Go with a plan.
Laos rose to a 59/100 sketch score today, but you still face level 2 travel advisories from the US, UK, and Canada alongside active global polio and measles notices.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Laos
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Go with a plan.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Don't fall for it
Scams to know
Border crossing bribes
Officials at land borders may demand small bribes from tourists. Observe the behavior of locals at checkpoints to avoid these payments.
Traffic police extortion
Police wait at specific intersections to stop foreigners and invent traffic infractions to solicit bribes. Ask rental shops which intersections to avoid.
Don't do this
Laws that jail tourists
Mandatory identification
You must carry a copy of your passport or national identity card at all times. Failure to produce this document when requested by police results in a fine.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Polio
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Recommended:
From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Laos in general is a safe country, in part because violent crime is punished to a significant extent by the government. This said, petty crime remains a concern.
- •In accordance with the law, you are required to have an identification document on you at all times, and the police have the legal right to ask you for it.
- •Corruption: Laos is one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
- •Crime: Laos is generally a safe low-crime country.
- •If you are the victim of a crime in Laos, do not expect to be taken seriously; the Laotian justice system is inefficient, lacks accountability, corrupt, and is susceptible to political interference.
Staying healthy
- •Laos is on track to hit its goal of eliminating malaria by 2030, but there are still occasional outbreaks, particularly in the south (Savannakhet and beyond).
- •The usual precautions regarding food and water are needed.
- •Medical care in Laos is limited owing to a lack of resources.
- •Travel insurance that includes cover for medical evacuation is strongly recommended.…
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
A / B / C / E / F · 230V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 191 / ambulance: 195 / fire: 190
Show the receipts (10 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-07-12
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-07-12
- ca-gac — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-07-12
- cdc-health — observed 2026-07-12
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-07-12
- reddit — observed 2026-07-12
- acled-hdx — observed 2026-07-12
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-07-12