Gateway to Thailand
A new guidebook from the Tourism Authority of Thailand turns nine land border checkpoints into starting lines for road trips across 19 provinces in Isan and the deep South, from a two-day city break to a nine-day island run on the Andaman coast.
Driving into Thailand from Vientiane, Savannakhet or Kota Bharu? The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has published Gateway to Thailand, a self-drive guidebook that plots 10 road trips from nine border checkpoints with Laos and Malaysia. Launched on 28 October 2026, it comes as a printed book in Thai and English and as e-books in Thai, English, Malay, Chinese and Lao.
Thailand has 97 border checkpoints across 27 provinces, according to the guide. TAT’s selection covers four Mekong bridge crossings and the Chong Mek land border in the Northeast, plus four crossings from Malaysia in the South. Every route starts at the checkpoint and lists day-by-day stops, driving distances, opening hours, phone numbers, petrol and EV charging stations, and a QR code that opens the route in Google Maps.
On this page
- 01Riverside Slow, City FlowNong Khai → Udon Thani · 2 days
- 02Beyond the Green, Into Naga’s RealmBueng Kan · 4 days
- 03Traces of IndochinaNakhon Phanom → Sakon Nakhon · 3 days
- 04Where Cliffs Meet the MekongChong Mek → Ubon → Amnat Charoen · 3 days
- 05From Mythology to Deep Time DiscoveryMukdahan → Kalasin → Khon Kaen · 4 days
- 06Food Trail in Creative DistrictSadao → Songkhla → Hat Yai · 3 days
- 07A Journey Along the GulfSadao → Phatthalung → Nakhon Si Thammarat · 5 days
- 08Where the Mist BeginsBetong → Than To · 3 days
- 09Across the Andaman IslesWang Prachan → Satun → Trang → Krabi · 9 days
- 10At the Kingdom’s EdgeSungai Kolok → Pattani → Yala · 3 days
- Preparing for the road: documents, TDAC, your car and the border steps
- Choose your gateway: the nine checkpoints and their hours
- 10 routes with maps, day plans, addresses, phone numbers and fuel or EV stops
- Emergency numbers, plus TAT offices, hospitals and garages along each route
The Gateway to Thailand guidebook: 10 routes connecting the Laos and Malaysia borders to Thailand’s top destinations.
Before you drive across the border
The guide opens with a checklist for crossing with your own car. Rules can change, so check them against official sources before you leave.
At the checkpoint: three steps
Driving in Thailand
- Thailand drives on the left. Take extra care at intersections, roundabouts, U-turns, when overtaking, and when entering or leaving petrol stations and car parks.
- In a left-hand-drive car, give the car ahead more room and do not overtake unless you can clearly see oncoming traffic.
- Toll booths and ticket machines are built for right-hand-drive cars. Stop completely before reaching across, and never open the door while the car is moving.
- Everyone wears a seatbelt, and no phone use while driving.
- Download offline maps, and keep digital copies of your passport, licence, registration and insurance.
The nine gateways
Hours as listed in the guidebook. Before you leave, check the checkpoint’s current status, its hours and which travellers and vehicles may cross. Sadao gets very busy on holidays and festivals, so allow extra time.
The 10 routes at a glance
| No. | Route | From the border to | Length | Distance* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Riverside Slow, City Flow | Nong Khai → Udon Thani | 2 days, 1 night | 110–120 km |
| 02 | Beyond the Green, Into Naga’s Realm | Bueng Kan | 4 days, 3 nights | 270–300 km |
| 03 | Traces of Indochina | Nakhon Phanom → Sakon Nakhon | 3 days, 2 nights | 220–230 km |
| 04 | Where Cliffs Meet the Mekong | Chong Mek → Ubon Ratchathani → Amnat Charoen | 3 days, 2 nights | 380–430 km |
| 05 | From Mythology to Deep Time Discovery | Mukdahan → Kalasin → Khon Kaen | 4 days, 3 nights | 390–400 km |
| 06 | Food Trail in Creative District | Sadao → Songkhla → Hat Yai | 3 days, 2 nights | 90–100 km |
| 07 | A Journey Along the Gulf | Sadao → Songkhla → Phatthalung → Nakhon Si Thammarat | 5 days, 4 nights | 450–470 km |
| 08 | Where the Mist Begins | Betong → Than To | 3 days, 2 nights | 160–170 km |
| 09 | Across the Andaman Isles | Wang Prachan → Satun → Trang → Krabi | 9 days, 8 nights | about 425 km by road |
| 10 | At the Kingdom’s Edge: Nature’s Grace and Cultural Jewels | Sungai Kolok → Tak Bai → Pattani → Yala | 3 days, 2 nights | 275–300 km |
*Approximate distance from the checkpoint through the stops, not counting the drive back.
