Laos

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Flag of Laos Laos
Information
Language: Lao
Capital: Vientiane
Population: 6,521,998
Currency: Kip (LAK)
Hitchability: <rating country='la' />
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Laos is a country in South East Asia surrounded by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Burma. Hitchhiking is fairly uncommon, and sometimes people will expect money. Check out the Thai-Lao phrasebook for language pointers.

Amylin hitchhiking out of Luang Nam Tha to the border between Laos and China.

How to hitchhike

If you raise your thumb people will think you just doing 'like' and dont understand it's mean to stop. for hitch-hike take your hand and 'hit' the air

Hitching in Laos shall most likely be done via local toll-free roads, which this article will predominantly focus on. There is a small section at the end about the new Chinese-built expressway and the high-speed railway.

Hitching in Laos is very different between the north and south part of the country. While in the south it is relatively easy to hitchhike 300 kilometers a day and people don't commonly expect money, in the north it's hard to go more than 150 a day. People are very friendly and glad to meet people visiting areas of the country which aren't commonly frequented by tourists.

M13 Main Road The main road going from the north to the south of the country is the M13 which stretches from the Cambodian border to the Chinese border: - The northern section (Vientiane to the Chinese border) is in decent condition, though mountainous terrain makes some sections slow and winding - in the spring, you're very likely to be in the middle of forest fires. - The southern section (Vientiane to Cambodian border) is generally in better shape, but some areas remain poorly maintained and prone to flooding during the rainy season. Most of this road has been paved and upgraded with international aid, but some sections are still rough, especially in rural areas.

Most of the northern section of the M13 is quite easy to hitchhike through. The only major exception is between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, the are between the 2 cities is very mountainous and rural - and could easily take you 6 hours to do the 185km journey. The nature is breathtaking though, and you'll absorb much more of it than from the high-speed railway.

Hitchhiking solo is the easiest way to hitchhike in laos. Solo hitchhikers can get a ride between villages with one of the many motor bikes that roam all over the country - this is very likely to be your most common form of travel when hitchhiking. Expect to do multiple trips of 5-10km with multiple drivers. While going through small villages, you will see poverty - but in general every village is safe to stop in and walk around. Children will often play on the road, and people usually drive slower in villages for that reason. Even when on the back of the motorbike - if you look like a foreigner, children of the village will often wave at you with big smiles on their faces.

There are Western and Chinese tourist motorbike riders that ride long distances and are likely to pick you up. There are many shops near the Chinese border where you can buy electronics tax-free in Chinese Yuan and USD.

Road 7 Near the border with Vietnam, on the road 7 (meeting route 13), there are many logging trucks, coming from China. They speak no English most of the time. Try the pickup trucks and point that you want to sit in the back. It helps to say in advance that you have no money and it can also be a good idea to have a local person write down a few sentences like "have no money", "short distance is ok" etc. Chinese cars in general are a good idea to wave your hand at. They stop much more often. Chinese license plates are blue (for private vehicles) and yellow (for commercial vehicles like trucks).

There are more than a few improvised pickups that will give you a ride for less money than the organized busses. Sometimes it seems cheaper to go with these pickups as out of 10 hitches, you need to pay 3 of them if you don't make clear in advance that you're looking to travel for free. [rule of thumb: 30-40,000 kip per 100 km for a "hitch", or 10,000 per person (per 30km) for a bus-truck.

Since almost nobody can speak English, and many of them will expect a payment for the rides, it is essential that you make yourself understood: a hitchhiking letter may help a lot with that, and will also help you to be helped by the locals in order to find free rides to your destination. Traffic lights are not common, since towns are relatively small.

Another way that works well in Laos to make cars stop is to prepare a universal sign that only says "5km". As soon as the car has stopped you can still ask them where exactly they go. It's a great way to get outside of the city or just to get going when you are stuck. People understand spoken "kilomet" and the written shortage "km".

