost 150 baht each which included a bottle of water. We booked onto the 8am minibus and arrived 10 minutes prior to departure. 3 minibuses were leaving at this time so check your receipt for the bus number and your seat numbers. Big backpacks go onto the roof and they are covered in case of rain. The journey again took around 3 hours with a short stop in the middle.

We arrived around 11am at Chiang Mai bus station and quickly found a company called WinTour offering bus tickets to Sukhothai for a reasonable price of 207 baht leaving at 12. Please be aware that this was a second class bus, I'm unsure what time first class buses leave.

We boarded the bus straight away in order to get good seats as you aren't allocated any. We managed to sit on the back row upstairs in front of the emergency exit with extra legroom however bags will get piled up here too! 

At Chiang Mai bus station, there are toilet facilities, some food/drink stalls and a 7- eleven around the corner. Stock up for 6/7 hours as you won't be stopping again to buy anything.

We left bang on 12 with a full bus mainly of locals but a few tourists. It was a very basic bus, with cracked windows, a broken toilet and very weak aircon. It got quite hot at times! On a positive note, the seats were comfy and we arrived on time. Throughout the journey, the bus stopped many times picking up and dropping off locals. They also stop at Lampang and Tak bus stations which is the best chance to use a toilet.

We pulled into Sukhothai bus station around 6.45pm which is located 1km away from New Sukhothai. We then got a tuk tuk to our hotel in New Sukhothai for 120 baht which we now know was 40-60 baht too much. They also have wooden buses that go to the New and Old Sukhothai for 30 baht per person but I think they stop running around 6pm.

3 out of 5

A quick note about New Sukhothai; it is a very quiet place with limited restaurants/bars/cafes and things to do. It costs 30 baht to get the bus to the historical park which is very nice! 

Chiang Mai to Pai - Minibus

At 180 baht each, we decided to just book the minibus to Pai with our hotel '24 Guesthouse'. We booked onto the 11am bus and we were picked up by a pick up truck and taken to the minibus.

The company was called aYa Services and have offices in both Chiang Mai and Pai. It might be a little cheaper booking directly with them.

After another pick up truck of people turned up, we left for Pai. It takes around 3 hours with a short stop in the middle. The journey involves some very windy roads and even I started to feel a little light headed by the time we arrived! If you get travel sick, make sure you take some medication as you have 762 curves to deal with!

We arrived on time at aYa Services office on walking Street in the centre of Pai.

4 out of 5

Huay Xai to Chiang Mai - Minibus

We booked our final bus out of Laos at our hotel Thaveesinh opposite the gibbon experience office. The ticket costs 90,000kip which included a tuk tuk to the border, bus transfer over the friendship bridge and a minibus to Chiang Mai on the Thai side.

The tuk tuk picked us up 8.30am and we were given a sticker so the minibus driver in Thailand knows who to look for. After 20/30 minutes we arrived at the border.

Laos passport control is quite quick but can be limited to only 2 queues for foreigners. Make sure you fill your departure card in before queuing up or you'll be sent back to complete this. One additional note; we were required to pay 10,000kip each to leave Laos after passport control.

We waited for the border crossing bus to pick us up, we'd been allocated a ticket for this. Again this is pretty quick and we arrived at Thailand's border control (Chiang Khong). We had to fill in an arrival card and queue up to be stamped into the country.

Prior to arriving, we had heard/read various things on whether you get a 15 or 30 day visa at a land border. Most official sources say 15 days, however we received 30 days.

We then met our pick up driver and got told we will leave in about an hour, presumably waiting for more people. After half an hour we were ushered onto the minibus and within 15 minutes it was full and we set off for Chiang Mai.

The drive was fine and took about 5 hours with a 30 minute stop. We arrived in Chiang Mai around 4pm and got dropped off opposite the main entrance gates to the old town. From here it's easy to grab a red sorngtaaou (red pick up truck) to your accommodation for 20 to 40 baht per person.

4 out of 5

Luang Prabang to Huay Xai - Slow Boat

We were a bit unsure whether to take the two day slow boat from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai or the overnight bus. We could buy slow boat tickets at our hotel but they were priced at 350,000kip which seemed too much and the pier wasn't within walking distance. After looking around, we managed to get cheaper tickets from Galaxy Airticketing travel agency based on Sakkaline Road. We paid 270,000kip* which included pick up. 

*The cheapest way is to buy the tickets at the pier. It costs 105,000kip each day (for the boat) and a tuk tuk to the pier should be around 20/30,000kip. Just turn up at least half an hour before the boat leaves at 8.30am.

