Chan Tour

Based in both Pattaya and Bangkok, Chan Tour services the north east of Thailand and connects the region with the hugely popular tourist city of Pattaya.

There are 22 daily departures from Bangkok to Khon Kaen, with buses between 05.45 and 22.00. Tickets are available for THB400 and the journey usually lasts between seven and eight hours, with 11 services every day heading from Khon Kaen to the capital of Thailand, Bangkok. Buses depart Khon Kaen from 00.45 until 21.30 each day, with a journey time of around eight hours.

From Khon Kaen it is also possible to visit the beach resorts around Pattaya, with two buses each day heading to the coast. Departures leave for Pattaya at 10.00 and 21.30 each day, scheduled to arrive in the popular tourist city at 19.30 and 07.00 respectively. The duration of this trip is usually between nine and ten hours and tickets are priced at around THB585.

From Bangkok you can visit Nong Khai, the gateway to Laos and its capital Vientiane. There are six daily departures from Bangkok each day, between 07.00 and 21.45, making the 11 hour journey. Tickets cost around THB540 and is one of the cheapest options for any travellers looking to visit Laos.

Chan Tour is a popular operator with visitors as there is a good choice of departure times on most of the routes on offer. This is especially the case on the Bangkok to Khon Kaen route, where there are 22 buses each day, with an excellent choice of departure times whether you want to travel overnight or throughout the day to arrive in Khon Kaen for lunchtime or early evening.

The Bangkok – Nong Khai route is useful for anyone wishing to visit Vientiane in Laos. It is possible to travel overnight from Bangkok and arrive at the border with Laos for lunchtime the following day, which is perfect for those looking to pass through immigration and cross the border.

The range of routes on offer when travelling with Chan Tour is fairly limited and could be improved.

It may come as a surprise that the Bangkok to Pattaya route is not offered by Chan Tour, as this is one of the most popular routes for visitors to Thailand. Also, it would be useful for travellers to visit Nong Khai directly from Pattaya as this is one of the major entry points into Laos. For those with limited time remaining on their visas, it can be inconvenient to travel back to Bangkok from Pattaya with Chan Tour as you will then have an 11 hour journey from the capital to Nong Khai, far from ideal for anyone who is on a tight schedule.

Anyone catching one of the earliest departures from Bangkok to Nong Khai may find it a struggle to cross the border in the same day, as the border will close in the early evening. It is quite likely that you will have to stay overnight in Nong Khai and cross into Laos the following morning.

Visitors opt for Chan Tour mainly for the relatively low cost of tickets, especially on the Bangkok – Nong Khai route. Although it is far quicker to fly from Bangkok to Vientiane, you will not be able to make this trip for anywhere near the price of THB545 offered by Chan Tour.

The major issue travellers have with Chan Tour is the relatively limited range of routes on offer and there are other operators around the country that can boast a wider ranging network that will be more convenient for those travelling around Thailand.