LAOS USEFUL INFORMATION
   
  Laos Political Map
Laos Physical Map
Laos Fact Book & Statistics
(courtesy of www.maps.com)
   
 

Laos Fast Facts
  GEOGRAPHY
  Laos is a landlocked country covering 236,800 square kilometers making it about the same size as Ecuador or Great Britain. It comprises mostly mountains and plateaux. The Mekong River flows through western and southern regions and forms a natural border with Thailand and Myanmar. On its banks nestle most of Laos' important cities, such as the capital Vientiane and the former royal capital, Luang Prabang.

Rugged mountains cover more than 75% of the country. The vegetation is diverse and rich comprising tropical and subtropical species, from mango and palms to hardwoods. About half the country is still covered with primary forests.
   
  POPULATION
  Laos' ethnically diverse population is usually divided by topographical zones into three groups:

1. The wet rice cultivating, Buddhist Lao Loum of the lowlands, who are politically and numerically dominant, constituting over half of the total population.
2. The Lao Theung who occupy the mountain slopes and make up about a quarter of the population.
3. The Lao Soung, or upland Lao, who live in the high mountains and practice shifting cultivation, and who make up less than a fifth of Laos' total population.

These subdivisions are simplistic and in practice the lines between ethnic groups are increasingly blurred as communication and migration increase across the country.

The largest non-Lao groups in Laos are the Chinese and Vietnamese communities in the main cities.
   
  RELIGION
  The predominant religion is Theravada Buddhism. Animism is common particularly among the mountain tribes. Buddhism and spirit worship coexist easily, even though phi worship is officially banned. The clearest example of this is the Baci ceremony which all Buddhist lowland Lao practice regularly at every major life event such as birth, marriage and death. The ceremony calls all the good spirits together to ward off the evil spirits and to get strength for these important moments in life. Most Christians (primarily Roman Catholic) have left since 1975.
   
  LANGUAGE
  The official language of Laos is Lao, as spoken and written in Vientiane. As an official language it has successfully become the lingua franca between all Lao and non-Lao ethnic groups in Laos. Lao is a monosyllabic, tonal language but it contains many polysyllabic words borrowed from Indian, Pali and Sanskrit as well as words from Khmer. It has 6 tones, 33 consonants, and 28 vowels. Lao is also spoken in north-east Thailand and north Cambodia, which was originally part of the kingdom of Lan Xang. There are five main dialects in the country, each of which can be divided into further sub-dialects.

In colonial days French was introduced in the country and is still spoken in towns today, particularly by the older generation. Increasingly, English is being used by the government and the younger generation in the towns are also learning to speak English.
   
  MANNER
  As with all cultures everywhere in the world, there are some general rules of conduct that a traveller in Laos should follow. It is best to avoid the time round 11am when visiting a wat as this is when monks usually take their morning meal. Women should not attempt to shake the hand of a monk, hand anything to him, or sit beside him since monks are not allowed to touch women. When talking to a monk, try to keep your head lower than his.

When sitting down, feet should point away from the altar and main image. Arms and legs should be fully covered when visiting wats. A small donation is advisable, and it is appropriate to kneel down when giving it. In general pointing with the index finger is considered rude. Patting children on the head should be avoided, as it is the most sacred part of the body. The traditional form of greeting is with hands together, prayer-like, and with head bowed, as in most parts of Asia, but handshaking is done more frequently today.

Sensitivity pays when taking photographs. Be very wary in areas that have (or could have) military importance such as airports, where all photography is prohibited. Also be careful when photographing official functions and parades without permission. Always ask permission before photographing a person or in a temple.
   
  CURRENCY
  The currency unit is the Kip. (USD 1 = 10,000 Kip)
Lao currency is the Kip and is available in 5000K, 2000K, 1000K and 500K. There are no coins in circulation. In addition, the Thai baht and American dollar operate parallel to the Kip. Although a 1990 law technically forbids the use of foreign currencies to pay for local goods and services, many hotels, restaurants and tour operators actually quote their prices in dollars, and accept payment in either baht or dollars. The government-owned airline, Lao Aviation, only accepts payment in American dollars cash.

Travellers are strictly required to make the exchange at licensed exchange shops while paying in Laos. Credit cards are only accepted at very few places. Traveller cheques and other currencies than US Dollars are only accepted by major banks. It is best to carry US Dollar bills in small denomination.

Currency Converter by OANDA, Inc.
   
