i am going travelling to thailand and looking for an original route.(no direct flight)any advice for my plans?

i am planning on flying to moscow from england,going on the trans-siberian railway across russia almost to the end,where i will change trains and head to beijing,china.from there i am planning on travelling down to the bottom of china to LAOS,where i will then travel into thailand.i plan to do this in november 2008.
i am looking for advice from people whove been same route or similar.advice on crossing the borders,visa requirements,what i should take as essentials(dont be smartarse and say passport)
what should i look out for?
is there any problems you can see with the route i plan to take?
any advice from seasoned travellers would be grately appreciated.thanks

There is a direct flight from Vientiane, Laos to Bangkok. try to check with thai Air International.

It seems like a long way around to get here. It will cost more then a flight in the long run. Also you need to obtain visas for all the countries your be passing thru.

There is a direct flight from Laos to Bangkok. It is Lao airlines (no s for Laos for this airlines). It also has Laos to Chiang Mai route.
Log on to www.laoairlines.com

If you make it to Vientiane you can also check on local transportation from that city to the Friendship Bridge and crossover into Thailand. There will be local buses and other transportation going from Nong Khai to many places in Thailand.

(Google up Friendship Bridge, Laos for more info.)

Or you can fly.

Each country you pass through will have their own particular visa requirements. Each country will have variations on those requirements depending on the passport you will be traveling on. No one visa requrement applies to everyone! You will have to do some research and investigate each country's requirements as they apply to you!

Good luck.

Guess you are looking at the overland route from Laos to Thailand and not the flight way. There are a few main border checkpoints between Laos and Thailand. Getting into Thailand should be no issue as you can get a 30-day tourist pass on arrival. Probably entry will be easier than your exit from Laos.

Key entry points for you to plan your Thailand entry from Laos will be at the following:

Laos / Thailand
Huay Xai / Chiang Khong
Open 08:00-18:00 7 days
After the Nong Khai crossing this is probably the most popular crossing for independent travellers entering Thailand as it is from Huay Xai that the slow boats to Luang Prabang, making this a veritable transport hub. After clearing customs on either side, it is a short five minute boat ride over to the other side.

Nam Hueng / Thai Li
This fairly remote crossing would be a handy one to open up fully due to the fairly good road condition. Currently there are conflicting reports on its being open, although it appears it is easier to leave Laos this way than to enter it.

Vientiane / Nong Khai
Open 06:00-22:00 7 days
The crossing is actually around 20km from Vientiane and a few km from the centre of Nong Khai, but regular and affordable transport is available in both directions.

Savannakhet / Mukdahan
Open 09:00-16:30
This riverine crossing takes travellers from the riverfront of central Savannakhet to the riverfront of central Mukdahan. Boats run around a half dozen times a day, seven days a week. There is a small fee for the boat.

Tha Khek / Nakhon Phanom
Open 08:30-15:00
This riverine crossing takes travellers from the riverfront of central Tha Khaek to the riverfront of central Nakhon Phanom . Boats run around a half dozen times a day, seven days a week. There is a small fee for the boat.

Vang Tao / Chong Mek
Open 06:00-19:00
It is a five minute walk through each crossing and regular songtheaws and bus run from Vang Tao and Chong Mek.

Paksan / Bueng Kan
Open 08:00-16:30
This border, while open to foreigners, is not really convenient to anything much, though Paksan is a scenic enough riverside spot. There is a small fee for the ferry crossing.

Again if you are using remote crossing, do confirm the operation timing as the timings reflected may change without notice and if it is open for use before you head over.

Enjoy your stay in Thailand.