Mekong River Road — Loei to Nong Khai via ChiangKhan.
Distance
200 km
Duration
1 day
Climb
800 m
Mekong River Road — Loei to Nong Khai via Chiang Khan.
A 200km ride along Thailand's least-travelled Mekong corridor from Loei to the Laos border at Nong Khai. The road runs through Loei's mountain province — Thailand's coldest in winter — through the wooden shophouse village of Chiang Khan, past mushroom-shaped Mekong rapids, and through riverside villages where Laos is visible across the brown water all day long.
Quick facts
SurfacePaved
Distance200 km
Days1
Total climb800 m
DifficultyEasy
Loading map...
The route.
LoeiStart · Start in Loei — the mountain province that gets Thailand's coldest temperatures in winter. Known as "Little Switzerland of Thailand". Head north on Route 201 toward the Mekong.
Chiang Khan Old TownPhoto Spot · The Mekong River appears at Chiang Khan. A charming old town with 1km of teak wooden shophouses and a morning merit-making procession of monks. Breakfast on the Mekong before heading east.
Kaeng Kut Khu RapidsScenic Point · Mushroom-shaped rock formations breaking the Mekong surface. A popular Thai picnic site. Boat trips available Oct–May when water levels are lower.
Pak ChomScenic Point · The road hugs the Mekong from here eastward — Laos is directly across the river. Border villages have informal cross-river trading connections with Laos.
SangkhomScenic Point · A small river village below forested hills. The Than Tip waterfall is a 2km detour. Riverside guesthouses here are excellent and very cheap.
Si Chiang MaiRestaurant · Famed for its rice-paper spring roll wrappers, stretched and sun-dried on bamboo frames along the roadside. Try the fresh wrappers with pork filling at any market stall.
Nong KhaiEnd · End in Nong Khai — the gateway to Laos. The Friendship Bridge to Vientiane is visible from the riverside. The Sala Keoku sculpture garden (colossal concrete Buddhas) is an unmissable final stop.
More routes in Thailand
Doi Lang — Fang Frontier Sky RoadTH 50 · 160 kmKaeng Krachan Rainforest Loop — Phetchaburi to Cha-amTH 76 · 200 kmThong Pha Phum to E-Thong — Pilok Frontier Mining VillageTH 71 · 320 kmBetong Sea of Mist — Deep South Frontier RunTH 95 · 340 kmDoi Phu Kha & Bo Kluea Salt Village Loop — NanTH 55 · 290 kmDoi Tung — Chiang Rai to the Northern Border via the Royal MountainTH 57 · 130 km
Save this ride. Open the app.
Clone it to your planner, customize dates and stops, then ride. All free.
Open in MotoVault
Navigate this route with GPS