  PASSPORT & VISA
  VISA ON ARRIVAL
 
Available if arriving at: Vientiane International Airport
Lung Prabang Airport
Pakse International Airport
Friendship Bridge Vientiane (border with Thailand)
Requirements: Visa application form (available upon arrival at the airport)
Passport size photograph (x 1)
Valid passport with at least 6 months to run
USD 30 per visa
Processing Time: 10 minutes
Procedure: Hand over the passport and application to the visa counter upon arrival
Type of Visa: Single entry tourist visa - valid 2 weeks
Visa stamp requires 1 full page
  VISA FROM THE LAOTIAN EMBASSY
 
Needed if arriving at: Chong Mek (border with Thailand)
Houeixay (border with Thailand)
Savanakhet (border with Thailand)
Veun Kham (border with Cambodia)
Lak Sao (border with Vietnam)
Lao Bao (border with Vietnam)
Requirements: Visa application form (x 2)
Passport size photograph (x 2)
Valid passport with at least 6 months to run
Bank cheque or cash for visa fee
Self-addressed and stamped envelope
Visa Approval letter from Laos Authorities
Visa Fee: Please contact embassy for current visa fees
Processing Time: 10 to 14 days (7 to 9 days for the visa approval through the Laos authorities and 3 to 5 days for the visa stamp at the embassy)
Procedure: For the visa approval by the Laos authorities, the following details must be submitted:
Passport details
Profession
Date / Place of arrival in Laos

All of the above mentioned documents must be sent to the nearest Laos Embassy for the visa stamp.
Type of Visa: Single entry tourist visa - valid 2 weeks
Visa stamp requires 1 full page
  AIRPORT TAX
  Departure tax of equivalent of USD 10 payable in USD, Thai Baht or Kip.- per passenger
Kip 5,000.- per domestic passenger.
   
  CLIMATE & TEMPERATURES
  Hot Season: March to June
Rainy Season: June to October
Dry/Cool Season: October to February
Average temperature: 28 to 34 degree Centigrade (83 to 93 degree Fahrenheit)
   
 
Month-temperatures (c)°/ City Luang Prabang
(min/max)		 Vientiane
(min/max)
January 15/29 11/29
February 16/31 13/31
March 18/32 16/33
April 22/34 22/34
May 23/34 24/33
June 24/35 24/32
July 23/33 23/32
August 24/33 24/31
September 23/32 23/32
October 22/32 22/31
November 19/30 19/29
December 16/28 17/28
   
  PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
   
 
DATE HOLIDAY
 Jan. 1  New Year's Day
 Jan. 6  Pathet Lao Day
 Jan. 20  Army Day
 Mar. 8  Woman's Day
 Mar. 22  People's Party Day
 Apr. 13 - 15  Boun Pimai, Laotian New Year
 May 1  Labor Day
 Jun. 1  International Children's Day
 Aug. 13  Lao Issara, Day of the Free Laos
 Oct. 12  Day of the Liberation from French
 Dec. 2 Lao National Day
   
  TIME ZONE
  Laos' time zone is GMT + 7. There is no daylight saving time here.
09:00 in Tokyo is 11:00 in Vientiane on the same day.
09:00 in London is 16:00 in Vientiane on the same day.
09:00 in Vientiane is 20:00 in New York on the previous day.

World Time Zone
   
  WEIGHTS & MEASURES
  The metric system is in use here. Weights are in kilograms, distances in kilometers. Gasoline is measured in litres.
   
  ELECTRICITY
  220V, 50Hz and sockets have no ground. Larger hotels also offer 110V sockets for shavers only.
   
  BUSINESS HOURS
  Banks, Government offices and Companies are open from 08:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. and 13:00 p.m. - 16:00 p.m. Shops are generally open between 09:00 a.m. - 19:00 p.m.
   
  FOOD & WATER
  Although towns have access to safe water, less than a third of the countryside can claim the same. Avoid all water that hasn't been thoroughly boiled or sterilized and drink only sterilized water or soft drinks. All water and ice-cubes that are served to you in restaurants in the cities are safe for consumption. You should not eat any uncooked vegetables and do not eat any fruit that you haven't peeled yourself. Make sure that fish and meat is well cooked. Do not swim in stagnant water as you run the risk of contracting bilharzias.
   
  HEALTH
  No vaccinations are officially required for a visit to Laos. Malaria prophylaxis in no longer recommended but visitors are advised to check with their doctor or a travel immunization clinic regarding the advisability of inoculation against typhoid, hepatitis, tetanus and Japanese encephalitis.