Riverside Slow, City Flow
The shortest route starts less than 30 minutes’ drive from Patuxai in central Vientiane. Day one follows the Mekong along Rim Khong Road in Nong Khai: the replica Phra That La Nong pagoda (the original sank into the river in 1847 and shows only in the dry season), the century-old Governor’s Residence museum on Meechai Road, and Sala Keoku, a park of giant concrete sculptures created by Luang Pu Bunleua Surirat.
Day two is Udon Thani, 55 km away. Cycle around Nong Prajak Silapakhom Park to the Udon Thani City Museum, have lunch at Madame Pahtehh 2515 (a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2023), then visit the Thai-Chinese Cultural Centre and its 99-metre golden dragon.
Beyond the Green, Into Naga’s Realm
Thailand’s youngest province is a route for hikers and believers. Start at Wat Ahong Silawat, where a whirlpool locals call the Navel of the Mekong is said to mark the river’s deepest point. Ride a ranger’s pickup up to Three Whale Rock, boulders geologists estimate have rested there for more than 75 million years, then climb seven levels of wooden walkways around the cliffs of Wat Phu Thok.
Take a longtail to Tham Phra Waterfall in Phu Wua Wildlife Sanctuary and cross Bueng Khong Long, a Ramsar wetland, to Don Pho Island. The finale is Naka Cave in Phu Langka National Park, where cracked sandstone looks like the scales of a giant serpent.
Traces of Indochina
French influence and Vietnamese migration shape this route. In Nakhon Phanom, rent a bike for the riverside lane, which runs more than 13 km, past the 16-metre Phaya Si Sattanakharat Naga, the 1914 Governor’s Residence Museum and the twin-spired Saint Anna Nong Saeng Church. Then visit the Ho Chi Minh Memorial and Wat Phra That Phanom, the great stupa of the Mekong region.
Day two heads to Sakon Nakhon: Tha Rae, Thailand’s largest Catholic community, the sandstone carvings of Wat Tham Pha Daen, indigo dyeing at Man Gardens, and a sunset boat ride on Nong Han, the largest freshwater lake in Isan.
Where Cliffs Meet the Mekong
Chong Mek is one of the few crossings where you drive across on solid ground instead of a bridge. In Khong Chiam, see the Two-Color River where the Mun meets the Mekong, then the 3,000-year-old rock paintings and mushroom-shaped Sao Chaliang rocks of Pha Taem National Park.
Wake at 4:00 AM for Pha Chana Dai, where the guide says you can see Thailand’s first sunrise, then drive north to Sam Phan Bok, more than 3,000 river-carved hollows often called the Grand Canyon of Isan. Amnat Charoen adds the Billion-Stone Pagoda. Ubon adds old-town cafes and, at dusk, the Glowing Temple, Wat Sirindhorn Wararam Phu Phrao.
From Mythology to Deep Time Discovery
Three cities, three eras. Mukdahan is about Naga legend: find the Water, Sky and Earth Naga sculptures, browse the Indochina Market, go up the 65.5-metre Ho Kaeo Mukdahan tower and walk among the rock formations of Phu Pha Thoep National Park.
In Kalasin’s Sahatsakhan District, the Sirindhorn Museum tells the story of Thailand’s dinosaurs, and next door you can see bones still in the rock at the Phu Kum Khao dig, where more than 700 have been found. Khon Kaen ends the trip with museums, Columbo Craft Village, the MAIELIE art museum and the golden stupa of Wat Nong Waeng reflected in Bueng Kaen Nakhon.
Food Trail in Creative District
Few kilometres, many meals. Songkhla was named a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in 2025, and its old town on Nang Ngam, Nakhon Nai and Nakhon Nok roads is where to eat: Hainanese kaya toast at Hub Seng, stew and steamed buns at Kiat Fang (open since 1937), coconut ice cream in clay jars, banana-leaf chicken rice and evening roti. Walk it off at Samila Beach and the Golden Mermaid.
In Hat Yai, drive up Khao Kho Hong in Hat Yai Municipal Park, shop at Kim Yong Market, then work through dim sum, bak kut teh, Hat Yai fried chicken and the Lee Gardens Night Market.
