Getting there and away

Air

There's no airport in Mukdahan. It's possible to fly to other nearby cities such as Ubon Ratchathani but the cost and inconvenience for the time gained does not make it worth the effort to fly unless you're in a real hurry... flying will only save you a few hours. There is an airport in Savannakhet on the Laos side but there are no sheduled flights at this time.

Bus

Mukdahan bus station is a long way from the centre of town -- too far to walk. Tuk tuks meet all incoming buses and a fare into town shouldn't cost more than 20B.

There are various bus options coming from Bangkok and they leave throughout the day from Bangkok's Mor Chit bus terminal. At the time of writing there are numerous ordinary buses leaving throughout the day, several air-con buses and two very nice VIP buses, one around 08:00 and the other around 20:00. The journey is long (around 12 hours) and the standard buses offer little leg room so you'll probably have a deep vein thrombosis by the time you get to Roi Et. The standard buses also make multiple stops en route and take the longest time. The VIP bus has huge seats and loads of leg room and it's quite easy to sleep for the overnight drive. You may want to wrap up warm though because the air-con can get really cold.

Prices and times change so it's best to call first. You should also arrive at the station as early as possible to be sure of a seat.

Mukdahan Bus Terminal T: (042) 630486

Bangkok: Multiple departures daily. Non air-con 300B, Air-con 552B, VIP bus 760B.
Khon Kaen: departs 25 times daily. Air-con 155B.
Nakhon Ratchasima: departs six times daily. Non air-con 200B, Air-con 300B, VIP 400B.
Ubon Ratchathani: departs six times daily, last bus around 22:00. Non air-con 80B, Air-con 144B.

Boat

Even though there is now a road bridge to Laos, boats still run from Mukdahan to Savannakhet. However, only Thai and Lao nationals are permitted to use these boats. If you turn up expecting to board, you will not be allowed and even if you did manage to slip through, you will have serious problems on the other side. All foreigners now have to use the bridge just out of town.