Life In Laos A Bit Of Info Required

[PastEgo]

I just spent to nights in Vientiane on a visa run. I've been to a few capital cities in my life but it was pretty laid back and easy going.

Laos people seem totally different that Thai in their treatment of foreigners. Some differences where:

- a lot more smiles, genuine, just from people on the street

- no one hassling you to buy stuff no pushy market stall sellers

- far more friendly when dealing with foreigners, didn't feel like they just wanted the farangs cash

- got absolutely no hassle when i went into bars, no bar girls hassling you at all, fantastic

- foreigners in bars where less crazy, no one saying they are ex SAS!

- amazing amount of foreign restaraunts

- more people seemed to speak english

the prices seemed to be about on par with BKK is this right ?

I am thinking of moving to Vientiane, how much for a modest 2 bed house / apartment cost (rental), whats the sort of monthly bills ?

Also what are import duties like on household goods ? tv/dvd/stereo/computer etc etc ?

If anyone can help out with the info I would appreciate it

thanks

PastEgo

[callao]

I just spent to nights in Vientiane on a visa run. I've been to a few capital cities in my life but it was pretty laid back and easy going.

Laos people seem totally different that Thai in their treatment of foreigners. Some differences where:

- a lot more smiles, genuine, just from people on the street

- no one hassling you to buy stuff no pushy market stall sellers

- far more friendly when dealing with foreigners, didn't feel like they just wanted the farangs cash

- got absolutely no hassle when i went into bars, no bar girls hassling you at all, fantastic

- foreigners in bars where less crazy, no one saying they are ex SAS!

- amazing amount of foreign restaraunts

- more people seemed to speak english

the prices seemed to be about on par with BKK is this right ?

I am thinking of moving to Vientiane, how much for a modest 2 bed house / apartment cost (rental), whats the sort of monthly bills ?

Also what are import duties like on household goods ? tv/dvd/stereo/computer etc etc ?

If anyone can help out with the info I would appreciate it

thanks

PastEgo

I've been spending some time in Vientiane over the last few years, it reminds me of thailand 20 years ago but is changing as we speak, yearly visas are basically monthly visas times 12 so for me thats $420 a year, a house will be $400 -800 a month unless you know some one, cable TV is available all around Vientiane now, I think it was $120 at hookup and that is for the year, japanese TVs and appliances are now available too, it;s hard to own a vehicle in your name, english is spoken around the big citys but not anywhere else really if you know some Thai that will help, Lao is the same as Isaan thai, and yes Lao people are for the most part far friendlier and much less crime and scamming there, and Vientianne has got to be much cheaper that Bangkok, but some of the same things happen there too like being pulled over by traffic cops just because your a falang and having to pay 50000 kip to go, overpricing when you go to a store to buy something, you are not allowed to live with a Lao girl unless your married, but really mellow nice place and cooler than BKK there are good resturants and bars and activitys to do, part of the 2010 ASEAN games is there building a new golf course there that looks nice 2 other courses and 1 at Dansavahn, Vang Vieng is close, but everything is a little behind the times, Bangkok is MUCH more modern than Vientiane, but thats what I like about it, there a couple websites that advertise housing or the vientiane times has listings, it is easier to live there if you have Lao firnds to help you with things, good luck, I'll be back in a month, callao

[technocracy]

the prices seemed to be about on par with BKK is this right ?

Not at all. If you stay around the central area then you CAN pay similar prices to Bangkok especially if you want falang food.

I am thinking of moving to Vientiane, how much for a modest 2 bed house / apartment cost (rental), whats the sort of monthly bills ?

Rental - depends on how central and if you're on a sealed road. But anywhere between $300 - $750. In terms of monthly bills again depends on aircon estimate about $30-$40 per month for heavy usage. Water is very cheap about $1 per month!

Also what are import duties like on household goods ? tv/dvd/stereo/computer etc etc ?

Never taken a car load over but sent plenty via air freight to the airport and as long as they are marked/declare as personal belongings you shouldn't have an issue. Otherwise just put them out of site in the car

PastEgo

There is a few ex-SAS crowd around!

As for visas a 12 month multiple entry visa available if you know the right people!

Police wise - I've been stop once in about 12 months and he tried it on because I didn't have my license with me but had a my UK photocard license. He tried for money but I just said you take my license and give me a receipt and I'll go to the main office to pay the fine - of course he didn't have receipt and sent me on my way. Speaking the language in this kind of situations obviously helps.

I agree with what Callao have post above however Lao isn't the same as Issan - maybe many years back it was but it isn't now. I speak Lao I cannot speak Thai and travelling anywhere beyond Nong Khai I don't understand what is being spoken. Although that said 99% of Lao will understand Thai.

