|
Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
I'm not sure I would consider myself an expert on Vientiane--I lived there for a month and just moved back to stay for a while. Other than a few places in Thailand, I haven't traveled extensively throughout SE Asia, so I can't compare it to other places in the region. I haven't been anywhere else in Laos, but hopefully that will change soon. To start off the discussion, here's a brief list of the pros and cons of Vientiane:
Pros Hot falang-loving women Cheap booze Safe if you aren't a [censored] Wide variety of cheap and tasty food Friendly people No "damn falang" attitude like Thailand English is widely spoken Cons Limited freedoms and rights 90% of the city is shut down by 9:00 Except for 2 or 3 places, bars close at 11:30 Poor medical care [censored] tuk-tuks Sexing Laotians is illegal (though rarely enforced) Internet is expensive and/or unreliable and/or slow To give you an idea of the cost of living, here's what random things cost in US dollars: Small bottle of water--$.20 Large beer in a bar or restaurant--$1 Fifth of Jameson in a store--$16 Meal in a local place--$1 Meal in a western-oriented place--$3-4 Meal at nicest place in town--$10 an entre Personal Trainer--$5/hr So ask away and I'll answer as best I can or talk to someone who knows what's up. I don't have internet at the place I'm staying at right now, so it may take a little while to respond to questions. |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
Why did you go? I'll keep my assumptions to myself for now.
|
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
[ QUOTE ]
Why did you go? I'll keep my assumptions to myself for now. [/ QUOTE ] I came for a brief holiday/Thai visa run, ended up loving it, and stayed for a month. I then spent a month in Bangkok, didn't care for it, and came back. |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
Thanks for doing this [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
My questions: how is the climate and how bad is pollution? what do you pay for rent? what kind of activities are available (like golf, tennis ...)? what are the visa regulations? |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
[ QUOTE ]
how is the climate and how bad is pollution? [/ QUOTE ] The climate is tropical, very similar to Thailand. Right now it is HOT. The heat in Thailand never really bothered me, but here it seems like I'm drenched in sweat after walking a couple blocks. Maybe I should start wearing shorts. It should cool off soon, though. Supposedly this is the rainy season, but it's been dry for few days I've been here. There's not much air pollution because there isn't much traffic here. Vientiane is a very open city and there are plenty of trees. [ QUOTE ] what do you pay for rent? [/ QUOTE ] When I stayed here last time I worked out a long-term deal at a decent hotel (air conditioning, fridge, double bed) for $55/week and I'm doing a similar deal right now. I want to find a house or apartment in the near future. I should be able to find something nice in a central location for $200-300. I could pay more but I don't need 3 bedrooms or anything. [ QUOTE ] what kind of activities are available (like golf, tennis ...)? [/ QUOTE ] There are a couple golf courses in the area. I'm not really a golfer so I can't comment on how they are. I hear there's a bowling alley in town. I've seen badminton, squash, and volley ball. I'm pretty sure you would die if you tried to play tennis in this heat. I've played a couple times when it was over 90 degrees and it wasn't a pleasant experience. There's an expat rugby team called the Vientiane Buffaloes. I'm a little undersized to play rugby plus I don't know many of the rules, so I don't think I'll be joining the team. [ QUOTE ] what are the visa regulations? [/ QUOTE ] 30-day visa on arrival for about $35. This can be extended for (I think) 15 days in Laos. If you want to stay longer you need to leave the country and reenter. |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
When I was typing the above, two ladyboys approached me and asked if I were interested in doing commercials for Lao TV. They gave me a card and took my email so there's a pretty good chance they're legit.