A Journey Along the Gulf
From Ton Nga Chang Waterfall to Songkhla Lake, Thailand’s largest lagoon, and the island of Ko Yo, this route runs north up the Gulf coast. Cross the 5.5 km Ekachai Bridge over Thale Noi at sunrise, take a dawn longtail among waterbirds and water buffalo, and climb Khao Ok Talu in Phatthalung.
In Nakhon Si Thammarat, Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2026; nearby is the shadow-puppet house of National Artist Suchart Subsin. The trip ends on the Khanom–Sichon coastal road and a boat trip to look for pink dolphins.
Where the Mist Begins
Thailand’s southernmost district sits in a valley higher than Chiang Mai and stays cool all year. Start with Betong chopped chicken at Ta Yern, then see the Betong Winter Flower Garden and the hand-dug Piyamit Tunnel, eat stream-raised tilapia and soak at the Betong Hot Spring.
Before dawn on day two, drive about 40 km to Skywalk Aiyerweng, a 61-metre glass walkway above the sea of mist. Then walk the nine tiers of Than To Waterfall and take a longtail from Ta Phayao Pier across Bang Lang Dam into the Hala Bala forest.
Across the Andaman Isles
The longest trip mixes the car with boats. In the Satun UNESCO Global Geopark, kayak into Le Stegodon Cave, a 4 km cave river, and paddle into the hidden lagoon of Prasat Hin Phan Yod. From Pak Bara Pier, a speedboat stops at Ko Tarutao and Ko Khai on the way to Ko Lipe for two nights of diving and snorkelling.
Trang brings roast pork, frog-head tuk-tuks and a three-island tour of Ko Muk, Ko Chueak and Ko Kradan. On the drive into Krabi, stop at Thailand’s only saline hot spring and the Emerald Pool, then take the classic four-islands longtail tour from Noppharat Thara Pier.
At the Kingdom’s Edge: Nature’s Grace and Cultural Jewels
Thailand’s “axe handle” offers swamp forest, crafts and many faiths. Walk the 1.2 km trail at Pa Pru To Daeng, Thailand’s last large peat swamp forest, see the bell tower and glass paintings of Wat Choltharasinghe, make pottery at Dinnara Ceramic, and watch Kolae boats being built and painted at Ban Thon Naim.
Pattani has the Sai Buri Governor’s Residence, batik at Barahom Barzaar, Krue Se Mosque and the 400-year-old Lim Ko Niao Shrine in Chinatown. Yala finishes the loop with its ring-road city plan, Alex Face’s bird murals and the 1,200-year-old reclining Buddha in the cave of Wat Khuhaphimuk.
More from the routes
Emergency and help numbers
All lines are listed as open 24 hours.
You can read and download the Gateway to Thailand e-book on TAT’s tourism product website. Each route also has a QR code in the book that opens it in Google Maps, and TAT’s regional offices along each route are listed at the back.
Open the e-book on TAT’s website →Frequently asked questions
What is Gateway to Thailand?
A self-drive guidebook from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, launched on 28 October 2026. It describes 10 road trips that start at nine land border checkpoints with Laos and Malaysia and cover 19 provinces in the Northeast and the South.
Where can I get the guidebook?
The e-book is on TAT’s website at tourismproduct.tourismthailand.org, in Thai, English, Malay, Chinese and Lao. TAT has also printed it in Thai and English.
Do Malaysian and Lao cars need a Foreign Vehicle Permit?
No. According to the guide, vehicles registered in Laos and Malaysia are exempt from the FVP, but drivers must still complete customs and immigration for passengers and the vehicle at the border.
When should I fill in the TDAC?
Within the 3 days before you arrive, including the day of arrival. Every traveller needs their own, a new one is needed for each entry, and the official website is free.
Which route suits a short trip?
Route 1 (Nong Khai to Udon Thani, 2 days and 1 night, about 110–120 km) and Route 6 (Sadao to Songkhla and Hat Yai, 3 days and 2 nights, about 90–100 km) are the shortest.
Conditions at border checkpoints can change. Check the latest announcements from the authorities, the checkpoint’s hours and the vehicles allowed before you set off.
Photos: Tourism Authority of Thailand, from the Gateway to Thailand guidebook.
Sources: Tourism Authority of Thailand, Gateway to Thailand guidebook (October 2026); TAT announcement, 28 October 2026.