The Best of Cambodia & Laos

322 postcard to the U.S., and 300 riel to send
a letter.
NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES Two
English-language dailies are available. The
Cambodia Daily carries plenty of local and
national news and contains good analysis.
The Phnom Penh Post, which for many
years ran as a biweekly, has now been
relaunched as a daily. The Bangkok Post is
also widely available. Locally produced
magazines come and go in Cambodia. The
best of the bunch at present is the Southeast
Asia Globe. Bookshops stock a range of
foreign and international magazines.
PASSPORTS See www.frommers.com/
planning for information on how to
obtain a passport.
POLICE In Cambodia, the police are
not your friends. They are generally corrupt,
so stay out of their way if possible.
16 The ones you are most likely to come in
contact with are traffic police. The bribes
will start high, but $5 is the maximum you
should pay for an infraction either real or
invented. If you have something stolen
FAST FACTS
FAST FACTS: LAOS
AREA CODES The international dialing
code for Laos is 856. Area codes are
listed in the “Fast Facts” sections of specific
cities.
BUSINESS HOURS As with so many
things in Laos, the definition of business
hours is relaxed. Government offices open
at 8am and close for lunch at noon,
reopening at 1pm and closing at 5pm.
Some offices also open on a Saturday
morning. Banks tend to be open from
8:30am to 3pm from Monday to Friday,
though this varies. Restaurants vary but
tend to close by 11pm. Shops also vary but
tend to open at 9am and close between 5
and 7pm. Even in Vientiane, everything
(except a few nightclubs) is closed by midnight.
2 FAST FACTS: LAOS
and need a police report for insurance
purposes, you may find that the police will
attempt to extract a “fee” for their services.
If you can, bring a Khmer speaker with
you to aid negotiation.
SMOKING Smoking is unregulated in
Cambodia and remains very popular.
TAXES Taxes are levied in the form of
VAT. A departure tax of $25 is payable on
leaving the country by air.
TELEPHONES See p. 48 in chapter 3,
“Planning Your Trip to Cambodia.”
TIME Cambodia is 7 hours ahead of
Greenwich Mean Time.
TIPPING Tipping is not generally a
Cambodian custom but is appreciated in
some tourist areas. Check that service is
not already included. Tipping 10% of the
bill is more than acceptable.
WATER Do not drink the water or
brush your teeth with it. Bottled water is
freely available. Make sure the bottle is
properly sealed on purchase.
DRINKING & DRUG LAWS Regulations
on drinking are not enforced and
alcohol is widely available. Penalties for
driving under the influence are severe.
Drug laws are extremely harsh, especially
trafficking narcotics, which is punishable
by death.
ELECTRICITY The electrical system in
Laos is 220 volts AC. Two-pin flat plugs
are the usual. The electricity can often be
cut without warning. It’s a good idea to
carry a flashlight, especially in more
remote places.
EMBASSIES & CONSULATES The
United States Embassy is located at 19
Thatdam Bartholonie Rd., Ban Thatdam,
Vientiane (& 021/267-000).