|
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
[ QUOTE ]
When I was typing the above, two ladyboys approached me and asked if I were interested in doing commercials for Lao TV. They gave me a card and took my email so there's a pretty good chance they're legit. [/ QUOTE ] For some reason "legit" and "ladyboy" in the same sentence give me headaches |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
Pics of
[ QUOTE ] Hot falang-loving women [/ QUOTE ] plzktx |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
"No "damn falang" attitude like Thailand"
I've never heard this before...could you elaborate? |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
[ QUOTE ]
"No "damn falang" attitude like Thailand" I've never heard this before...could you elaborate? [/ QUOTE ] Predominate mainly in Bankok. The last few years have seen a small but noticable angry nature for some lower class Thais resulting in some outward hostility towards farangs. Of course for Thais, any outward hostility is V bad/major loss of face, so the expression of the hostility is more like an angry look or word rather than violence one might find in other countries. But, from most reports of said instances, it's mainly restricted to BKK and lower class Thais. In 4mos, I haven't seen even one instance of it on Phuket Island. |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
[ QUOTE ]
Pics of [ QUOTE ] Hot falang-loving women [/ QUOTE ] plzktx [/ QUOTE ] SE Asian women don't photograph well (i.e. they're much hotter in person) but I'll try and track some down. I've seen a number of formal portraits where the girls are wearing a silk skirt and silk top that leaves their shoulders and stomach exposed. I think this is the hottest thing ever. I tried doing a google image search but I'm not sure what it's called or what to search for. |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
|
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
[ QUOTE ]
Cons Limited freedoms and rights... [/ QUOTE ] Can you expand on this plz? |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] Cons Limited freedoms and rights... [/ QUOTE ] Can you expand on this plz? [/ QUOTE ] There's no freedom of speech, a one-party system, corruption, etc. They're very laid-back about it, though, and you can generally do what you want other than demand your right to do what you want. If they wanted to, the cops could arrest you for some BS reason to extort money from you and it's not like there's an ACLU you can call. The only English-language newspaper is owned by the government and is frequently hilarious. Rice farming looks awesome! The Bangkok Post is available so it's not like North Korea or anything. Web censorship is about the same as Thailand. I tried to find some quotes from organizations like Freedom House, but the sites were all blocked. I don't know what it's like outside of Vientiane other than Luang Prabang has a midnight curfew. |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
[ QUOTE ]
Sexing Laotians is illegal (though rarely enforced) [/ QUOTE ] This alone sways me to thailand haha. seriously though, has it ever been a problem? kind of negates the whole "falang loving women" thing. |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
A pinhole in the rainsuit could be lethal?
Thank you, Jim Kuhn Catfish4u [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] Sexing Laotians is illegal (though rarely enforced) [/ QUOTE ] This alone sways me to thailand haha. seriously though, has it ever been a problem? kind of negates the whole "falang loving women" thing. [/ QUOTE ] From what I understand, this mainly happens in two situations. The first is if you're living with your Lao gf/bf/fiance in a more rural area and local officials find out about it, they may view it as a chance to make some easy money. In the second case, if you're dating a girl from a poor family, you're expected to help them out financially. This is just their culture, it's not a "let's extract money from wealthy foreigners" scheme. It would be the same if they were dating a well-off Lao guy. If you don't do this, the family might decide to make trouble for you by alerting local authorities. If this were common, there would be all kinds of warnings and stories about this at the many Thai expat sites. At the very worst, you have to pay a $500 fine. Plus it makes sex more exciting. |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
Ugh, every internet cafe is crammed with backpackers using all the bandwidth and it's impossible to play poker. Seriously, why are all these people coming to SE Asia and just sitting in front of a computer all day?
|
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
[ QUOTE ]
Ugh, every internet cafe is crammed with backpackers using all the bandwidth and it's impossible to play poker. Seriously, why are all these people coming to SE Asia and just sitting in front of a computer all day? [/ QUOTE ] Each time I see a backpacker with his huge backpack in an internet cafe i feel like picking up a fight. I can't stand those morons. |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
Ofdabeat, u have a real hate for these backpackers huh?
Anyway, Not sure if ur a pot smoking, but whats the deal with marijuana there? Is it too sketchy to even try and look for it? I live in China, and have no problems at all. Usually around the nice hotels there are always Nigerians selling bud and hash, but that is too sketchy for me. I have a local Chinese friend which always comes through for me but lately have been getting this very crumbly hash. Anyways here, even though the reputation of "China and drugs will get you killed", there are many bars where all you smell is the beautiful smell of hash and bud. Seems completely ignored and okay to smoke pot in many of the bars. How is it where u r? |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
I don't smoke pot anymore, but have talked to a lot of people who do and frequently see kids who are obviously blazed. The worst you have to fear is paying a fine of a couple hundred dollars. Finding pot isn't a problem. Every tuk-tuk driver (and there are a lot) will offer to sell you some. Some are apparently operating with cops though, so your best bet would be to find a local or backbacker with a connection. Despite some government crackdowns, opium is still widely available and is not considered too big of a deal. Unfortunately there are no longer opium dens in Vientiane, but some are apparently still operating in the countryside.
