Vientiane Laos

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Doc67
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Vientiane Laos

Post by Doc67 »

Is there much going on there now? Any tourists returning and what is downtown Vientiane like.

I have a friend in Bangkok in September and they are considering a 3 day trip there. They are much more fun oriented rather than seeing old ruins.
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Alex
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Re: Vientiane Laos

Post by Alex »

Doc67 wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 12:43 pm Is there much going on there now?
Has there ever? It has been a very slow and quiet place even before Covid. If they want a "fun" break from Bangkok, I'd say Phnom Penh is much better.
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sigmoid
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Re: Vientiane Laos

Post by sigmoid »

Doc67 wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 12:43 pm Is there much going on there now? Any tourists returning and what is downtown Vientiane like.

I have a friend in Bangkok in September and they are considering a 3 day trip there. They are much more fun oriented rather than seeing old ruins.

I haven't been there since 2015, but no, Vientiane is not really a fun place. The downtown area also got quite overbuilt and the traffic is bad since it's the old part of town near the river with narrow streets and nowhere to park.

In addition, Laos is currently experiencing an economic crisis with currency collapse and fuel shortages:

Prices Still High in Laos Despite Drop In Foreign Currency Values
https://laotiantimes.com/2022/08/03/pri ... cy-values/

Laos Sees Renewed Fuel Shortages as Pumps Shut Down in Vientiane Capital
https://laotiantimes.com/2022/08/02/lao ... e-capital/
Many have begun to wonder if the government’s stopgap line of credit, provided to the Lao National State Fuel Enterprise in late June, has already run dry.

Minister of Finance, Mr. Bounchom Oubonpaseuth, announced the line of credit to a round of applause during a National Assembly session on 15 June. He said that his ministry would guarantee a fuel supply to last through June, July, and August.

But reports given to the media suggest that Laos requires approximately 120 million liters per month to meet public demand, while the line of credit provided to the state fuel company amounted to only 200 million liters.

A recent tourism boom driven by curious Thais has provided some hope for Laos, but its deep economic problems have yet to be resolved.

The country took several drastic measures in recent months to try to stabilize its macro economy, reshuffling key government positions including the head of the central bank, and cracking down on illegal currency traders.

These actions prevented the Lao kip from dropping further in value, but inflation and high prices remain an issue, with the poorest members of society struggling to make ends meet.

The future remains uncertain, but renewed fuel shortages are certain to place an even greater strain on a population already struggling to cope with a dual outbreak of dengue fever and Covid-19.
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phuketrichard
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Re: Vientiane Laos

Post by phuketrichard »

Nowhere in Laos would be considered a "fun" town since the did away with the fun in Vang Vieng
used ot make yearly trips between 2012 and 2018
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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Jerry Atrick
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Re: Vientiane Laos

Post by Jerry Atrick »

Saw some recent pics from there; looked a lot like st 136 in ht's heydey

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Re: Vientiane Laos

Post by kagi »

Savanakhet or Pakse have more going on. Influence of the many Vietnamese in those towns.
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