From: 76702.1202@CompuServe.COM (Charlie Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.travel
Subject: *NEW* TRAVEL INFORMATION -- Laos
Date: 16 Nov 1992 15:14:28 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL INFORMATION - Laos
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Laos - Consular Information Sheet
 November 13, 1992

Embassy Location:  The U.S. Embassy is located at Rue Bartholomie, 
B.P. 114, in Vientiane; mail can be addressed to AMEMB Box V, APO AP 
96546; the telephone numbers are (856) 2220, 2357, 2384, or 3570 and 
2357 after office hours.

Country Description:  Laos is an underdeveloped poor country with a 
communist government.  Tourist services and facilities are 
relatively undeveloped.

Entry Requirements:  Passports and visas are required.  The visa 
requires a $35 fee, three application forms, three photos, 
onward/return transportation, sufficient funds, and evidence of 
cholera immunization.  For more details, the traveler can contact 
the Embassy of the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, 2222 S St. N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20008, tel. (202) 332-8416/7.

Areas of Instability:  The government of Laos does not permit 
foreign tourists to travel by road between Vientiane and Luang 
Prabang because of the poor state of the road and sporadic banditry.

Medical Facilities:  Medical facilities and services are limited.  
Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health 
services.  U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the 
United States.  Supplemental medical insurance with specific 
overseas coverage has proved useful.  The international travelers 
hotline at the Centers for Disease Control, tel. (404) 332-4559, has 
additional useful health information.

Information on Crime:  Major crime is not a problem for travelers, 
although there have been some instances of petty crime against 
personal property.  Useful information on guarding valuables and 
protecting personal security while traveling abroad is provided in 
the Department of State pamphlet, "A Safe Trip Abroad."  It is 
available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government 
Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

In-Country Travel:  Permission from the Lao government is required 
for travel outside Vientiane City.  Western travelers who are caught 
outside the city of Vientiane without travel permits are often 
arrested and detained incommunicado for periods of up to several 
weeks, and are usually fined heavily and expelled from the country.  
In recent months, Lao police have stepped up inspection of western 
travelers outside Vientiane City.  Travel permits are obtained from 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or from the Department of Tourism 
and are generally only issued to persons traveling with a 
government-approved tour.  Land or river travel outside Vientiane 
Province is not permitted, and travelers visiting provincial cities 
such as Luang Prabang and Savannakhet must travel by air.  Road 
travel in some areas, particularly Vientiane (outside Vientiane 
City), Luang Prabang and Bolikhamsa Provinces, is also dangerous.  
In early 1992, insurgent forces and bandits attacked civilian buses 
near Vientiane City, and a number of Lao civilians were killed in 
these attacks.

Religious Workers:  Religious proselytizing or distributing 
religious material is strictly prohibited.  Foreigners caught 
distributing religious material may be arrested and held 
incommunicado or expelled from the country.

Marriage to a Lao Citizen:  U.S. citizens intending to marry a Lao 
citizen must receive approval from both the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs and the Ministry of Interior.  Those who do not receive 
approval from all relevant ministries may be arrested or have their 
passports confiscated by Ministry of Interior police for periods of 
several weeks.

Photography Restrictions:  Police and military often confiscate the 
cameras of persons seen taking photographs of military or government 
subjects, including military installations, military vehicles, 
bridges, airfields and government buildings.  Confiscated cameras 
are almost never returned to the owners.  Foreigners may also be 
arrested for photographing such subjects. 

Drug Penalties:  Penalties for possession, use or trafficking in 
illegal drugs are strict and convicted offenders can expect jail 
sentences and fines.

Registration:  Americans who register at the U.S. Embassy can 
obtain updated information on travel and security within the country.

 No. 92-101