So far the hardest drug I've done is Xanax (which I don't even enjoy that much) but I'm going to see if adderall, vicodin, etc. are available just by walking into a pharmacy. I plan on getting some opium if I can find a reputable source. It was fun the few times it was around in college. |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
check out vangviang and luang prabang if u havn't.
Can you describe a standard day for you in Vientienne? |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
Standard day I wake up in the late morning, shower, and get a $1 breakfast at a local place. I then head to local Starbucks-like place (there are no Western chains in Vientiane) where I buy overpriced coffee and overpriced wi-fi access. With a break for lunch, I'll play until 4 or 5 when the games start getting bad.
Right now I'm playing on FTP but am looking into setting up a local bank account in dollars, playing on Party again, etc. The government blocks some sites but I know that FT and Stars work. After this I call some friends and try to figure out my plans for the night. This usually involves going out to a bar or club. At this point I'll have a few hours to myself so I might get a massage, watch a movie, or even drink some absinthe while watching the sun set on the Mekong. Sometimes I'll play a second poker session from 8-10 or 11. Usually for dinner I'll "splurge" and get some Indian, Chinese, Italian, French, or other foreign food. Hell, there's even a falafel stand. People start partying early here because every bar and club officially has to close at around 11. There are a few that stay open later (obviously there's some money passed around) and other late-night options include a few illegal afterhours places, local restaurants in the suburbs, or the surprisingly less common house party. I'm trying to get some cash saved up before I do any more traveling but I really want to check out Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang. |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
I stayed in Vientiane for a couple of nights. I found it a very boring city. for a couple days its ok but not for long time. Laos is a place for people whove seen it all and just want to stay at a quite place. I cant say too much about the girls because I stayed with my gitlfriend at Laos.
|
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
Any live poker action?
|
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
[ QUOTE ]
I stayed in Vientiane for a couple of nights. I found it a very boring city. for a couple days its ok but not for long time. [/ QUOTE ] It seems that way at first. If you're into sightseeing, Vientiane is the wrong city for you. You can see all the major "attractions" in half a day. It's more the atmosphere that appeals to me. It can seem boring until you meet some locals and find out about the bars open late and interesting spots for nightlife. Vientiane isn't a huge metropolis like Bangkok or NY, but it's probably bigger than you realize. There's a downtown area of a few scare blocks that most tourists never leave. There are a lot of other cool areas like Chinatown, where I'm currently staying. Vientiane is a very polarizing city--people either love it or hate it. If you ever come back, shoot me PM and I'll show you around for a night or two. You may not love it, but I guarantee you'll leave with a better impression. |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
[ QUOTE ]
Any live poker action? [/ QUOTE ] I'm sure I could find a game if I poked around a bit, but I'd be afraid to play for any meaningful stakes. This is because the only people with this kind of money are[*]expats, some of whom have very shady pasts [*]mafia types [*]high-level government officials I think the risk of being cheated, physically harmed, or someone flat-out refusing to pay is really high. I heard a telling anecdote about the one casino here (no poker). Some army colonel or general was playing the asian equivalent of blackjack and demanded the dealer give him a new hand. The dealer, of course complied without hesitation. |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] Cons Limited freedoms and rights... [/ QUOTE ] Can you expand on this plz? [/ QUOTE ] There's no freedom of speech, a one-party system, corruption, etc. They're very laid-back about it, though, and you can generally do what you want other than demand your right to do what you want. If they wanted to, the cops could arrest you for some BS reason to extort money from you and it's not like there's an ACLU you can call. The only English-language newspaper is owned by the government and is frequently hilarious. Rice farming looks awesome! The Bangkok Post is available so it's not like North Korea or anything. Web censorship is about the same as Thailand. I tried to find some quotes from organizations like Freedom House, but the sites were all blocked. I don't know what it's like outside of Vientiane other than Luang Prabang has a midnight curfew. [/ QUOTE ] Luang Prabang has a midnight curfew? Weird... I don't remember that at all... I loved Vientiene and wished I could have stayed longer. Nothing like a Beer Laos (dark) and a crunchy bagette to start the day. |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
I+m in my apartment in Vientiane now. Moved in yesterday.
