Laos

Understand

The Lao People's Democratic Republic (ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ) (Lao PDR) is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, and the most sparsely populated. Once the center of the powerful kingdom of Lan Xang, Laos was reduced to a vassal state of Siam (modern-day Thailand) by the end of the 18th century. It was freed from Siamese fiefdom in 1893 upon becoming a French protectorate and gained its independence in 1953 amidst the backdrop of the chaotic Indochina Wars. Since the end of the civil war in 1975, Laos is a one-party communist state under a presidential system. Unlike most countries in Asia, the country has not undergone a major industrialisation and modernisation period; as a result, its lifestyle remains mostly rural, with strong Buddhist traditional culture, and the only large city is Vientiane. An adjective often applied to Laos is "forgotten", but travelers lured by the prospect of visiting an untouched "Shangri-la" are likely to be disappointed. The country now draws five million visitors per year, nearly as many as the Philippines, and Chinese-led investment is rapidly transforming swathes of the country. But while backpackers may crowd a few tourist hubs like Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng, it's not hard to get off the beaten path and enjoy a laid-back lifestyle and the opportunity to knock back a few cold Beerlao while watching the sunsets on the Mekong. Perhaps one of the biggest attractions of Laos is the famous "Lao PDR" - Lao-Please Don't Rush.

History

Squeezed between vastly larger neighbours, the modern Lao state was created as an entity in 1353, when warlord Fa Ngum declared himself the king of Lan Xang ("Million Elephants"). Initially a Khmer vassal state, the kingdom emerged as one of the more powerful ones in Southeast Asia by th

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Unlike neighboring Thailand or Vietnam, Laos never underwent a massive economic development, neither during colonisation nor even after the liberalisation of the communist economy. As result, one key attraction of Laos is that most of the country, with the increasing exception of capital Vientiane, retains a relaxed, laid back feel with minimal presence of modern architecture or international brands and food chains. How much longer this will last is open to much speculation, especially with Chinese investment flooding in the 2020s, but meanwhile, it makes it a truly special and unique country to visit.

Natural attractions

The term wilderness is much misused, but it can truly be applied to much of Laos. The mighty Mekong River and its tributaries together create perhaps the single most impo

Getting there

Laos is one of the easiest countries in the world to visit — virtually everyone, save for citizens of a few countries, can enter the country visa-free or obtain a visa on arrival.

Visas Citizens of the following countries may enter Laos for tourism purposes without a visa. The maximum permitted stay is:

14 days: Myanmar 15 days: Japan, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria 30 days: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam See the Lao Immigration website for more details. If you are a dual national and want to use the passport of a visa-waived country, make sure to use the same passport to exit the previous country of your trip, especially when using land crossings. The immigration officers will look for an exit stamp to put their entry stamp next to it (which is hard to justify by anything other than aesthetic considerations) and thus insist on using the same passport, which in turn will require paying for a visa-on-arrival (see below). As of September 1, 2025, all nationalities are required to fill out an online arrival form prior to entering Laos: https://immigration.gov.la/en/registration/arrival/arrival-info Visitors of all other nationalities require a visa.

Visa on arrival Laos immigration provides a list of border checkpoints where a visa on arrival is available. A visa on arrival is available to most nationalities entering at the airports in Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Pakse and Savannakhet. Some (but not all) land border crossings also offer a visa on arrival, see below for listings. One passport photo is required although you may be able to pay a US$1 fee for your passport photo to be scanned upon arrival. As of Jan 2025, the price of a visa on arrival is US$40 for all except the following

Getting around

Travel within Laos has historically been slow, often painful and sometimes dangerous, but the 2021 opening of a railway spanning the northern half of the country and the ongoing construction of a parallel expressway is set to shake things up. Nevertheless, if travelling off the beaten track, allow plenty of leeway in your schedule for the near-inevitable delays, cancellations and breakdowns.

By plane

In addition to the three international airports mentioned in the Get In section (Vientiane, Luang Prabang & Pakse), there are domestic airports with scheduled flights to Vientiane in Bokeo, Luang Namtha, Oudomsay, Xieng Khouang (flights to/from Luang Prabang too), Sam Neua & Sayaboury. State carrier Lao Airlines and private company Lao Skyway have a near-duopoly on domestic flights. Lao Airlines managed a 13-year accident-free streak until an October 2013 crash near Pakse resulted in 49 fatalities, the country's deadliest air disaster. The fairly comprehensive network is by far the fastest and, relatively speaking, the safest way of reaching many parts of the country, although the new train line (see below) offers real competition. As of 2024, tickets for the popular Vientiane-Luang Prabang route (40 minutes) can be had for as little as US$34 (Lao Skyway), but the new high-speed train connects these two places for only US$12, and takes 2 hours. Otherwise, the third option is 10 hours on a bus. Lao Skyway flies the Xian MA60, a Chinese copy of the Soviet An-24, and these flights are frequently cancelled without warning if the weather is bad or not enough passengers show up. Lao Skyway also flies 14-passenger Cessnas from Vientiane to Phongsali and Sainyabuli (Xayabouly) most days. These airfields are rudimentary and flights are cancelled at the drop of a hat if weather i