Laos Safety Guide
Health, security, and travel safety information
Emergency Numbers
Save these numbers before your trip.
Healthcare
What to know about medical care in Laos.
Public hospitals are cheap but short on equipment, medicines and English. Private clinics in Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Pakse cater to foreigners.
Mahosot Hospital (Vientiane) and Provincial Hospital ( Luang Prabang ) handle most tourists. Setthathirath International Clinic and Lao-Viet Friendship Hospital in Vientiane accept credit cards.
Look for green-plus signs. Stock common antibiotics, rehydration salts and Thai-made contraceptives. Check expiry dates, heat can shorten shelf life.
Not legally required but foolish to skip. Immigration occasionally asks for proof at land borders.
- ✓ Carry a printed list of allergies and blood type. Digital files vanish if your phone dies.
- ✓ Bring twice the malaria prophylaxis you expect to need, pills can be lost in river boats.
Common Risks
Be aware of these potential issues.
Bag-snatching by motorbike and hostel room theft while guests swim.
Cluster bombs remain in Xieng Khouang, southern Salavan and rural border zones.
Single-lane highways, free-roaming cattle and sudden rain create deadly combinations.
Hepatitis A, typhoid and leptospirosis lurk in slow-moving tributaries.
Scams to Avoid
Watch out for these common tourist scams.
Officials or brokers demand an extra $5, $10 on top of the $35 visa fee, claiming weekend or overtime surcharges.
Rental shop claims new scratches were not on the original sheet and withholds your passport until you pay hundreds in repairs.
River bars refill branded bottles with cheap methanol-laced spirits that can cause blindness.
Safety Tips
Practical advice to stay safe.
- • Sit behind the driver in songthaews, side benches lose doors on sharp curves.
- • Photograph your bus number plate. Luggage is removed at roadside snack stops.
- • Peel fruit yourself. The tangy smell of unwashed lime skin can mask pesticide residue.
- • Iced coffee is safe if cubes have a cylindrical hole, factory-made, not tray frozen.
- • Zipline cables creak loudly before snapping, if you hear groaning metal, signal to brake immediately.
- • Carry 2 litres of water for every hour of cycling. Humidity disguises sweat loss.
Information for Specific Travelers
Safety considerations for different traveler groups.
Solo women rarely face harassment. But conservative norms mean unwanted attention rises with revealing clothing or heavy drinking.
- → Choose guesthouses with 24-hour reception. Night staff will walk you to a taxi.
- → Wear a sarong over swimwear away from hotel pools. Local women swim in clothes.
Same-sex relations legal since 1950s, no anti-discrimination statutes.
- → Book double beds without fuss at mid-range Lao hotels. Guesthouses may claim twins only.
- → Vientiane's annual Pride picnic is low-key; joining shows respect rather than activism.
Travel Insurance
Protect yourself before you travel.
Medical evacuation by ambulance-boat-helicopter combo to Bangkok can cost more than a year's backpacker budget.
Ready to plan your trip to Laos?
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