Its good. |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
So did you move over with friends? Or have you since made friends with people you've met whilst being there? How easy is it to get to know people and settle in mantaining a reasonable social life?
|
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
[ QUOTE ]
So did you move over with friends? Or have you since made friends with people you've met whilst being there? How easy is it to get to know people and settle in mantaining a reasonable social life? [/ QUOTE ] I came here by myself, originally for a visa run. I would guess that the average person stays in the city for 2-3 days so other expats are always eager to meet long-term residents. The Lao people are incredibly welcoming and friendly so once you meet one, you'll instantly know a lot of people. My friends range from bargirls to doctors to embassy officials. |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
Generally its easy to get to know people as they are easy-going and unless they hate you they will nearly always include you in their circle.
Also many Lao people love gambling, many different cardgames are played all the time. I play (small stakes) variations of chinese poker and Big 2 almost everyday with local people.. The money is always kept in the pockets or under the table though, in case any wandering officials should feel like claiming their share. Anyway, I was just gonna give u guys some links since it can be a pain to find good internet resources on Lao. Also. maybe I can answer some things. ive spent altogether maybe 6-8 months here. But im a heavy weedsmoker so details may be hazy. Btw, about internet, right now im in my new apartment and surfing through GPRS,EDGE on my mobile phone, with a prepaid sim card. Im soon gonna get a wireless connection, they have a huge antenna on top of a big hotel here, that transmits wireless broadband in vientiane. its like 50 bucks a month. http://www.retire-asia.com/ - Alot of nice info, i like these especially> http://www.retire-asia.com/laovientiane.shtml http://www.retire-asia.com/lao-heart-culture.shtml http://www.retire-asia.com/culturechange.shtml www.laohub.com , www.laosmile.com - communities for lao youth, mainly in english language. also laoconnection.com. http://www.seasite.niu.edu/lao/LaoLa...anguage_fp.htm //excellent and comprehensive free lao language course. check it. |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
Roamer, it's $50/month for 1gb total upload and download. Unlimited plans are ridiculously expensive. I've heard that it's very fast and very reliable so I'm going to use it for poker and a separate DSL connection for everything else. If you see someone 8-tabling on a 17" Dell somewhere stop in and say hi.
|
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
Thanks for the links. What are some of your favorite restaurants and places to go outside of the Chinatown and the city center? Do you know a bar called "Art TeeTong's Jai Dee Restaurant" on the street between Music House and TexMex? If you could eliminate either annoying tuk-tuk drivers or "Hotel California," which would you pick?
|
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
do they have ATMs there now? what currency are they in? what is the exchange rate for Thai baht and USD against the Kip? please describe how you handle your finances. thanks.
|
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
There are plenty of ATMs in the major cities now. As I understand it, this is a change from even a year ago. The dollar bounces between 9500 and 9900 kip but most places accept 10k to the dollar for simplicity. You see a lot of prices in dollars because it's much easier to write $35 than 3500000 (they hardly use commas for some reason) kip. The exchange rate for the baht is terrible at something like 27baht=10k kip. Once I finally get settled (after this next visa run) I'm going to open an account in USD at one of the banks here. I think you only need $500 or so to open an account. I'm going to check with the Thai banks here to see if I could access my money in Thailand in case there's a natural disaster or bloody coup or something here. Right now I'm just using my epassporte card to withdraw cash.
|
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
Forgot to mention that you can use kip, baht or dollars just about anywhere. I'm increasingly seeing places that take euros, but these are major tourist places.
