Thakhek to Savannakhet

By bus the journey from Thakhek to Savannakhet is scheduled to take from 4 hours to 4 hours 30 minutes depending upon which service you take.

Bus Times from Thakhek to Savannakhet

There are currently 3 services a day from Thakhek to Savannakhet available to book online.

Buy Tickets from Thakhek to Savannakhet

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Thakhek Bus Stop

Thakhek Travel services from Thakhek to Savannakhet depart from Naga Hostel and Cafe.

Savannakhet Bus Stop

Thakhek Travel services from Thakhek to Savannakhet terminate at Savannakhet Bus Station.

About Travel to Savannakhet

Located about halfway between Vientiane and the border with Cambodia, Savannakhet is the second largest city in Laos. Despite this, Savannakhet receives relatively few foreign visitors and the range of facilities for tourists is much less extensive than in Vang Vieng or Luang Prabang, which are both considerably smaller cities. Nonetheless, there are several points of interest near Savannakhet, as well as a popular border crossing point to Thailand, and a Thai consulate where you can apply for a visa.

Accommodation in Savannakhet

Savannakhet has around 15 tourist hotels and guesthouses, most of which you can book online through major hotel websites. The most expensive and luxurious hotel is Savan Resorts, which is located 8 km outside the city centre and features two onsite restaurants, a bar, a gym, and a casino. Expect to pay around $80 USD a night.

Located in the city centre itself, Hoongthip Hotel, is a pleasant 3 star hotel with rooms starting from $20 per night. Popular budget hotels include Joli Guesthouse and Leena’s Guesthouse.

Thai Visas

One of the main reasons foreign visitors come to Savannakhet is to apply for a visa. The Royal Thai Consulate of Savannakhet is located on the main road just to the north of the city centre. Visa applications are accepted from 08:30 to 11:00 Monday to Friday (except for Thai and Lao National Holidays). Please note, that if you apply for a visa on a Friday then you will need to wait until at least Monday afternoon to pick it up.

Travel to Thailand

Savannakhet is located on the opposite side of the Mekong River to Mukdahan in Thailand, only 1.5 km away. Unfortunately, it’s not permitted for visitors to make the journey by boat from Savannakhet.

The crossing point between Savannakhet and Thailand is the Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge, which is located 7 km to the north of Savannakhet Bus Station. The least expensive way to cross into Thailand is to take the public bus service which departs hourly from Savannakhet Bus Station to Mukdahan and costs the equivalent of 50 Thai Baht.

Historic Buildings in Savannakhet

Savannakhet is an old settlement believed to have been founded in the 16th Century, with a large temple and a significant stupa dating back to that time. Savannakhet was also under the control of France from 1893 to 1953. As a consequence the city has almost 200 historic buildings, some featuring European style architecture and some Lao architecture. These buildings are clustered together in an area in the centre of the city approximately 1.7 km long and 400 metres wide.

That Ing Hang

Savannakhet’s most significant visitor attraction is That Ing Hang, which is a stupa located 13 km by road to the north east of Savannakhet Bus Station. The current version of the stupa dates back to the 16th Century and has a distinctive Laotian design which has inspired the design of other significant buildings in Laos, including the Patuxai Monument in Vientiane.

What makes That Ing Hang particularly significant to many Lao people is the local belief that the stupa was established in 307 BC to enshrine fragments of the backbone of the Lord Buddha retrieved from his funeral pyre.

Xe Champhone Loop

Laos has two well known motorbike routes, the Bolaven Loop and the Thakhek Loop, both of which take 3 to 5 days to complete. Savannakhet has it’s own lesser known motorbike route, the Xe Champhone Loop, which takes 1 to 2 days to complete.

The first, and last, part of the Xe Champhone Loop is a 35 km journey along the main road heading south east out of Savannakhet City as far as Ban Phosay Village. At Ban Phosay Village the route veers east and continues along minor roads passing by points of interest such as Taleo Old Temple, Wat Phoukor Forest Temple, and Monkey Forest in loop returning back to Ban Phosay Village and the main road.

Basic accommodation is available en route in both Ban Taleo Village and Muang Champhon.

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