The Best of Cambodia & Laos

324
FAST FACTS
16
FAST FACTS: LAOS
and Luang Prabang you can get the Bangkok
Post in some bookshops and international
magazines such as Time and
Newsweek.
POLICE In Laos, the police are not your
friends. They are generally surly and corrupt.
The most obvious way to avoid having
contact with them is by not breaking
the law. If you should find yourself having
to deal with them for whatever reason, be
polite but not fearful. If you have something
stolen 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 Lao
speaker with you to aid negotiation.
SMOKING Smoking is banned in many
public places, particularly in Luang Prabang,
where it is forbidden near many of
the famous sites. Smoking is voluntarily
banned in hospitals, educational facilities,
and government buildings.
TAXES Taxes are levied in the form of
VAT. A departure tax of $10 is payable on
leaving the country by air.
TELEPHONES See p. 209 in chapter
10, “Planning Your Trip to Laos.”
TIME ZONES Laos is 7 hours ahead of
Greenwich Mean Time.
TIPPING Tipping is not generally a Lao
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.