A two day slow boat adventure from Thailand to Laos
- Keira Proust
- May 4
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 29
My Thai adventure came to an exuberant crescendo in the country’s north. I reunited with Paddy in Chiang Mai and we spent a week exploring our way up to the Golden Triangle (where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet). We then embarked on a delightfully relaxing slow boat journey down the Mekong River to reach Luang Prabang in Laos.
Getting from Thailand's south to Chiang Rai involved a 24 hour journey on a mix of buses and trains (the joys of flight-free travel)! I left Chumphorn around 8am, arrived at Bangkok that evening and jumped straight on an overnight train to Chiang Mai, which got me into the city just before 9am the next day. I met some lovely locals along the way and travelling on the ground allowed me to appreciate the sheer size of Thailand!
It was a joyful reunion in Chiang Mai. Paddy and I spent a couple of days catching up, hitting up some cute bars and music venues and swimming in a nearby pool. I’d explored Chiang Mai (and Pai) on my previous trip to Thailand so I was happy to keep the relaxed mode going this time!
Our next stop was Chiang Rai, about four hours north.
I actually really enjoyed this northern town! It was way less hectic than other parts of Thailand, had some great food and was slightly grittier/more authentic feeling. It was also crazy hot! But we were able to head out to a stunning waterfall to cool down one afternoon, which was a real treat.
We hired a motorbike to reach the cool, forest retreat. After 20 minutes along a fairly boring and dusty highway we started making our way down a lush banana-lined road into the Kuhn Korn Forest Park. The cool air hit us as soon as we entered the forested roadway. The nature reserve is a popular spot with locals, many of whom spend the day having a picnic by (or even in) the water with family! We embarked on a little bushwalk to the waterfall, which was magical. The walk was filled with pockets of bamboo, fresh streams and woven bridges. It was probably the nicest walk I’ve done on this trip so far!
We were at the waterfall in the mid-afternoon, so golden light streamed through the forest and made the whole experience even more beautiful! Once at the falls, we had a refreshing dip with the locals and some other visitors before making our way back to Chiang Rai.
Our second day was spent venturing up to the Golden Triangle! We took a local bus to Chiang Saen on the Mekong. The trip took about two to three hours and we then shared a tuk tuk with some other travellers to reach the Golden Triangle point. This is where Myanmar, Thailand and Laos all converge on the Mekong River!
We didn’t have long to explore because the last local bus back to Chiang Rai was at 2:30pm. But it was amazing to see the three countries meet along the mighty Mekong. Huge casinos and resorts towered over the Laos side while the visible corner of Myanmar looked like a military base. A little village, catering to a smattering of tourists, sat on the Thai side. We found a museum about the region's once flourishing opium trade to explore. It was incredibly interesting! It also showcased the many different tribes that call the surrounding region home. We had a delicious stir fried pork dish by the Mekong for lunch before heading back to Chiang Rai.
On a side note: pork seems to be the meat of choice in many parts of Thailand as it’s been served with almost every meal!
On our way back, I jumped off the local bus early to explore the stunning blue temple, Wat Rong Suea Ten. It is one of the main attractions in Chiang Rai! I didn't make it to the famous white temple, but was very glad to have explored Rong Suea Ten. It felt almost like a vibrant art museum. It was the late afternoon when I arrived so there were not many people at the site, meaning I could photograph the striking temple with ease.
A slow boat down the Mekong
After a fun couple of final days in northern Thailand, it was time to start our Laos adventure! We woke up at an ungodly hour (4:40am) to get a bus to the Thai/Laos border. We had booked a slow boat, which would take us to Luang Prabang after two days winding along the Mekong River.
It's become one of the most popular ways that travellers (particularly young backpackers) head into Laos from Thailand. We reached the Thai side of the border by 7am. This is where we organised our visas and went through a series of simple yet expensive bureaucratic hoops to make it into Laos. Once on the other side, we were driven to the slow boat pier. There were lots of lovely travellers to chat to along the way, setting us up for an enjoyable couple of days down the Mekong.
It’s definitely called a slow boat for a reason. We spent seven hours meandering along the caramel coloured river, passing sand dunes, rocky outcrops and dusty hills before we reached our stop over for the night: Pak Beng. The French influence in Laos was immediately apparent. As soon as we stepped off the boat we smelt and saw many bakeries with fresh baguettes for sale! We spent the night in a cute guesthouse and had dinner with a couple we’d befriended on the boat, Jimmy and Rach.
We were up and at ‘em at 7am the next morning as we’d been told that the boat would leave at 8am. In typical Southeast Asia fashion, it departed after 9am. It was another incredibly relaxing day. We spent it sipping beers, listening to podcasts, chatting to Jimmy, Rach and other friends we’d made onboard.
Much of the smoke and dust from the previous day had cleared and the sun was out! It created a rich spectrum of colours across the valleys, villages and river. We were also treated to an orange sunset when we arrived at the Luang Prabang pier.
The next few days were filled with fun evening antics with new friends, waterfall hopping and textile shopping in Laung Prabang. We then headed to the mysterious Plain of Jars and attended a local Laos wedding with 800 other guests!
Budget for a month (solo) in Thailand
Essentially: $1,500. I spent on average $375 a week.
Thailand is another ridiculously cheap country for backpackers. I found some things were a lot more expensive (such as transport and some meals) than in Malaysia and Indonesia. But I think that was mostly attributed to spending more time in the southern islands, which are obviously more expensive and geared mostly towards tourists.
I also spent a week in bed with a flu/COVID like illness, so that dramatically reduced my spending. Paddy was also travelling through Thailand and spent a couple of hundred dollars more than me, simply because he was doing a lot more activities while I was mostly relaxing!
Travel cost breakdown
Food
I typically spent between $3 to $7 on a meal in Thailand. They were much more costly in Koh Lipe, Koh Lanta and Krabi. But I was also able to find meals around $2. You just need to head to where the locals eat. And if you visit some less touristy destinations you will easily find a delicious yet ridiculously inexpensive meal.
Transport
The cost of ferries was significant in southern Thailand. I took several between the islands. A three hour ferry from Koh Lipe to Koh Lanta cost around $75! Buses were also more expensive than in Malaysia or Indonesia (slightly). I was also in Thailand during the New Year period (Songkran) which no doubt increased a lot of the transport prices too.
Alcohol
As you would imagine, booze was considerably cheaper than Malaysia and Indonesia. I typically drank local beers and they would cost between $2 to $4 a bottle. This is probably what has attributed to Thailand becoming a popular party destination with younger travellers.
Accommodation
I was spending a lot more on accommodation in Thailand because I was travelling solo, thus staying in dorms. Prices could vary between $15 to $25 a night for a bunk bed in a dorm. They mostly sat around the $20 mark.
Activities
My activities mostly consisted of snorkelling, beach hopping, motorbike adventures and some boat tours. This helped keep costs down. But I did splash out on some bigger activities. I spent around $150 for a boat tour and overnight stay on Cheow Chan Lake near Khao Sok National Park. Snorkelling trips varied between $20 to $55 on the islands. Motorbike rentals usually cost around $10 a day.
In summary...
Thailand continues to be one of the most popular Southeast Asian destinations for backpackers. For this reason many places have become overcrowded with tourists and feel a lot less authentic than other SE Asian countries. Many parts are catered towards travellers that just want to party. However, it remains a beautiful country and I still think it's a great entry point for first time travellers in SE Asia. There are also ways to find more authentic experiences. I found transit towns a great place to stop for a couple of days and enjoy what real Thailand has to offer.
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