Loei is a mountain province in north-eastern Thailand, and its best-known stop is Chiang Khan, an old wooden town on the Mekong with Laos on the far bank. Wikipedia describes Chiang Khan as a district in the northern part of Loei province; Pak Chom, Mueang Loei and Tha Li are its neighbours, and to the north-west lie Xaignabouli and Vientiane provinces of Laos. Most people reach it by going to Loei city first. A travel guide gives about 1 hour and 50 km from Loei town to Chiang Khan by songthaew or bus, and suggests one or two nights.
This guide uses only facts we could check on 16 October 2026 on the sources listed below, and it says where they disagree. For hotel choices, read where to stay in Loei and Chiang Khan, or the Thai version, ที่พักเลยและเชียงคาน.
What Loei and Chiang Khan are like
Wikipedia says the best-known mountains in Loei province are Phu Kradueng, Phu Luang and Phu Ruea. The Loei River flows through the province and joins the Mekong, which forms part of the northern boundary with Laos. Chiang Khan is the river end of the province, with an old street of timber shophouses beside the Mekong and the Kaeng Khut Khu rapids just outside town.
A travel guide describes Chiang Khan as wooden shophouses and a slow evening walk along the Mekong, facing Laos, and gives November to February, the cool season, as the best time. It says you can get around on foot in town and by bicycle, tuk-tuk or motorbike for Phu Thok and Kaeng Khut Khu. We could not verify opening hours or fees for the Skywalk or Phu Thok from an official page, so check locally before you go.
Getting to Loei and Chiang Khan
A travel guide gives the usual way in as through Loei town, with a second road along the Mekong from Nong Khai. The hotels we checked in Loei city give Loei Airport as 4.9 to 6 km from their doors, and Loei Palace Hotel gives the Loei bus terminal as 2 km away.
| From | How | What the sources say |
|---|---|---|
| Bangkok to Loei city | Bus, van or air via the 12Go page | The 12Go page listed 8 companies, about 6 departures a day, a distance of 614 km, earliest 7:30 AM and latest 7:00 PM when we opened it in a browser |
| Loei city to Chiang Khan | Songthaew or bus | A travel guide gives about 1 hour for 50 km |
| Bangkok by car, route 1 | Saraburi, Phetchabun, Phu Ruea, Loei, Chiang Khan | Chiangkhan Hill lists this as one route from Bangkok |
| Bangkok by car, route 2 | Saraburi, Si Khio, Chaiyaphum, Chum Phae, Phu Kradueng, Loei, Chiang Khan | Chiangkhan Hill lists it as a second route |
| Nong Khai | Mekong road through Tha Bo, Si Chiang Mai, Sangkhom and Pak Chom | Chiangkhan Hill lists this riverside route into Chiang Khan |
Chiangkhan Hill's travel page recommends Bangkok, Saraburi, Phetchabun, Dan Sai, Phu Ruea, Mueang Loei and then Chiang Khan, and warns that GPS may send drivers by a poor road between Phu Ruea, Tha Li and Chiang Khan; it advises using Phu Ruea to Mueang Loei to Chiang Khan instead.
Booking the trip
The 12Go page for Bangkok to Loei is a convenient place to compare operators. When we opened it in a browser on 16 October 2026 it listed 8 companies, including AirMuang Loei Tour, Easyride Services, Firstplan Transport Services, Phu Kradueng Tour and Thai AirAsia, with about 6 departures a day, a distance of 614 km, an earliest departure at 7:30 AM and a latest at 7:00 PM. We do not repeat prices because they change daily, and some links on this site may earn us a commission, which does not change the times or fares you see. The route page targets Loei city, not Chiang Khan, so plan the extra hour on to the Mekong.
The 12Go page ends in Loei city. A travel guide puts Chiang Khan about 1 hour and 50 km further, so check the last bus onward before you book a late arrival into Loei.
The seasons
A travel guide gives November to February, the cool season, as the best time for Chiang Khan. The DNP page for Phu Kradueng National Park says the tourist season is closed every year from 1 June to 30 September and open from 1 October to 31 May, so rainy-season trips to the mountain are not possible. Look at the Thai Meteorological Department forecast for your dates and at our guide to Thailand's best time by region.
The Old Chiangkhan says its Pa-Laeng dinner, a traditional Chiang Khan meal with shows, is available from January to April and October to December for guests who book all 20 rooms. Phi Ta Khon in Dan Sai is a different timetable again: the Wikipedia festival article says the three days fall sometime between March and July, while the Dan Sai district article says around late June to early July. Confirm the dates locally.
What to see around Chiang Khan
The old town and the walking street
A travel guide says the walking street runs along Chai Khong Road beside the Mekong through the old town's wooden shophouses, roughly between Soi 6 and Soi 21, and that it is open about 16:00 to 22:00. The guide says Friday and Saturday are the fullest nights, that most vendors take cash only and that arriving by 17:00 gets photos before the crowd. The Old Chiangkhan describes its morning alms-giving, Tak Bat Khao Niew, as a tradition passed down for generations and says it can prepare a set of sticky rice for a small fee.
