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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Loei
เลย
Spend 1–2 days in Loei for mountain hikes and cultural sites; a single night is enough if you focus on Phu Kradung and the city shrines.
Loei is a small Isaan town surrounded by cool‑climate mountains and river towns. Most attractions are a short bus or motorbike ride away, so a short stay (one night, two days) lets you hike Phu Kradung, visit the city pillar shrine and see the Mekong‑river towns. Longer trips are only needed for distant national parks.
- Country
- Thailand
- Local name
- เลย
- Best months
- Nov–Feb
- Avoid
- Apr–May (hot, occasional haze)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- THB
- Money
- Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿). Cards work in malls, hotels and many restaurants; street food, markets, boats and small taxis are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget 300–500 THB excl. bed · Mid 500–800 THB excl. bed · High 800+ THB excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Ambulance 1669 · Tourist police 1155
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C, O · 220 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US pins and round European pins; type O is the Thai three-pin standard. UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.; Taxi / Grab: Round up to the next ฿10 or ฿20.; Massage: ฿50–100 per hour to the therapist, in hand.; Guide / driver day: ฿300–500 for the guide, ฿200–300 for the driver.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ฿20–50.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Street refill machines charge about ฿1 a litre; bottled water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops. The hose ('bum gun') replaces paper; paper goes in the bin in older buildings. Some public toilets cost ฿3–5.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | 30–50 baht |
| Noodle soup | 40–70 baht |
| Beer (bottled) | 60–80 baht |
| Songthaew ride | 10 baht |
| Tuk‑tuk short ride | 40 baht |
| Bus to nearby park | 50 baht |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LOE · Loei Airport
- Four daily flights from Bangkok (Nok Air, AirAsia).
Typical fares
- Bangkok → Loei (flight)
- ≈ 1,200–1,800 THB one‑way (check airline).
- Songthaew from bus station
- 10 baht per ride.
- Tuk‑tuk town centre
- ≈ 40 baht for short trips.
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Songthaews from the bus station cost 10 baht; tuk‑tuks and local minibuses serve the town and nearby sights. Motorbike rental is common for park trips.
See and do
Known for
- Phu Kradung National Park
- Phu Ruea National Park
- City Pillar Shrine
- Thai‑Lao Friendship Bridge
- Phi Ta Khon Festival
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Chiang Khan | Local bus or songthaew, about 30 min from Loei bus station | ≈45 min |
| Phu Kradung National Park | Motorbike or hired car, 2 h drive via Hwy 201 | ≈3 h total |
| Phu Ruea National Park | Bus to Phu Ruea village, then local songthaew, about 1 h | ≈2 h |
Sleep
- Phuluang Hotel
- 350–900 baht per night; hot‑water shower, free Wi‑Fi.
- Sugar Guest House
- 180–380 baht per night; English‑speaking host, bike hire.
- Country House Khokngam
- 1,500 baht per day; homestay in countryside, good for longer stays.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | ขอโทษkhó thôot |
| Thank you | ขอบคุณkhòp khun |
| How much is it? | เท่าไหร่thâo rai |
| Where is the bus station? | สถานีรถบัสอยู่ที่ไหนsà-tà-nii rót bát yùu thîi nǎi |
| Can I have water, please? | ขอน้ำได้ไหมkhǒo nám dâi mái |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A wai (palms together, slight bow) to return a greeting; a smile and nod for shop staff; avoid: Waiing children or service staff first — it confuses; hugging strangers
- Head and feet: Keep feet on the floor, sit with legs folded to the side in temples; avoid: Touching heads (even children's), pointing feet, stepping over people or food
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees, shoes off, sit lower than monks; avoid: Women touching monks or handing them things directly; climbing Buddha images
- Monarchy: Stand for the royal anthem in cinemas and at 08:00 and 18:00 in public places; avoid: Any joke or comment about the royal family; stepping on a banknote
- Keeping calm: Stay polite and smiling when things go wrong ('jai yen' — cool heart); avoid: Raising your voice; public anger loses the argument
- Names: Khun plus first name ('Khun Somchai'); nicknames are normal; avoid: Using the family name alone
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or sweets; step over the threshold, not on it; avoid: Sitting with feet towards the family shrine
- Beckoning and pointing: Palm down, fingers waved towards you; point with the whole hand or chin; avoid: Pointing at people with a finger or with your foot
Scams and watch-outs
- Bus schedules can change; confirm times at the bus station.
- No railway station – rely on bus or flight.
- Nighttime temperatures can drop to 0 °C in the cool season; bring warm clothing.
Loei is a low-crime provincial town; the real risks are mountain roads, motorbike rental without a licence, and cool-season nights that drop near 0 °C (32 °F) on the plateaus. Carry warm layers and check bus times at the station.Loei is a low-crime provincial town; the real risks are mountain roads, motorbike rental without a licence, and cool-season nights that drop near 32 °F (0 °C) on the plateaus. Carry warm layers and check bus times at the station.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Loei yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Phu Kradung National Park
- Phu Ruea National Park
- City Pillar Shrine
- Thai‑Lao Friendship Bridge
- Phi Ta Khon Festival
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Loei, revision 5269273 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5269273
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/loei). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.