Vpro Travel

GENERAL INFORMATION

Full country name: Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR)
Area: 236,000 sq km (92,040 sq m)
Population: 5.5 million
Capital city: Vientiane (pop 500,000)
People: 50% Lao Loum (lowland Lao), 30% Lao Theung (lower-mountain dwellers of mostly proto-Malay or Mon-Khmer descent), 10-20% Lao Sung (Hmong or Mien high-altitude hill tribes) and 10-20% tribal Thais
Language: Lao and Lao dialects (closely related to Thai), French
Religion: 60% Buddhist, 40% animist and spirit cults
Government: Socialist republic
President: Khamtai Siphandon
Prime Minister: Bounyang Volachit
GDP: US$9.7 billion
GDP per head: US$1700
Annual growth: 4%
Inflation: 6%
Major products/industries: Rice, tobacco, coffee, tin mining, timber, and opium
Major trading partners: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan

Geography:
    Laos is located in south-east Asia between Vietnam and Thailand. The country occupies a total area of 236,800 sq km of which 230,800 sq km is on land. It is landlocked by a 5,083 km long boundary. A map of Laos is available.

    Laos has a tropical monsoon climate - rainy season from May to November and dry season from December to April. The terrain is mostly rugged mountains with some plains and plateaus. Natural resources include timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold and gemstones.

People:
    Laos has a total population of 4,569,327 (July 1993 est.). Nationals of Laos are known as Lao(s) or Laotian(s). The main ethnic groups are Lao (50%), tribal Thai (20%) and Phoutheung (15%). The predominant religion is Buddhist (85%). Laos is the official language; English and French are also spoken.

Government:
    The country is known officially as Lao People's Democratic Republic and in short, Laos. Laos is a communist state with the capital in Vientiane. Independence was gained on 19 July 1949 from France. The national holiday is on 2 December (1975). The Laos flag consists of three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band.

Laos Weather

Laos' wet season runs from around May to October, and as with many Southeast Asian countries, the wet season is characterised by a downpour for a few hours a day rather than all day torrential rain. While the rainy season tends to strike Laos pretty much uniformally there are a couple of regional oddities. Laos' wet season tends to hit Phongsali a little early due to it catching a bit of rain from southern China, while Hua Phan and Xieng Khuang tend to get a little early rain from Vietnam. Generally speaking, the higher you are the more rain you get, and the towns along the Mekong River south of Vientiane get the least rain.
    As with Cambodia, the most obvious effect of the wet season is damaged infrastructure. Landslides remain common, as do severly rutted roads. While the road network is generally far better (ie., sealed) than in Cambodia, the topography of Laos (pretty mountainous) lends itself to landslides -- some minor, some not-so-minor. Also, with all this rainfall, the rivers can become pretty beastly and delays due to bridges being down are not uncommon. Don't be surprised if your trip takes longer than expected.

    All in all, land transport during Laos' wet season can be slow and soggy.

    On the upside, it is during wet season that boat transport comes into its own. The rivers are high so the slow boats can make better pace. Along the Mekong River many of the rapids are submerged -- helping the slowboats with their deeper drafts, but if you're considering a speedboat trip, be warned the heavy rainfall brings a lot of refuse into the river, and hitting a submerged log at 50km/h can be very messy -- yet another reason not to go with the speedboats.

    Other advantages include lower temperatues, cleaner air and smaller crowds.

    Laos' dry season has two distinct sub-sections -- first comes the cool dry season and then comes the hot dry season -- the former is one of the most popular times to visit Laos, the later less so. The cool dry season runs from November to February and the hot dry season from March to April. What the hot season lacks in length it makes up in ferocity -- they don't call it the hot season for nothing.

    What makes the hot season even more unbearable is the smoke factor -- from March to May farmers set fire to rice stubble and degraded (and not-so-degraded) forest to improve soil fertility in preparation for a new rice crop. The resulting fires bathe most of Laos (including Luang Prabang) in a layer of smoke which, aside from ruining vistas and photos can become really irritating to the eyes. March to May in Laos -- yuck!

The cool dry season on the other hand is an excellent time to go. Temperatures are relatively low, the air is cleaner and, particularly in November and December, the rivers are high enough to make river travel a breeze. Not surprisingly, this period in Laos is the peak season.

