The VIP Bus service to southern destinations are provided by Chitprasong Transportation and Kraingkrai Transportation. As far as I know there is no VIP Bus during the day time from Vientiane to Pakse.
All VIP bus services depart in the evening at 20:30 hour at the Vientiane Southern Bus Station. The bus only makes a stop at main bus station like Tha Khek and often will drive straight into Pakse. Kraingkrai Transportation departs at Vientiane Southern Bus Station only. Chitprasong Transportation departs from Vientiane Northern Bus Station and makes a stop at Vientiane Southern Bus Station.
Here is a short clip of the VIP Bus at Vientiane Southern Region Bus Terminal.
There are two options to make, either take the regular sitting VIP bus or take a Sleeping VIP Bus. Both companies provide both services and the prices are about the same since they are competing against one another. As of last month the price for the Sleeping VIP Bus with Chitprasong Transportation was 170,000 from Pakse to Vientiane – Vientiane to Pakse. Normally that would have been 180,000 KIPs but due to lowering fuel price, the bus company reduced the fee rates.
For those of you that are travelling to Savannakhet, you are in luck because the services run during the day time as well as night time. The bus departs at 05:15, 07:15, 18:00, 18:30, 19:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30 from the Vientiane Southern Bus Station.
The only way to travel to Pakse during the day is with the local bus or with the Express Bus. The Express Bus is only available on certain days and departs at Vientiane Southern Bus Station. Based on my experience, it would be better to take a regular local bus because the Express Bus (AC advertised) turned off the AC 10 minutes after we left the bus station.
Here are some photos of the VIP bus in Vientiane and in Pakse. There are some pictures of the outside of Sleeping VIP Bus from both Chitprasong Transportation and Kraingkrai Transportation.
If you are going to take a VIP Bus to Savannakhet I would recommend you to take Chitprasong VIP Bus number 6699 (license plate) because the bus driver is really nice. He tried to save my aunt, uncle and me from taking the Express Bus to Pakse because he wanted us to ride in comfort. This bus driver warned us if we take the Express Bus to Pakse it is not a very nice bus and they will not let the AC be on all the way to Pakse. Even after we bought the tickets for the Express Bus, the VIP Bus Driver still offered not to take the difference for switching the bus.
The reason we took the Express Bus rather than taking a VIP Bus to Savannakhet and then connecting to Pakse was because of fear of having to wait too long for the connecting bus. My aunt and uncle had the experience of waiting for five hours at Savannakhet Bus Station and arrived in Pakse late at night so they decided to take the Express Bus instead.
The only good advice I can give you is to get to the bus station early and look around. When you see the bus pulls up to its position then check it out and pick out your seat before going to buy your ticket.