You should be aware that some maps of Laos (Google Maps in particular is one) are not accurate in rural areas - but if you stick to the main roads, you should be fine.

Hitchhikers are not allowed on the Chinese-built Vientiane–Boten Expressway parallel to Route 13. However, if you manage to get a lift from a driver before you reach the tolls (usually by Chinese drivers, locals still take the Route 13) - it should be a very fast way to go between cities. However, if time is your top priority over the adventure of hitchhiking - consider taking a high-speed train.

Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone If you are planning to go to the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ), be aware that locals face heavy restrictions on entering the borders of the city. When hitchhiking, even if locals are allowed to enter the zone - they will often not want to take you across the border. The GTSEZ acts as a semi-autonomous zone on their borders, security and financial arenas. You are unable to use the Lao Kip within the borders of the city due to the Chinese Yuan being the predominant currency. - If you enter the GTSEZ from Tonpheung (Laos) will need to cross a short border checkpoint in order to enter the city. People with passports from most Western and developed Asian countries can easily enter and leave the GTSEZ without getting a stamp on one's passport. - If you enter the GTSEZ from Chiang Saen in Thailand, you do not need a Lao visa if you do not leave the city - making it a popular location for Thai visa runs. You shall get a departure stamp leaving Thailand and a GTSEZ Lao entry/exit stamp. Be very careful if buying souvenirs/jewelery in the GTSEZ, as there are many items available on sale which are strictly illegal outside of the GTSEZ (Necklaces made with elephant tusk, clothes including tiger pelt etc). There are many cases of human trafficking, endangered animal trafficking, prostitution and gambling - be aware of this before deciding if you want to go to this city. However, there are many police officers walking around.

As a foreigner, the GTSEZ is the only border crossing open between Laos and Thailand for foreigners north of Huay Xai. The only way to cross the border is by paying for the boat crossing the Mekong river. It costs roughly 3USD per person, they accept Thai Baht, Lao Kip, Chinese Yuan and USD. The Tonpheung border crossing is only open to Lao and Thai citizens.

If you decide to take a high-speed train instead of hitchhiking, the train stations are deliberately made in the middle of nowhere to ensure business for the local Tuk-Tuk drivers. If you get out of a train station and want to get a free lift to the town - it is quite easy, but walk about 5 minutes down the road before sticking your thumb out to avoid getting bothered by the Tuk-Tuk drivers. The train stations have very peculiar opening times, and are closed when there is no train running. You can be stuck outside in the blazing heat for hours in the middle of nowhere if you show up to the train station if you're a few hours early for the train. Trainhopping is practically impossible - and attempting it would get you into a lot of trouble, expect airport-level security on your way into the station.

Language

In the '80s a lot of people went to Russia for their studies, and these are often people who have cars these days, so you might be able to use your Russian skills. English is not very common outside of cities and tourist destinations. Chinese can be used with the Chinese cars/trucks that take hitchhikers more often.

Download the Lao and Mandarin languages for offline use, though it can save the sentences when using wifi. It is very common to be picked up by Chinese cars/trucks - and most of the drivers do not speak Lao. Thai can also be downloaded and used offline and most people can understand it without major difficulties.

In the North of Laos near the Chinese border and the GTSEZ (Boten, Luang Namtha, Tonpheung and Oudomxay) many signs will be bilingual in both Chinese/Lao - and there is a very large Chinese speaking community.

In the GTSEZ, there are many guest workers from Myanmar and speak Mandarin limited to what they need for their job. Downloading Burmese on Google Translate can be handy for to communicate with them.