Kaeng Khut Khu and Wat Tha Khaek
Kaeng Khut Khu is the stretch of Mekong rapids just outside town, and Wikipedia's Chiang Khan article carries a photo of Kaeng Khut Khu beach on the Mekong River. The same guide suggests combining the walking street with an early trip to the rapids or with the old temple of Wat Tha Khaek. Distances differ by source and starting point: Chiangkhan Hill says it is 5 km from the walking street and beside Kaeng Khut Khu, and its travel page says Kaeng Khut Khu is 4 km from the district town.
Along the Mekong
The Camp Chiangkhan invites guests to watch the morning mist and the river from its tents, and Rivertree says its rooms all face the water and its pool sits beside the Mekong. Rivertree also lists the Skywalk, Phu Thok and Kaeng Khut Khu as nearby. We could not verify tour operators or boat trips from an official page, so ask your hotel.
Phu Kradueng, Phu Ruea and Dan Sai
Phu Kradueng National Park lies in Phu Kradueng district of Loei province. The DNP says it was declared Thailand's second national park on 23 November 1962 and says visitors who want to stay overnight on the summit should reserve ahead, buy their service before 13:30, and that at 14:00 each day the trail is closed to climbers going up or down. Booking is through the DNP page at nps.dnp.go.th or by phoning the park office on the numbers it gives. Because of the closed season from 1 June to 30 September, plan Phu Kradueng for October to May and reserve early. We found no private hotel near the park with an official site we could read, so the stay guide lists none there.
Phu Ruea is a mountain district to the west of Loei city. Phurua Keeree Resort describes raised-floor villas ringed by mountains, with bicycles, hammocks and sticky-rice alms-giving, and its own attractions page lists Phu Ruea National Park and several waterfalls. Dan Sai is the town of the Phi Ta Khon festival, which Wikipedia calls a festival held in Dan Sai over three days with a procession of people in masks made from palm-leaf sheaths.
Where to stay
The stay guide compares four areas, with every hotel fact checked on the hotel's own website:
- Chiang Khan old town: wooden hotels on or beside the walking street, such as The Old Chiangkhan and With A View.
- Chiang Khan outskirts: Rivertree is 700 metres away by its own count, Chiangkhan Hill is beside Kaeng Khut Khu, The Camp has tents by the Mekong.
- Loei city: Loei Palace, Fortune D and HOP INN for flights, buses and the Saturday walking street.
- Phu Ruea and Dan Sai: mountain villas and a simple Dan Sai bungalow.
Open where to stay in Loei and Chiang Khan for the area table and the 12 hotel cards.
Nearby destinations
- Isaan: the wider north-east, which includes Loei, Khon Kaen and the Mekong towns
- Phetchabun: the mountain province on the usual road from Bangkok to Loei
- Nong Khai: the Mekong town upstream, reached along the river road via Pak Chom according to Chiangkhan Hill; we have no guide for it yet
- Getting around Thailand
- Thailand overview
- Udon Thani: Red Lotus Sea, Ban Chiang and the Mekong gateway
- Nong Khai: Mekong promenade, Sala Kaew Ku and the bridge to Vientiane
- Khon Kaen: Isaan city with silk, dinosaurs and Ubolratana Dam
FAQ
How do I get to Chiang Khan from Bangkok?
Most people go to Loei city first and then continue about 1 hour and 50 km to Chiang Khan, according to a travel guide. The 12Go page for Bangkok to Loei lists several companies and about 6 departures a day, and Thai AirAsia is among the listed options. By car, Chiangkhan Hill recommends going via Saraburi, Phetchabun, Dan Sai, Phu Ruea and Mueang Loei.
How far is Chiang Khan from Loei city?
A travel guide says about 1 hour by songthaew or bus, 50 km. The 12Go page for Bangkok to Loei goes only to Loei city, so you need an onward bus.
When is the Chiang Khan walking street open?
A travel guide says it is open every evening, about 16:00 to 22:00, along Chai Khong Road, with Friday and Saturday the busiest nights. We could not verify the hours from an official page, so check locally.
Is Chiang Khan worth one night or two?
A travel guide suggests 1 to 2 nights. One night covers the walking street and the morning alms-giving; a second lets you add Kaeng Khut Khu and Wat Tha Khaek without rushing.
When can I go to Phu Kradueng?
The DNP says the park's tourist season runs from 1 October to 31 May and is closed from 1 June to 30 September every year. Reserve ahead if you want to stay overnight on the summit, and check the DNP booking page for the current rules.
Where should I stay in Chiang Khan?
On the walking street if you want to step out to the stalls, such as The Old Chiangkhan or With A View. For a pool and river view, look at Rivertree, 700 metres from the street. For the rapids, look at Chiangkhan Hill. The stay guide has the area table and checked facts.
Do the stalls take cards?
A travel guide says most vendors on the walking street are cash-only, so stop at an ATM in town before you arrive.
Official sources and further reading
- Chiang Khan district (Wikipedia)
- Loei province (Wikipedia)
- Phi Ta Khon (Wikipedia)
- Dan Sai district (Wikipedia)
- Phu Kradueng National Park: DNP booking page
- Chiang Khan (Thai Holiday Guide)
- Chiang Khan walking street (Thai Holiday Guide)
- 12Go: Bangkok to Loei
- Chiangkhan Hill Resort: how to get there
- The Old Chiangkhan: activities
- Loei Palace Hotel: location and map
- Rivertree Resort Chiangkhan
- Phurua Keeree Resort
Prices, schedules and entry rules change. Figures here are approximate as of 2026; always confirm on the official or operator page before you book. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
