The Best of Cambodia & Laos

There is no Canadian Embassy in Laos.
Use the Australian Embassy or contact the
Canadian Embassy in Thailand (15th
Floor, Abdulrahim Place, 990 Rama IV
Rd., Bangrak, Bangkok, 10500, Thailand;
& +66 (0)2/636-0540; fax +66 (0)2/636-
0566).
The embassy of Australia is at Nehru
Street, Wat Phonsay area, Vientiane
(& 021/413-6000; www.laos.embassy.
gov.au).
There is no Irish Embassy in Laos. Use
the Swedish Embassy (Sokpaluang Rd.,
Wat Nak, Vientiane; & 021/315-003).
There is no New Zealand Embassy in
Laos. Use the Australian Embassy or contact
the New Zealand Embassy in Thailand
(M Thai Tower, 14th Floor, All
Seasons Place, 87 Wireless Rd., Lumpini,
Bangkok 10330, Thailand; & +66
[0]2/254-2530; emergency after-hours
duty officer: +66 [0]81/837-7240).
There is no embassy of the United
Kingdom in Laos. Use the Australian
Embassy or contact the U.K. Embassy in
Thailand (14 Wireless Road, Lumpini,
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330; & +66
[0]2/305-8333; www.ukinthailand.fco.
gov.uk).
HOSPITALS Medical facilities in Laos
are very basic. 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 out of 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.
INSURANCE For information on traveler’s
insurance, trip-cancellation insurance,
and medical insurance while
traveling, visit www.frommers.com/
planning.
LANGUAGE Lao is the official language.
Some English is spoken in towns,
but you will help yourself if you learn a
few words of the local language. A few
older people speak French. See chapter 17
for a glossary of Lao terms.
MAIL The mail system is not very reliable
in Laos. If you can, you are better off
mailing from Thailand. Outgoing mail
takes 10 to 15 days to reach Europe or
America. When posting a parcel, you must
leave it open for a Customs inspection.
There is an Express Mail service to most
Western countries, which is faster than
standard mail and also automatically registers
your letter. Both DHL and FedEx
have offices in Vientiane. Post offices tend
to be open 5 days a week between 8am
and noon and 1 and 4pm. You can recognize
them by their mustard-colored signs.
It costs 30¢ to send a postcard to the U.S.,
and just under $1 to send a letter.
NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES The
only English-language newspaper in Laos
is the Vientiane Times. It is a little low on
substantive news, since media is under
tight government control. In Vientiane
323
FAST FACTS FAST FACTS: LAOS
16