Personal experiences

My personal experience - This article is very accurate in that it is possible to hitch hike from north to south, but be prepared for long waits and dusty walks. The road leading from the Chinese boarder to Luang Prabang is currently undergoing upgrades since 2014 and apparently will be completed by August 2015, however when I passed through in November 2014 it looked a long way off with a majority of the road still dirt. It is possible to stay in Wats even in the north of Lao and I had no problem camping, however in Lao there is a law in which any foreigner staying with or in a local Lao person house must be registered with the local village elder, different person from the police so don't worry. This is to protect both you and your host, all the elder will want is to see your passport and if this doesn't happen you may receive a visit from the police next morning as happened to me on my first night in the north of Lao staying in a Wat, yes even in a Wat they must register you. Apart from that Lao is an amazing country with some very very friendly people.


Experience in July 2015:- Laurieking101 (talk) 13 November 2015 - While being slightly put off by the above comments, I persisted in giving Laos a go. Managed to travel all the way from Huay Xai to Vientiane via hitch hiking (apart from one bus journey from Oudomxay to Pak Mong). Do be prepared to wait at least a couple of hours in some places though! A top tip would be keeping your eyes peeled for Chinese number plates (if you see a rather fancy car coming towards you, it's probably Chinese) - about 80% of my rides were with incredibly helpful Chinese visitors, many of whom also shared food, drinks & ciggies :)GO FOR IT!!!


Experience in November 2015 - Z-z-z88 (talk) 2 December 2015 - Hitch-hiked from Pakse to Attapeu through Paksong and Sekong (about 200 km). It is was easy to get a car to Paksong, but from Paksong to Sekong was a very few amount of cars and most of them drive short distance 2-40 km. I managed to get to Attapeu, but changed 8 cars. From Attapeu towards Vietnam border (Phou Keua, 2 km away from Cambodia) was extremely small amount of cars. For two hours (morning of working day about 10:00-11:00) I saw only one truck (Vietnamese) going towards Vietnam and few cars. But there is very cheap bus for 6.5 USD which going deep into Vietnam and sent me to Pleiku (6.5 USD for ride about 250 km). On the mountain road from Laos (Attapeu) - Vietnam (Phou Keua) from 11:00 to 14:00 I saw about 10 trucks driving from Vietnam to Laos. So I do not advise to hitch-hike to Vietnam from Attapeu. By the way, local people to the east from Attapeu may speak only Vietnamese.


Experience in April 2016 - Z-z-z88 (talk) - Crossed Thai-Lao border at Huai Kon - Muang Nguen. Road to Sayabory (Xayaboury) have extremely low traffic. Something like 1 car per 20-30 minutes. Be ready to spend 1 day to make 50 km. Getting to Hongsa (Ban Phonsai) is relatively easy, but after this village was about 2-3 cars in 4 hours. But it is easy to go from Sayabory to Luang Prabang, plenty of cars and trucks.


Experience in November 2016 - I entered Laos in Na Meo at the Lao-Vietnamese border. After I hitchhiked from there to Vientiane and Pakse I wouldn't say this article is very accurate. During my time I didn't have a single lift who wanted to charge me anything. Yeah in remote areas it can be hard to get a life since there is less traffic, but I don't know about the car/calculations above. Laos is an awesome country and hitchhiking is definitely possible!


Experience in october 2017 - indogerm - Entered via Boten border from china, hitched to Vientiane to go to thailand straightaway. Maximum of kilometres per day were 200 something, lots of hills and curves. Road is in good to very good shape(Kunming - bangkok highway, payed by china and thailand and some other). As described above, few cars. Chinese cars normally mean long distance rides, cigarettes and good food. Can also always stop motorcycles, just do some eyecontact and wave them down smiling. Most people dont wear helmets. When approaching pick ups, try signalling them that you want to go in the back when the car is full- lots of them think they cannot offer this to you. Hitching Laos-Totally possible! I always sad "Bo KIP"(no money) before entering, nobody refused to take me. Enjoyed the awesome nature between rides. Dont forget to get rid of your kip before exiting lao-they are shit. All three citys in the nortern part of Lao are tourist shit. Avoid them. Go for it!


