Does anyone know about Lao work visa and the Lao “anti-girlfriend” law?

[BananaBandit]

( I think I previously posted this in the wrong section.)

 

I have to admit: I kinda like Laos.

 

Is it correct that all you have to do to stay in Laos for a year straight is to pay 500 USD for a work visa ?     ( By the way, would this work visa be multiple-entry ? Because I might have to go to Thailand on occasion. )

 

Is there a particular link that says how to go about obtaining a $500 USD Lao work visa ? 

 

Of course, one big concern I have about Laos involves the reported illegality of a farlang having a Lao girlfriend....This law is still on the books, correct ? How often is it currently enforced ? 

 

What is the typical amount fined if you do get caught with a Lao girlfriend ?

 

In the event that some officer tries to make me pay fine, and I say NO....What happens? Jail ? Deportation ? Slapped around a bit ?
 
As a side question:

 

I assume there is no problem with, say, having a Vietnamese girlfriend in Laos, correct ?
 

[BurgerGung]

This is news to me. Regrettably, I haven't been propositioned yet when in Laos ???? 

[Snikrep]

The $500 visa you refer to is the price paid to "fixers" who buy unused visas from legitimate companies and sell them to foreigners, they are not lagit but used extensively. They are multi entry (in normal times) and are called SB-2. As to the law regarding cohabiting with a Lao girl, you will be fined $500 if caught, however the police can only enter a G/H if invited by the owner/manager. This law is only true for Lao citizens and not for other nationalities. It is also the Law for Lao citizens as well all though the fines are less.

 

[bbi1]

On 1/2/2022 at 10:40 PM, Snikrep said:

As to the law regarding cohabiting with a Lao girl, you will be fined $500 if caught, however the police can only enter a G/H if invited by the owner/manager. This law is only true for Lao citizens and not for other nationalities. It is also the Law for Lao citizens as well all though the fines are less.

 

Is this something that happens very often in Laos? Foreigners getting caught and having to pay fines? Do the owners of the hotels or neighbours often dob in the foreigners?

[simon43]

On 1/15/2023 at 2:56 PM, bbi1 said:

Is this something that happens very often in Laos? Foreigners getting caught and having to pay fines? Do the owners of the hotels or neighbours often dob in the foreigners?

Whilst living in Luang Prabang in 2021, my house was 'raided' on 3 separate occasions by the local police (8 officers each time) where they grilled me as to whether there was a Lao woman/girlfriend in my house. There was (and never had been) either of these....

 

Personally, I suspected that it was a pretext just to hassle me, and I departed from Laos in late 2021 when Covid rules allowed me to do so.

[Mac Mickmanus]

29 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Whilst living in Luang Prabang in 2021, my house was 'raided' on 3 separate occasions by the local police (8 officers each time) where they grilled me as to whether there was a Lao woman/girlfriend in my house. There was (and never had been) either of these....

 

Personally, I suspected that it was a pretext just to hassle me, and I departed from Laos in late 2021 when Covid rules allowed me to do so.

Wasn't the problem that you had numerous  large antennas on your property ?

[simon43]

8 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Wasn't the problem that you had numerous  large antennas on your property ?

That would seem to be the true reason ????.  But had they discovered that I was living with a Lao woman, I'm sure the police would not have ignored this situation. Too risky IMHO to shack up with a Lao woman if you are not married to her.

[BritManToo]

On 1/15/2023 at 2:56 PM, bbi1 said:

Is this something that happens very often in Laos? Foreigners getting caught and having to pay fines? Do the owners of the hotels or neighbours often dob in the foreigners?

No need, Laos still have a 'secret police' that follow foreigners around.

One of the last and fiercest 'commie' holdouts.

[bbi1]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

No need, Laos still have a 'secret police' that follow foreigners around.

One of the last and fiercest 'commie' holdouts.

What is this "secret police"?

[simon43]

On 1/18/2023 at 6:59 AM, BritManToo said:

No need, Laos still have a 'secret police' that follow foreigners around.

One of the last and fiercest 'commie' holdouts.

Add Myanmar to that list ????  When I first started visiting Myanmar around 2003, any Burmese who spoke to me had to then report our conversation at the local police station.  Friendly men in plain clothes would stop me in the street and ask who I had spoken with.

 

When I lived in Naypyitaw in 2017-2020 (ish), the police would follow my bicycle at a discrete distance as I cycled home from work....

[JayClay]

22 hours ago, bbi1 said:

What is this "secret police"?

We can't tell you ????

[FritsSikkink]

On 1/18/2023 at 10:58 AM, bbi1 said:

What is this "secret police"?

That is a secret.

[Highlandman]

On 1/18/2023 at 6:59 AM, BritManToo said:

No need, Laos still have a 'secret police' that follow foreigners around.

One of the last and fiercest 'commie' holdouts.

Really? As a short term tourist or business traveler, mostly driving around the country in my own car, I've never noticed this. Now, things do change and I'm sure it was common 20 years ago, but now??

 

Different if you're living there I suppose.

[Highlandman]

On 1/19/2023 at 9:41 AM, simon43 said:

Add Myanmar to that list ????  When I first started visiting Myanmar around 2003, any Burmese who spoke to me had to then report our conversation at the local police station.  Friendly men in plain clothes would stop me in the street and ask who I had spoken with.

 

When I lived in Naypyitaw in 2017-2020 (ish), the police would follow my bicycle at a discrete distance as I cycled home from work....

Yes, I noticed this in Myanmar (Yangon) when I visited for the first time in mid 2004. Had an older man follow me briefly, asked him what the particular well guarded building that I had just passed was. 

 

He said he'll tell me later, then asked for my pen and the copy of the Bangkok Post I received on the plane earlier that morning. We went to a tea shop for a chat and I happily gave him those two items. Made his day! 

 

In 2013 and early 2015, I was fortunate to visit Muse, the Chinese border town. Security was intense and my colleague and I were required to check in at the Mile 105 checkpoint and again in town, at immigration next to the Chinese border despite also providing our passports to our hotel for registration. We had to check in twice; upon entry and again upon exit. 

 

Immigration in town was OK, but customs at the actual border (which we didn't cross and wouldn't have been able to cross without a permit anyway) was sensitive about photo taking and forced me to delete a picture of a truck I took. Yet my colleagues on the Chinese side, just meters away were freely able to take pictures taken of the Burmese side (obviously, the Burmese have no jurisdiction there). 

 

Myanmar (Burma) definitely has this police state/surveillance vibe and this is particularly so in sensitive border areas. 

 

I know that these things are still there in Laos to an extent too, but I thought they were fast becoming a relic of the past as Lao is modernizing.

[daejung]

On 7/26/2019 at 3:23 PM, BananaBandit said:

Of course, one big concern I have about Laos involves the reported illegality of a farlang having a Lao girlfriend....This law is still on the books, correct ? How often is it currently enforced ? 

Hello,

On french foreign affairs website abour advice to travellers I was very surprised the warning about this.
Translated from french :

Quote

Relations outside of marriage with a Laotian are not permitted under penalty of confiscation of the passport, a fine (minimum $1,000) and a prison sentence.

Conseils aux voyageurs

 

I also wondered about it, since I am planning to go to Laos from Thailand with a Lao friend

[grain]

I know several farang guys living in Lao with Lao a gf/defacto wife, they don't have any hassles and even get accompanied by their Lao gf when they go to immigration for extensions. I believe the law is an old one that was strictly enforced in the past but is now dormant. Mind you if some foreign guy was really flaunting it no doubt he'd get reported and the authorities would act upon this law, but if you're behaving in a decent and socially acceptable way you're ok. That's how I see it anyway.