Events and Festivals

    The Gregorian calendar is the official calendar for the country, but Laos also follows the lunar calendar. The Lao calendar is a mixture of Sino-Vietnamese and Thai-Khmer calendars. It is based on the movement of the sun and moon and is different to the Buddhist calendar used in Thailand. New Year is in December, but is celebrated in April when the auspices are more favourable. As in China, each year is named after an animal. Weeks are structured on the waxing and waning of the moon and days are named accordingly.

    The traditional Lao calendar, like the calendars of China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, is a solar-lunar mix. The year itself is reckoned by solar phases, while the months are divided according to lunar phases (unlike the Western calendar in which months as well as years are decided by the sun). The Buddhist Era calendar usually figures year one as 543 BC, which means that you must subtract 543 from the Lao calendar year to arrive at the Christian calendar familiar in the West (e.g., 1997 AD is 2540 BE according to the Lao Buddhist calendar).

    Festivals in Laos are mostly linked to agricultural seasons or historical Buddhist holidays.

Foreign embassies in Laos

Australia Australian Embassy in Vientiane, Laos                    

KM4, Thadeua Road

Watnak Village

Sisattanak District

Vientiane

Lao P.D.R.

City: Vientiane

Phone: +856 21 353800

Fax: +856 21 353801

Web Site: http://www.laos.embassy.gov.au/

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Office Hours: The Embassy is open for general and consular enquiries from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday except for public holidays. The Visa office is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9.00am to 12.00 noon.

Brunei Bruneian Embassy in Vientiane, Laos              

Embassy of Brunei in Laos    

No.30, Unit 12 - Ban Thongkang

Sisathanak District

Lanexang Avenue

Vientiane, Laos

P.O.Box 7843

City: Vientiane

Phone: 856 21 352294

Fax: 856 20 352290

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Office Hours: 0800 - 1200 hrs 1330 - 1600 hrs Monday - Friday   

Cambodia Cambodian Embassy in Vientiane, Laos               

Embassy of Cambodia in Laos (Vientiane)    

Thadeua Road, KM2Vientiane,

B.P. 34, Lao P.D.R.

City: Vientiane

Phone: (8562) 131 4950, 131 4952

Fax: (8562) 131 4951

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Canada Canadian Embassy in Laos                

Laos People's Democratic Republic     

The Government of Canada has no resident representation in Laos.

Services are offered through our Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand.

For consular services, please contact the Australian Embassy in Laos.

China Chinese Embassy in Vientiane, Laos                

Chinese Embassy in Vientiane, Laos     

Wat Nak Road

Sisattanak

Vientiane, Laos

City: Vientiane

Phone: +856-21-315100

Fax: +856-21-315104

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Cuba Cuban Embassy in Vientiane, Laos                    

Embassy of Cuba in Vientiane, Laos    

Ban Saphanthong Neua

Neua R-128

Vientiane, Laos

City: Vientiane

Phone: (856-21) 314902

Fax: (856-21) 314901

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France French Embassy in Vientiane, Laos                 

French Embassy in Laos     

Avenue Sethathirat

Vientiane, BP 6

City: Vientiane

Phone: 856 21 21 52 53

Fax: 856 21 21 52 50

Web Site: http://www.ambafrance-laos.org/

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 Germany German Embassy in Vientiane, Laos                       

German Embassy in Laos     

Rue Sokpalouang 26

Vientiane

City: Vientiane

Phone: 856 21 31 21 10

Fax: 856 21 31 43 22

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India Indian Embassy in Vientiane, Laos                    

Embassy of India in Laos     

002, Ban Wat-Nak

Thadeua Road, KM 3

Sisattanak District

City: Vientiane

Phone: 00-856-21-352301-04

Fax: 00-856-21-352300

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Indonesia Indonesian Embassy in Vientiane, Laos                

Embassy of Indonesia in Vientiane, Laos     

Phone Kheng Road

Vientiane, Laos

(P.O.BOX 277)

City: Vientiane

Phone: (856-21) 413-909, 413-910, 416-264

Fax: (856-21) 214-828

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Japan Japanese Embassy in Vientiane, Laos              

Embassy of Japan in Laos     

Road Sisangvone, Vientiane

Lao People's Democratic Republic.