[abdulrahman]

Rental - depends on how central and if you're on a sealed road. But anywhere between $300 - $750.

Don't know whom to attribute the

.

But a rent of 2,5 to over 6 million Kip,that I find a little steep,even for Vientiane!

Correct me,please,if I'm wrong.

[PastEgo]

thanks for the info, rental prices seem extremly steep a friend of mine in BKK is renting a 2 bed house just of Suk for 10K baht and it is a nice house in a quiet soi just of the

main tourist area 2 minutes walk to the shops/bars etc

for quoted prices of $400-800 i would expect something pretty good !!!!

how much is cost of living up there ? monthly bills etc ?

thanks again for all the info posted

[callao]

thanks for the info, rental prices seem extremly steep a friend of mine in BKK is renting a 2 bed house just of Suk for 10K baht and it is a nice house in a quiet soi just of the

main tourist area 2 minutes walk to the shops/bars etc

for quoted prices of $400-800 i would expect something pretty good !!!!

how much is cost of living up there ? monthly bills etc ?

thanks again for all the info posted

on the other end of that my friend stayed at a upstairs downstairs sorta duplex when he first got there and only paided $110 a month, but thru his girlfriends family so cheap housing is pretty much word to mouth as in you'd have to stay somewhere thats available till you could find something cheaper or get a better deal and letting people know you're looking (lao people) and majority of lao homes will have squat toilet and cold water shower, so one with western facilitys cost more not many kitchens either

[torrenova]

Of course things can get really screwed up there as Kay Danes and her husband Kerry found out.

Not a bad read her book about the time spend there. Doesn't make anyone want to up sticks and go live there. Then again, neither does that "can't live with a Lao women if not married" rubbish. See another guy who lives there who stated some time ago that the Lao BiB came knocking at his front door and wanted to see his marriage certificate ! Way to go brother ! What a backward place.

http://www.dcothai.com/product_info.php?cP...products_id=971

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_and_Kay_Danes

[Birgit]

Rents have increased a lot in last 2 years. $350 will get you a modest 2/3 bedroom house with kitchen and bathroom. It will not be new. Anything less than $350 will be Lao style. A new 1 bedroom apartment will cost $400. Property prices and rents are at least twice that over the border in Nong Khai. Food and liquor is cheap.

[abdulrahman]

Strange. Have the impression that a lot of Visarunners pontificate about life in the P.D.R.

Don't refer to you,Techno,of course!

[PastEgo]

what are the property laws in lao like

can a foreigner buy a house ? condo ? land ?

[technocracy]

Of course things can get really screwed up there as Kay Danes and her husband Kerry found out.

Not a bad read her book about the time spend there. Doesn't make anyone want to up sticks and go live there. Then again, neither does that "can't live with a Lao women if not married" rubbish. See another guy who lives there who stated some time ago that the Lao BiB came knocking at his front door and wanted to see his marriage certificate ! Way to go brother ! What a backward place.

http://www.dcothai.com/product_info.php?cP...products_id=971

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_and_Kay_Danes

Ahh those wonderful pair of con artists. Things got rough because they played games with the government and tried to smuggle a large bag full of 'acquired' money out of the country and got caught. If you play with fire you're gonna get burned.

Funny how when they were actually released from prison on the behest of a lot of work by the Oz Embassy and placed under house arrest after agreeing to pay the Lao government compensation . . . they jumped the country and started making accusations from Oz, never paid compensation and caused major diplomatic unrest between Oz and Laos. I rather stick hot skews in my testicle than put money in her pocket by buying her book.

If you live in country you accept the laws - I've had the immigration folks turning up on my doorstep asking for marriage documents a couple of times. But as I am married I don't care.

In terms of rental etc I am probably the worst person to ask since I've never rented anywhere here! As for foreign ownership laws .. .. much the same as Thailand I believe . . . again not something I've really investigated as I have no need.

[PastEgo]

no judgement on my part here but i read that in lao you cannot own land - not even lao nationals

as the state owns all land

i do not understand this do you lease land from the state ? rent it ?

[zzaa09]

Yep. Think Thailand 35-40 years ago = Laos.