We got told to be ready for pickup at 7, we were the last ones to be picked up at 7.30am and it took about 20 minutes to drive to the pier. At the pier, our driver sorted out the check-in with our tickets and we boarded the boat, leaving around 8.45am.

The boat on the first day wasn't too bad, we managed to get a couple of seats each to spread across as the boat was only about 60% full. The seats are old car seats which aren't attached to the floor but they were comfy enough! Most locals sat at the front as they hop on and off throughout the day. You'll pull up at some rocks and they'll jump off and dissappear into the forests!

You will see some lovely views down the mekong river across the two days.

We arrived at Prakbeng not long after 6pm, where there are plenty of people offering accommodation at great rates (whether you want basic or something nicer). We stayed at guesthouse Syvongsack that cost 50,000kip for the night.

The guesthouse was basic with only fan rooms but the room was a good size and we had a private bathroom. We decided to eat and have a couple of beers at the restaurant- it was very cheap and we also ordered breakfast and sandwiches for the following day. Only negative was the WiFi didn't work.

The next morning, we went down for 7am for breakfast and got our sandwiches. We decided to leave around 7.45am and walked down to the pier. There were a few boats at the pier but we asked a couple of locals and managed to find the boat to huay xai. Unfortunately, a lot of the other travellers from the previous day were here already sitting on the car seats. This boat had fewer seats and had mainly wooden benches with a thin cushion which we had to settle for. None of the other travellers wanted to offer us a seat as all the couples spread out across two seats each. A little annoying when two then used the other car seats for resting legs instead of offering them not just to us but others on wooden benches! Oh well, some people are just rude.

The rest of the day wasn't the comfiest, but the river was much quieter today despite a lot of rainfall overnight. It was also quite cold in the morning so make sure you have a jacket with you!

Overall, a different experience and a very long two days, but the views along the mekong make it worth it!

3 out of 5

Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang - Minibus

After our first minibus experience in Laos, I didn't expect much from this journey.  How wrong was I?!

We arranged travel through our hotel, Pans Place, for the 9am minibus which takes 4 hours costing 90,000kip. The other option was a vip bus which cost more money and takes 6 hours leaving at 10am- however this may take a safer route!

We were the last ones to be picked up at 8.45am and had to settle for the front seats alongside the driver. This minibus was much nicer than the last one we got and seemed quite new with its leather seats. 

The first hour of the journey was lovely and scenic with plenty of cows and goats wandering around along the road. You then have a quick pitstop for about 15 minutes. 

After this, you start climbing up into the mountains, which at first offers great views, especially from the front seats. However after 10 minutes, we went past a coach which must of crashed not long before. Thankfully it only had damage to the front of the coach and didn't seem to be too serious.

The roads climbing up are in a terrible state with huge potholes everywhere. Thankfully, our driver seemed to know the roads well. He was very patient and cautious as some corners you had to go around on the wrong side of the road. The higher we got the worst the visibility got and soon we were in thick fog. This got most of us on the edge of our seats as we watched on. Even with cars, minibuses and trucks going the other way we made it through the fog. The other side was a slow decent.

Once back on more normal roads, we made one final 10 minute stop and then arrived near the National Musuem/Palace in Luang Prabang just after 1pm. 

A very unique drive.

4.5 out of 5 

Vientiane to Vang Vieng - Minibus

We booked the minibus to Vang Vieng through our hostel, Lucky Backpackers Hostel, for 90,000kip with pickup included. We picked the 10am bus with an estimated arrival time of 1pm.

We got picked up at 9.30am by a tuk tuk that was already full which had to squeeze on several more people leaving some standing on the back! We got dropped off at the minibus 15 minutes later.

The minibus is very basic and they kept filling it up with more and more people. They made sure all the aisle seats were down and used. Most of us got on the bus at 9.45 however we didn't leave for another hour until they filled the remaining 5 seats.

When we finally left the driver didn't say anything about times etc and made several stops within the first half an hour; fuel, papers, food... This left a few people making comments from the back of the bus about how many stops we were making! As you read before entering Laos, everyone is very laid back and never in a hurry. This was our first experience of this.

So after making our way through traffic jams in Vientiane, we were on our way at around 12.00. The rest of the trip was fine with a quick 15 minute stop in the middle.

We arrived at Vang Vieng bus station around 2.30pm where if you wait for 5 minutes, a free shuttle will take you into the centre of Vang Vieng.

3 out of 5