Some Interesting Facts About Laos

Public Holidays

Most of the festivals celebrated in Laos are either Buddhist in nature, or are linked in some way or the other to the change of seasons. Among the most popular of festivals is the Lunar New Year, which occurs in mid-April, and the festivities of which carry on for at least a week or so. Other important festivals include the That Luang Festival of Vientiane in November- a sight to see, with its spectacular fireworks and candlelit processions, and the Bung Bang Fai - the rocket festival- so called because it’s marked by the firing of bamboo rockets in May. Besides these, the two main secular festivals are National Day (December 2) and May Day (May 1).
Date 2005  Occasion
January 1  New Year's Day 
January 6  Pathet Lao Day
January 20  Army Day
February 1 - 3  Chinese New Year 
March 8  Women's Day
March 22  Day of the People's Party
April 13 - 15  Boun Pimai, Laotian New Year
May 1  Labour Day
June 1  Children's Day
June 21  Khao Pansa (Buddhist Fast begins)
August 13  Lao Issara, Day of the Free Laos
September 11  Bouk ok Pansa (Buddhist Fast ends)
October 12  Day of Liberation from the French
December 2  National Day
December 25  Christmas Day

Weights & Measures

Metric, with some local variations in rural areas but standard measures follow the metric scale.

Electricity

Power is supplied at 220v AC, 50 Hz, so electrical adapters are required for appliances not compatible with the power supply.

Customs & Duties

Personal effects, including perfume, a litre or so of alcohol, and a reasonable amount of tobacco, are allowed into Laos free of customs duty. Remember, though, that certain items are not allowed into the country, and you could get into serious trouble if you’re caught with them- these include arms and ammunition, pornographic material and narcotics. Narcotics, especially, are very high on the list of forbidden items, and you could find yourself imprisoned or deported for possessing drugs.

Post & Communications

Laos’ postal system is nothing to write home about- but if you are writing home, then the best place to post your letters is the main post office in Vientiane. Few other post offices handle international mail. Most large hotels in Vientiane offer basic postal facilities, such as stamps, franking and delivering your letters to the post office, but that’s about it.

Telephones and other communication facilities aren’t great, either- the country only has about 20,000 phones in all (though more are expected by 2001) and you’ll probably have to rely on large hotels or shops (or the main post office) to make long-distance phone calls, or to use fax and telex services. The Internet is as yet virtually unknown in the country.

Tipping

If you’re happy with the quality of service, tip modestly.

English Language Media

English has never been an important language in Laos- the only foreign language that has some sort of usage in the country has been French, and even that is now spoken only by some of the urban elite. Consequently, there aren’t too many options for English-speaking tourists looking for English language papers, journals, radio and TV broadcasts. There’s one English newspaper, the Vientiane Times, available only in the capital. Radio and television have virtually nothing in English except for the odd news bulletin.