City: Vientiane

Phone: + 856 21 41 4400-3

Fax: + 856 21 414 406

Web Site: http://www.la.emb-japan.go.jp/en/embassy/embassy.htm

Office Hours: 08:30 - 12:00, 13:30 - 17:45

 Malaysia Malaysian Embassy in Ventianne, Laos                   

Embassy of Malaysia in Vientiane, Laos     

23 Singha Road

Ban Phonxay, P.O Box 789

Vientiane, Laos PDR

City: Ventianne

Phone: 856-21-414205/06

Fax: 856-21-414201

Web Site: http://www.kln.gov.my/perwakilan/vientiane

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Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8.00 am - 4.30 pm Holiday : Saturday - Sunday

Myanmar Myanmar Embassy in Vientiane, Laos                     

Embassy of the Union of Myanmar in Vientiane, Laos     

Ban Thong Kang, P.O. Box No. 11

Sok Palaung

P.O. Box No. 11

City: Vientiane

Phone: (856) (21) 314910, 314911

Fax: (856) (21) 314913

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Philippines Philippine Embassy in Vientiane, Laos                

Embassy of Philippines in Vientiane, Laos     

Ban Saphanthong Kang, Sisattanak District,

Vientiane, LAO PDR

P.O. Box 2415

City: Vientiane

Phone: (85621) 452-490/ 491

Fax: (85621) 452-493

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Russia Russian Embassy in Vientiane, Laos               

Embassy of Russia in Vientiane, Laos  

Thaphalanxay quarter, km 4, Thadeua Str.,

Vientiane, B.P. 490, Laos

City: Vientiane

Phone: +856 21 312-219, 312-222

Fax: +856 21 312-210

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Singapore Singaporean Embassy in Vientiane, Laos              

Embassy of Singapore in Vientiane, Laos     

Thadeua Road, KM 3, Unit 4

Watnak Village, Sisattanak District

Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR

City: Vientiane

Phone: +856 21 353939

Fax: +856 21 353938

Web Site: http://www.mfa.gov.sg/vientiane

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Office Hours: Monday to Friday: 0830hrs to 1200hrs, 1300hrs to 1700hrs Visa Hours: Monday to Friday: 0900hrs to 1100hrs (application), 1400hrs to 1600hrs (collection)

Sweden Swedish Embassy in Vientiane, Laos                        

Embassy of Sweden in Vientiane, Laos     

Sokpaluang Road, Quartier Wat Nak

Vientiane

Laos/LAO PDR

City: Vientiane

Phone: +856 (21) 315003

Fax: +856 (21) 315001

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Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9 to 11.30 a.m.

Thailand Thai Embassy in Vientiane, Laos                  

Embassy of Thailand in Laos     

Royal Thai Embassy

Avenue Kaysone Phomvihane

Saysettha District, Vientiane .P.O. Box 128

Consular Section, Rue 23 Singha,

Saysettha District,Vientiand

City: Vientiane

Phone: (856-21) 214-581-2

Fax: (856-21) 214-580

Web Site: http://www.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/

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Thailand Thai Consulate in Khanthabouly District, Laos                     

Consulate of Thailand in Laos     

Savannakhet Province

City: Khanthabouly District

Phone: +856-41 212-373 / +856-41 212-445

Fax: +856-41 212-370

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United States American Embassy in Vientiane, Laos               

U.S. Embassy in Vientiane, Laos     

19 Rue Bartholonie,

That Dam Road

City: Vientiane

Phone: (856-21) 267000

Fax: (856-21) 267190

Web Site: http://usembassy.state.gov

Vietnam Vietnamese Embassy in Vientiane, Laos                  

Embassy of Vietnam in Vientiane, Laos    

No 85 23 Singha Road, Ban Phonxay,

Saysettha District, Laos

City: Vientiane

Phone: (856-21) 413400

Fax: (856-21) 416720

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Vietnam Vietnamese Consulate in Vientiane, Laos                  

Embassy of Vietnam in Laos     

No 85 23 Singha Road, Ban Phonxay, Saysettha District

City: Vientiane

Phone: (+856-31) 413400/413409; 451990

Fax: (+856-31) 413379/416720

Web Site: http://www.mofa.gov.vn/vnemb.la?set_language=en

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Vietnam Vietnamese Consulate in Savannakhet, Laos            

Consulate General of the S.R. of Vietnam in Savannakhet, Laos     

1 Thatluang Road, Vientiane

Savannakhet, Laos

City: Savannakhet

Phone: (856) 41 212418

Fax: (856) 20 5541259

Web Site: http://www.vietnamconsulate-savanakhet.org/en/

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