The third Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge

The Third Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge carries traffic 1,423 metres across the Mekong River, linking Ban Hom in Nakhon Phanom’s At Samat subdistrict to Ban Wian Tai near Thakhek in Laos’s Khammouane province. It opened on November 11, 2011, at an 11:11am ceremony presided over by Princess Sirindhorn and Lao Vice President Bounnyang Vorachit, after 900 days of construction. Like the Second Friendship Bridge further south at Mukdahan, it’s a two-lane road bridge — nobody strolls out to a midpoint marker for a selfie, whatever some travel listings imply.

To actually cross into Laos, clear Thai immigration at the checkpoint (open daily 06:00-22:00), then board a cross-border bus — fares run roughly 60-80 THB — rather than walking or driving your own vehicle across. Bring your passport, and check current Lao visa requirements for your nationality before you queue, since the rules shift from country to country and change periodically.

If you’re not crossing and just want to see the bridge, viewing from the Thai approach near the checkpoint is free. Some visitors report checkpoint officials allowing photos from the Thai foot of the bridge with permission, but the span itself is off-limits to pedestrians — this isn’t a promenade-style crossing like some border bridges elsewhere in the region.

For a nearby stop that doesn’t involve a border checkpoint at all, Phra Phutthabat Wern Pla sits about 2 km from the bridge in neighbouring Tha Uthen district — a natural rock formation on the Mekong bank bearing what’s revered as a footprint of the Buddha, visible only in the dry season (roughly February to April).

Insider Tip: If you’re driving out here purely for photos, go in the late afternoon — the low sun catches the bridge’s cables and the Mekong’s surface without the midday haze that flattens most riverside shots in this part of Isan.

Watch out: Several travel sites describe walking onto the bridge for free photos or driving straight across without formalities. That isn’t how the crossing works — everyone heading to Laos goes through Thai immigration and the shuttle bus, and the bridge itself has no dedicated pedestrian lane.