Getting Around Loei
Buses, Flights, Car Hire, Phu Kradueng & Phu Ruea

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

There's one thing to grasp before anything else: Loei isn't a city you can explore on foot or hail a ride in easily like a big city. The famous spots — Chiang Khan, Phu Ruea and Phu Kradueng — are in different directions, hours apart. So getting to Loei is only the first half of the problem. The other half is how you'll move between zones once you're there. This page answers both: we start with how to reach Loei, then go into the details of getting around the province.

Getting to Loei from Bangkok — which option works best

Bangkok to downtown Loei is around 520 km — a fair distance. You have three main options: intercity bus, flying, or driving yourself. Each suits a different style, so compare them before you decide.

Bangkok–Loei buses — which operators, and how much

Buses leave from Mo Chit 2 terminal (Chatuchak) and drop you at Loei's bus terminal in town. Most are overnight runs, departing in the evening up to around 10pm and arriving in Loei early the next morning, taking roughly 8–9 hours. Several operators run the route, with quality and price varying by seat class.

• Air Muang Loei — the regular operator on this route, with VIP and first-class air-conditioned coaches. You can book online any time, and the price depends on seat class, from around 450 THB up to roughly 550 THB and beyond for the 24-seat VIP.
• Phu Kradueng Tour — another popular operator with newer coaches that have USB charging ports and an onboard toilet. Handy if you're continuing to Phu Kradueng, since some runs stop at Pha Nok Khao.
• Transport Co. 999 (The Transport Co., Ltd.) — the state bus line on the Bangkok–Loei route, bookable through the Transport Co. website. Tickets start around 470 THB and up depending on coach class.
• Other operators — Khon Kaen Tour, Sikharin Tour and Chumphae Tour also run this route. Compare prices and schedules through ticket sites like Busonlineticket or BusX.

By air — direct flights into Loei Airport

Loei Airport is a small airport right in town with only a handful of flights a day. The main carriers flying it are Nok Air and Thai AirAsia, with direct flights from Don Mueang taking a little over an hour. It's the fastest and most comfortable way in — good if you're short on time or don't fancy a long road trip.

• Airlines — Nok Air and Thai AirAsia mainly fly the Don Mueang–Loei route, with only a few arrivals and departures a day between them. Times shift with each season's schedule, so check with the airline first.
• Ticket prices — booked ahead, one-way fares start in the low thousands of baht and return fares in the low two-thousands. Prices climb fast in the cool season and over holidays, so the earlier you book, the cheaper it gets.
• Limitations — flights per day are limited, so missing one means a long wait. Have a backup plan and book ahead, especially at peak times.
• From airport into town — the airport is already in town, but there's no regular public transport. Most people pick up a rental car at the airport, or have their hotel or rental company collect them.

Renting a car in Loei — prices and pickup points

Because Loei's attractions are spread far apart, a self-drive rental is the most flexible choice if you didn't bring your own car. The popular first-timer formula is to fly into Loei Airport then pick up a rental — it saves travel time and lets you reach every zone. There are rental shops both in town and offering airport pickup and drop-off.

• Prices — sedans start around 700–800 THB per day, with SUVs or 7-seaters higher. The more days you rent, the lower the daily rate, and many shops run low-season discounts.
• Pickup points — most shops offer free pickup and drop-off at Loei Airport, the bus terminal and hotels in town, which is convenient if you fly or take the bus in.
• Local shops — there are local outfits like P.A. Loei Car Rental that locals use often, plus price-comparison platforms like Drivehub or Rentconnected that pool several operators in one place.
• Conditions — many local shops don't require a credit card swipe or deposit, just your ID card and driver's licence. Still, read the insurance terms carefully before taking the car, and book ahead in the cool season since cars run out fast.

How to get up Phu Kradueng — without your own car

Phu Kradueng is in the south of the province, in Phu Kradueng district, around 70–80 km from downtown Loei. It's a trekking trip where you hike up the mountain entirely on foot and stay overnight on top, so getting to the trailhead is another thing to plan.

• Take a bus to Pha Nok Khao — coming from Bangkok, choose a bus line that passes through Phu Kradueng district, such as Phu Kradueng Tour or a line stopping at Pha Nok Khao, and get off at Pha Nok Khao / the Phu Kradueng district bus station.
• Transfer to a songthaew into the park — from Pha Nok Khao or the district centre, take a songthaew to the Phu Kradueng National Park headquarters (Si Than Visitor Centre), which is where the climb up begins.
• Coming from downtown Loei — there are Loei–Khon Kaen buses passing Phu Kradueng; get off at Pha Nok Khao and transfer to a songthaew the same way. With a rental car you can simply drive down and park at the park's lot, which is much easier.
• Opening season — Phu Kradueng is open roughly 1 October to 31 May each year and closes in the rainy season (June–September). The climb opens from around 7am, and you should reach the trailhead early since the hike up takes several hours.

How to get to Phu Ruea — drive almost to the top

Phu Ruea is in the west of the province, in Phu Ruea district, around 50 km from downtown Loei — a different direction from both Chiang Khan and Phu Kradueng. Unlike Phu Kradueng, you can drive almost to the summit of Phu Ruea and only walk a short way after, which suits anyone who doesn't want a hard mountain hike.

• Self-drive / rental car — the most convenient way. Drive from downtown Loei up towards Phu Ruea district, around an hour, with scenic mountain roads, then drive up into the park and park near the summit.
• Coming from Chiang Khan — if you do Chiang Khan first, it's about 1.5–2 hours' drive on to Phu Ruea. Many people stop at Phu Ruea on the way back.
• No private car — public transport reaches the town of Phu Ruea, but you need a vehicle to go up into the park. The easiest options are renting a car, chartering a car with a driver, or booking a tour package that takes you up to the viewpoints.
• Highlights — the sunrise viewpoint, Hin Tao (Turtle Rock), Pha Lon Noi and the grasslands. It gets bitterly cold in the cool season — some days dip below zero — so staying overnight at the foot of the mountain lets you make it up for sunrise in time.

Loei–Udon Thani distance — the fly-into-Udon option

If flights into Loei Airport are full or pricey, another common formula is flying into Udon Thani then driving across to Loei, since Udon's airport is large, with more flights and often cheaper fares. Downtown Udon Thani to downtown Loei is around 140–150 km, roughly a 2–2.5 hour drive.

• Fly to Udon then rent a car — there are plenty of rental shops at Udon Airport. Pick up the car and drive straight into Loei — the most flexible option, and you'll have a car for every zone.
• Fly to Udon then take a bus/van — from Udon's bus terminal there are several Udon–Loei runs a day, good if you don't drive, though once in Loei you'll still need to find transport between zones.
• Is it worth it? — if the Udon fare is cheap enough to offset the 2–2.5 hour drive, it's worth it. But if the Loei fare is close, landing in Loei directly is more comfortable since it's nearer town and the attractions.

Getting around within Loei province — the quick recap

• Chiang Khan is around 45–50 km from downtown Loei, about an hour's drive. In Chiang Khan itself you can walk the Mekong riverfront, but reaching Phu Thok means taking the villagers' songthaew — private cars can't go up.
• Phu Ruea is around 50 km from town to the west, and you can drive almost to the summit.
• Phu Kradueng is around 70–80 km from town to the south. You have to hike up yourself and stay on top — a separate trip.
• Dan Sai (Phra That Si Song Rak, the Phi Ta Khon festival) is past Phu Ruea to the southwest, and you need a car.
• Bottom line — almost every route in Loei needs a private car, rental or charter. Public transport between districts is sparse and infrequent, so sort your transport before you go and the whole trip runs much smoother.