Laos stay safe · Laos travel safety advice
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Laos travel safety advice
Laos travel safety advice
Crime levels are low in Laos, although petty theft (bag snatching) is not unknown and keeps rising with grave inability of authorities to prevent it. Some reports of robery at gunpoint surface over horizon in big cities. It is unlikely to affect most travellers, but Laos has some of the world's highest corruption levels and is a big factor in many citizens' lives.
Judicial processes remain arbitrary and, while you are unlikely to be hassled, if accused your legal rights may be slim or non-existent.
Sexual relations between a Lao national and a foreigner are illegal unless they are married, and marriage requires special permits. Lao hotels are not permitted to allow a foreigner and Lao national in the same hotel room together. "Number One" condoms are available for 1000-5000 kip for a pack of 3. These are probably the cheapest condoms in the world (and their quality seems to be ok).
Drugs are a large problem in Laos and should be avoided at all costs. Lao law makes little distinction between personal use and trafficking and any conviction will result in heavy fines and expulsion at best and imprisonment or even execution at worst. Methamphetamine is widespread and often offered in "special" or "happy" shakes along the backpacker trail.
Criticism of the Lao government or the Communist Party in any way, shape or form is unwise.
Landmines or unexploded ordinance left over from the Vietnam War maims or kills hundreds of people every year as Laos is the most bombed country in history. Almost all of these occur in the eastern and northern parts of the country, especially near the border with Vietnam. Never enter into areas marked as minefields and travel only on paved roads and well-worn paths. If you are unsure of which areas are safe, ask locals.
Fake products are very common. Laos is one of the places where Chinese or Thai companies leak dumped products (dropped the quality test for finished products) and deal with it there. Like Myanmer, Laos government never set the decent law for this issue.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Laos
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Laos - updated Apr 2024
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Laos Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.