Experience in September 2019 - I've entered Laos in Na Meo, Vietnam. No problems with getting the visa on the crossing, got charged 40$ though. First 10 or so kilometers on Laos side is dirt/mud/clay road, almost 0 traffic BUT there was a dude on a bike and when he saw me we both knew and he gave me a ride. Later on I couldn't complain. I had no letter, no translator, no sign, just my smile #1 and hand signs. I've hitchhiked from VN border down to 4k islands and back to Thai border close to Pakse. Usually I'd walk along the road and wave everyone down - cars, single riders, trucks. Got rides from all of mentioned. No one asked me for money. Waiting time from 15 minutes to 3 hours, you know the drill. Took bike riders by surprise - when they stopped I'd point at the road, at the bike and sit on the bike before they'd shake the shock off, hahaha. They never protested, took some selfies etc. Average speed for pickups was 60 km/h, 30-40 for bikes and trucks. I had one strange incident, nothing dangerous though - an American dude driving a pickup stopped just to tell me "it's a poor country, you don't hitchhike here" wished me good time and splitted. Besides that hitching in Laos was very uplifting and allowed hours of staring at beautiful Asian mountains, go for it guys.

Experience in April 2023: I hitchiked from Vientiane to the Golden Triange Special Economic Zone. I entered Laos from the Non Khai - Thanaleng border, then hitchhiked to Vientiane in the back of a pickup truck at night without any issues. Getting to Vang Vieng was pretty easy, but I had many on and off stops with motorbikes. Spending 2 days in Vang Vieng, I got to all the waterfalls and cool locations while hitchhiking very easily by some friendly tourists. As the Vang Vieng - Luang Prabang route is known to be tough, I decided to take the train before continuing hitchhiking. North of Luang Prabang, as many tourists take the slow boat to get to Huay Xai - you shall see far less tourism any north of Luang Prabang. I got picked up by quite a few long distance motorcyclists who brought me far distances - as well as Chinese truck drivers. Otherwise, I got many lifts from locals on motorbikes. I was doing this in forest fire season (March-April) but in general the air was still pretty okay. I paid a couple times for the makeshift busses, but in general the hitchhiking was quite smooth. I got invited into people's houses and offered food multiple times. I loved my time in Laos hitchhiking as an adventurous person, but if you are relying on timing - take a train/bus. I never booked my accomodation beforehand and there was always a private room available for about 10USD a night. The adventure of hitchhiking in Laos is absolutely phenomenal - but in hindsight, I should've offered money a bit more often. The people are so lovely, and being a cheapskate in a country as amazing as Laos wasn't my proudest moment. Nevertheless, I'm eternally grateful for the experience Laos has given me.

Cities

Huay Xai
Vientiane
Luang Prabang
Pakse
Luang Namtha


Getting in

From China

There is only one border crossing at Mohan - Boten. It is possible to walk from the Chinese to the Lao side. If you get stuck in Mohan and need to spend the night, accomodation costs 40-60 yuan but there are some empty shops, open building entrances with space to hide under the stairs, and RovingSnails walked to the top of an apartment building and slept on the rooftop without any complains.

From Thailand. There are 8 land border crossings.

Border crossing at Chiang Khong - Huay Xai. Walking or cycling across the friendship bridge joining Thailand with Laos is not allowed, but it is possible to hitchhike if one ignores the comments from the bus service (20 baht). From Thailand to Laos, the border police kindly stopped a car for RovingSnails and even gave them water for the way under the sun.

Border Huai Kon (Thai, nearest town is Nan) - Muang Nguen (Lao) is international and you can walk between countries. On Laotian side no one ask for money as it often happens on popular border crossings. Traffic is very low.

The Golden Triangle Special Economic zone border forces you to pay for the boat. It is impossible to cross the Mekong without paying for the boat.

The border crossing at Tonpheung is only open for locals.

External links

Information, tips and personal experiences of hitch-hiking in Laos. A 1707 km journey on 26 vehicles (only in spanish), by Marcando el Polo

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