The Best of Cambodia & Laos

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VIENTIANE
11
FAST FACTS: VIENTIANE
and MasterCard; commission rates start at 3%. The nearby Joint Development
Bank (75/1 Lan Xang; & 021/213-535) also exchanges cash and traveler’s checks.
You can also exchange money at Banque Setthathirat, near Wat Mixay. All banks
are open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 3:30pm. Other banks line Lane
Xang Avenue; exchange counters dot the city.
Business Hours Generally shops are open from around 9am to 8pm on weekdays
with slightly reduced hours on weekends. Cafes tend to run from about 8:30am
to 9pm or 10pm. Many restaurants open for lunch and dinner only and will be
closed between 2 and 5pm. Government offices generally open Monday to Friday
at 8:30am, close for lunch from noon until 1pm and close again at 5pm. Even
with the fast-changing nightlife scene in Vientiane, most bars are closed by 11pm
or midnight. There are quite a number of clubs and music venues that stay open
unofficially past this time. Many businesses are closed on Sunday.
Doctors & Hospitals Medical facilities in Laos are very basic indeed. Most foreigners
living in Laos go to Thailand for treatment of all but the most trivial of ailments.
The Friendship Bridge connecting Vientiane to Nong Khai in Thailand is
open daily from 6am to 10pm. If there is a real medical emergency then crossing
outside of these hours is allowed. Many travelers go to AEK International Hospital
(& +66-42/342-555) or the North Eastern Wattana General Hospital
(& +66-1/833-4262), both of which are in Udon Thani about 55km (34 miles) from
the border. Both hospitals have English-speaking staff. For less complex medical
procedures, Nong Khai Wattana Hospital in Nong Khai, Thailand (& +66-1/833-
4262) is also an option.
Within Laos the International Medical Clinic operated by Mahosot Hospital
is situated on the banks of the Mekong on Fa Ngum Road (& 021/214-022; open
24 hr.). The Australian Embassy also operates a modern medical clinic. It is
situated at Km 4 on Thadeua Road in Watnak Village. (& 021/353-840; fax
021/353-841; open Mon–Fri 8:30am–12:30pm and 1:30–5pm). Most doctors and
hospitals in Laos require payment in cash, regardless of whether you have health
insurance. The Australian Embassy Clinic accepts both MasterCard and Visa.
Emergencies For police, dial & 991; for fire, dial & 190; and for an ambulance,
dial & 195. For medical evacuation, call Lao Westcoast Helicopter Company
(& 021/512-023).
Internet Access There are Internet cafes all over the center of town. The ones
we found to have the best speeds and biggest monitors were opposite the Joma
Café on Setthathirath. Beware of using your own thumb drives to save data
though, since virus protection is patchy. Many cafes and restaurants now have
free Wi-Fi. Both Sticky Fingers (p. 225) and Full Moon Café two doors up (p. 224)
have good connections. Full Moon Café functions as a daytime office for many,
largely because of its very comfortable seating; comfortable benches lined with
lots of big cushions. More and more places are installing Wi-Fi and it’s getting
much easier to find a connection in town.
Newspapers & Magazines Laos is still very much Communist and this means
that media is most definitely not free. The Vientiane Times is turgid and fairly
pointless. You can buy the Bangkok Post in some bookshops or find copies to