[PastEgo]

i was not here 35-40 years ago

so how does it work you buy a lease for x number of years of the state build a house etc can a foreigner buy a lease

how long can you buy a lease for

work permits from what i have seen seem to be easier to aquire any and all info gratefully received

thanks

PastEgo

[abdulrahman]

i was not here 35-40 years ago

so how does it work you buy a lease for x number of years of the state build a house etc can a foreigner buy a lease

how long can you buy a lease for

work permits from what i have seen seem to be easier to aquire any and all info gratefully received

thanks

PastEgo

Am not really an expert on land ownership,but can assure you that Lao nationals CAN buy land,build a house,a.s.f..Steep prices,in and around Vientiane,by the way!Much more expensive as your Isaan Tambon.

For non citizen it wIll surely be more difficult or impossible,as in Thailand.BUT big chinese Companies are buying up a lot of land,lately.

Work permits are easier(not cheaper) as in Thailand,and less hassle too.Bureaucracy,bribes,you name it.

[wintermute]

Of course things can get really screwed up there as Kay Danes and her husband Kerry found out.

Not a bad read her book about the time spend there. Doesn't make anyone want to up sticks and go live there. Then again, neither does that "can't live with a Lao women if not married" rubbish. See another guy who lives there who stated some time ago that the Lao BiB came knocking at his front door and wanted to see his marriage certificate ! Way to go brother ! What a backward place.

http://www.dcothai.com/product_info.php?cP...products_id=971

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_and_Kay_Danes

Are we supposed to feel sympathy or something for these two? They were operating as a front for a criminal money laundering enterprise.

[simon43]

What's the situation/laws for Thai nationals living in Laos?

My Thai GF and I are currently researching building a small hotel/guesthouse - (I previously built a successful guesthouse in Phuket).

In my GF's own words ' I'm worried about building a hotel in Thailand because the country is going to the dogs'!

Personally, I like Laos very much, but I do need to investigate company law etc re buying/leasing land. We need to understand if Thai citizens get any advantages over 'farang' hen living and working in Laos.

Simon

[technocracy]

Righty one thing here - about the land prices in Vientiane - this comparing it to a nowhere town in NE Thailand and saying it's expensive is just bizarre. Like me saying London is expensive compared to Abroath in Scotland! Vientiane is the Capital of Laos like it or not but capitals are more expensive to live in than the rest of the country. If you go to a nowhere town in the midst of Laos I can guarantee it will be far cheaper that the similar place in Thailand.

Compare Vientiane to Bangkok or even Chiang Mai and then you come up with the answers you are looking for! The land in central Vientiane is selling at way over $200 per sq m these days - the Morning Market will be complete unrecognisable to a few year back by the end of the year. The Chinese are developing all around the SEA Games ground, a new international Airport capable of receiving widebody planes is in the works by a Korean company and add to that the entire riverside by the Mekong is being regenerated and complete with condos right by the mekong.

Sure as things stand Vientiane isn't hugely modern however it's advancing very quickly - it's gone through major changes in the past 5 years in another 5 I expect the place to be nearly unrecognisible to when I first arrived.

Anyway you look at it the land is probably amongst the cheapest in the entirety of SE Asia capitals. $350 per month for a 2 bedroom house ain't in anyway extreme in my opinion, I know modern condos here complete with cable and internet cost will set you back around $700 pcm. The problem in terms of the pricing is that the rental market is very small so prices are premium and particularly not helped by the fact that most are rented by gormless NGOs who just pay what is asked! I know of several people who just develop small condo blocks purely for the NGO/falang market and hence the prices are in the NGO range.

But I'll stop there because I might just end up going off into another rant about parasitic NGO tossers.

[PastEgo]

i hate ngo's and also particularly missionaries

my brother used to visit cambodia (he was gathering info for a book he is writing) and came accross a a female ngo who accused him of being a sex tourist

he just couldn't believe it, he's only in his mid 30s, married to a gorgeous korean lady who was with him

[technocracy]

i hate ngo's and also particularly missionaries

my brother used to visit cambodia (he was gathering info for a book he is writing) and came accross a a female ngo who accused him of being a sex tourist

he just couldn't believe it, he's only in his mid 30s, married to a gorgeous korean lady who was with him

Why does that not surprise me in the slightest - they are a bunch of self egotistical <deleted> whose only meaning in life is to look down on anyone around them. The number of stories I've heard ranging from the comparing to which 5 star hotel they are stopping in on there next trip or the I only travel in cars with aircon preferrably LandCruisers comments . . . AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHH wanke_rs!

For all grand shows that all the seemingly millions of NGOs put up here in Laos about helping the poor - well actually I know for a fact that the several major corporation that are operating here put more money into assisting the communities that any NGO.

However they do write some big thick reports stating the bloody obvious!

oops . . . I restrained my in the previous post . . . but now you've started me!

[PastEgo]

hey no problem next time in lao i'll buy you a beer