|
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
[img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] just read between the lines and u may find something useful in this post
[ QUOTE ] Thanks for the links. What are some of your favorite restaurants and places to go outside of the Chinatown and the city center? Do you know a bar called "Art TeeTong's Jai Dee Restaurant" on the street between Mu :smirksic House and TexMex? If you could eliminate either annoying tuk-tuk drivers or "Hotel California," which would you pick? [/ QUOTE ] Heard the name of that Art place before, but havent been there - what kind of place is it? Since I love to gamble I often go to play pool or snooker in the Lao Bowling Center, they have excellent tables and imo its comfortable and friendly there. Loads of girls go there to bowl also, and you can just sit and drink too if you want. Another place I play pool sometimes is Bor Pen Nyang but the tables there are really not good for anything but messing around with while getting drunk and pimpin hoes. Last time I was here I used to go to the lao discos all the time, like Future, Dtac(Novotel), Meena, Marina, Tops... They are fun if you go with a group of people. Not really sure what u mean by neither chinatown or city center, hehe. But in my head the morning market is the center. Theyve finished a shopping mall there now, its kind of half-empty still though. The MM is still a great place for shopping for almost anything. The last week Ive kinda been hanging in my apartment mostly, nice to have a home after 6months of hotels and guesthouses. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] like to go to the vietnamese area of town too, just chilling with vietnamese coffee in some backyard cafe. that is north around that luang. Tuk Tuks suck, they are noisy and uncomfortable, and they always rip you - but I hate more the increasing number of big cars that are filling up the city some with maniac drive, probably finishing off their share of motorbike riders. I was in Cambodia a few months ago, where around 500 people are killed in traffic every month, only in the capital city of Phnom Penh. Lao people drive generally easier, but as the traffic increases its gonna get worse here cause the roads are really small. Ive witnessed about 3-4 accidents here the last few weeks alone.. and riding home last night i saw 2 roadkilled cats, about 500m apart.. One of them had his head scompletely ground into the asphalt. Hmm wait I think that one was on the sidewalk too, ([censored] getting deeper[img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]) . Anyway tuktuks are mostly annoying if you actually use them, I drive everywhere anyway. So my answer to question C must be the "Hotel California" karaoke singing, that and "take me 2 your heart". [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [ QUOTE ] do they have ATMs there now? what currency are they in? what is the exchange rate for Thai baht and USD against the Kip? please describe how you handle your finances. thanks. [/ QUOTE ] ATMs are on every corner of Vientiane now. When I first visited in 2001 there were none. But in 2005 they had a few. So I just use kip from my VISA card at the ATMs. Some of them (among others the one on the mekong from BCEL) charge u 20 000 kip per transaction, and the maximum withdrawal amount is just 700 000. The new ones from Lao development bank and others, are without this extra and dispense 1m illion kip ($100) at a time. In 2001 the largest denomination banknote here was 5000kip, and I had huge wads of cash after changing alot at the border. But now they have got up to 50.000kip, (yay! $5) Its rare though. But you dont really need hundreds of dollars in cash here either, unless your rental honda gets stolen and u have to pay $1000 cash for it to get your passport back, and in that case u just go to a bank.. Neteller is closed here, I found that out as the [censored] closed my account and froze all my money like 4 months ago. THe idiots demand that I travel to a country where its not banned before they can open it. Now thats good service. [ QUOTE ] The exchange rate for the baht is terrible at something like 27baht=10k kip. Once I finally get settled (after this next visa run) I'm going to open an account in USD at one of the banks here. I think you only need $500 or so to open an account. I'm going to check with the Thai banks here to see if I could access my money in Thailand in case there's a natural disaster or bloody coup or something here. Right now I'm just using my epassporte card to withdraw cash. [/ QUOTE ] Yeah the thai bath has been strengthened alot the last few months, but its not certain thats gonna last. As you also know the USD has weakened considerably. The Lao kip hasnt diverted alot from its rate to the dollar though. As a result many goods here that are imported from thailand have become more expensive. There is a branch of Bangkok Bank here, Ive been there a few times to get cash advances from my VISA card. Its near the morning market, on the other side of lane xang avenue, and next to the immigration office. Maybe they can help you with something. Link Time http://www.vientiane4fun.com/ Nice little page with info about hotels, nightclubs, bars, entertainment etc. http://www.travelfish.org/country/laos Looks like a good travelguide with maps. http://www.saycocie.1colony.com/ A lao man is telling the very detailed story of his life of growing up in vientiane. http://www.yellowpages-lao.com/ Good for finding businesses, telephone numbers, etc |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
roamer,
what are you doing in laos? what visa do you have? you get kip out of the atm or usd? |
Re: Ask WhoIam anything about living in Vientiane, Laos
Art's is kind of a semi-dive-friendly-neighborhood-bar-type place. The owner and one guy who's always there are fellow Americans and also interesting to talk to. It usually isn't very busy so if you go on an off night you might find yourself drinking alone. The food sucks, so don't go on an empty stomach.
By city center I mean the area from Lane Xang Ave to maybe around Bor Pen Nyang. Basically where 99% of the white people are. China town is right next to it. The Swedish Baking House is in this area. When you see a bunch of Chinese restaurants and signs in Chinese, you'll know you've found it. The third floor of Bor Pen Nyang seems to have good tables, but I really, really suck at pool (and have no idea how to even play snooker) so I might not be the best judge of this. I wasn't aware of Neteller not working. I guess I'll just get a moneybookers account or something now. What do you use? KKF, the ATMs dispense kip. From my understanding if you have an account in USD, you have to into the bank and withdraw dollars. Roamer, correct me if I'm wrong about this. |
| All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:32 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.