Easy to cross the Chong Mek border

12/5(Hol)	getting to Pakse by land
Lodging	homestay at my friend's house
Major expense(s)	Thailand	tuktuk / hotel-Warin Chamrab Market: 60B bus / Warin Chamrab Market-Phibun Mangsahan: 30B songthaew / Phibun Mangsahan-Chong Mek: 35B
	Laos	songthaew / Vang Tao-Pakse (Dao Heuang Market/Talat Lak Song): 10,000K=US$1 tuktuk / Dao Heuang Market (Talat Lak Song)-downtown: 5,000K
Related Sites	General Links - Asia Thailand Laos Isan See map of Champasak Province, Pakse Environs and Pakse Town as a JPEG, also PDF
My Advice	Visas on Arrival are available at the Chong Mek border crossing. (see also visa information on Lao Embassy in Bangkok)
THAILAND-LAOS: Bus Service to Pakse from Ubon Opens (Bangkok Post Feb. 24, 2006) UBON RATCHATHANI - A passenger bus service between Ubon Ratchathani and Pakse town in the southern Lao province of Champasak was inaugurated on Feb. 23, making it the third route between the two countries. The 138-kilometre route is to be served by two transport companies, one Thai and the other Lao, each providing four trips daily. The fare is 200 baht (5 U.S. dollars) for a one-way trip on board a 40-seat air-conditioned bus. Passengers must carry a border pass or passport. Meanwhile, the Lao side has proposed the opening of another bus route - Chiang Rai to Chiang Khong to Huay Xai to Luang Nam Tha, which allows travellers to reach China and Vietnam by land. New Public transport between Ubon Rachathani and Pakse is open (TTR Weekly April 07, 2006) Thailand and Laos now offer a regular bus service between the northeastern border province of Ubon Rachathani and the neighbouring Laotian town of Pakse. Operating with four buses, two from a Thai owned company and two from a Laotian company, the air conditioning buses leave Ubon Rachathani Bus Terminal in the morning at 7 and 9:30 am and in the afternoon at 2:30 and 3:30 pm. From Pakse, the buses depart from the bus terminal at Lak Song Market, near Pakse stadium, at 7 and 8:30 am and again at 3:30 and 4:30 pm. A one-way trip costs 200 Baht or 53,000 Kip in Lao currency. Passengers are required to present a valid passport or a temporary border-crossing pass and upon purchasing the ticket. The Thai-Lao border at Chong Mek is open from 6 am to 6 pm. For further information about the bus service, contact the Transport Company of Ubon Rachathani at 0 4531 2773 and the immigration checkpoint of Chong Mek at 0 4548 5107.

To Phibun Mangsahan buses leave from the bus station at Warin Chamrap Market
The main bus station of Ubon Ratchathani is at the northern end of town, a ten to fifteen minutes tuktuk or songthaew ride from the center of town. But to Phibun Mangsahan buses leave from the bus station at Warin Chamrap Market. I suggest you must say to tuktuk driver, "I'm going to Phibun Mangsahan or Chong Mek." Otherwise you may not be taken to the market in Warin Chamrap. As I arrived at Warin Chamrap Market, somebody shouted repeatedly "Pibun! Pibun!" I asked him about buses for Phibun Mangsahan and got on it. The bus can be reached in approximately one hour.
To Chong Mek from Phibun Mangsahan by songthaew
As I got off the bus at Phibun Mangsahan, somebody asked me "are you going to Chong Mek?" I answered yes, and then I was taken to the songthaew for Chong Mek. Since the songthaew didn't leave till reaching the limit, I had to wait for a short time. The songthaew can be reached in approximately one hour. The songthaew arrived at Chong Mek Bus Terminal. The immigration office can be reached on foot, you don't need to negotiate to motorbike drivers who say to take you there. I suggest you have a lunch en route to the immigration office because there are few restaurants at Vang Tao in Laos. If you think several transfers are troublesome, you can use two daily air-conditioned buses from Bangkok's Northern and Northeastern bus terminal (Chatuchak/New Mo Chit) to Chong Mek.
Chong Mek (Thailand) -Vang Tao (Laos) border crossing
According to Lao Embassy in Bangkok, tourists can obtain Lao visas on arrival at the Chong Mek border. However, Visit Laos sponsored by the Lao National Tourism Administration says visas on arrival are NOT available at the Chong Mek border crossing. Two official Lao Government sites have two very different answers, but as of December, 2005, tourist visa can be obtained at the border. Therefore I obtained it before traveling in Japan. Getting to Pakse (Dao Heuang Market/Talat Lak Song) from Vang Tao takes songthaew, but I was tempted to be taken to my hotel from Lao immigration office by car. Therefore Lak means kilometers and Song means two, so Talat Lak Song is the market at a distance of two kilometers from downtown. After all I declined his offer; however, the Lao songthaews are very cramped unlike Thai ones because a third bench is put down the middle of the seating area, and passengers are almost packed full until the terminal. So his offer cost me only 100B (US$2.5=25,000K), I should have taken it because of comfortable and saving time. If you travel in Laos by mainly land, it would be better experience a songthaew because it's Lao standard.
Sinouk Cafe, Pakse
Sinouk Cafe is very convenient for waiting friends because it is located near Lao Airlines, Lao Tourist Authority and BCEL (Banque Pour Le Commerce Exterieur Lao). So Sinouk serves espresso Lao coffee and Beer Lao, they are very nice. Lao Tourist Authority also has a map of Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. If you go to there from Pakse, it would be better to pick up this map.