Hello everyone.  I am new to this board, but not new to Laos. :)

We have lived in Savannakhet, in the south of Laos before.  We are now moving back to Laos from Thailand & are really excited to be relocating to Vientiane for my husband's job.

I love Laos and the Lao people!  Sure, there are problems in Laos, like in any country.  It is always wise to read up on the culture wherever you decide to go - meet the people, and ask questions of your new friends.  

Being raised in the US means that there are things I inherently think should happen a certain way, i.e. I plan what I'm going to do and provide for what may happen "if" this happens, or "if" that happens......in other cultures "if"  is not even considered....all things are based on "luck".  Figuring out some of these differences where you realize that no one is "wrong" and you relax....makes for a happier day for everyone! :)

I for one would like to work on the litter issues I've seen in Laos...we had this same thing going on in the US many years ago (people used to throw trash out their car windows and think it would disappear!) ....there are ways to educate younger kids in school or create programs that are easy and fun to be a part of....and it all plays forward!  I hope to help develop some programs as soon as we settle in again!

Anyway!  Thanks for the great information here.....and, get some people involved.....bringing issues into the light is only step #1........acting on them and creating change is the NEXT STEP! :))))

Welcome back to Laos. Vientiane is a more livable place than Savannakhet and I'm sure that the both of you will enjoy the culture in the nation's capital.

Litter is a problem in Laos. Maybe there should be on-the-spot fines so people will stop doing it but that's just wishful thinking on my part.

You sound so optimistic, I hope that your high hopes don't get crushed in one day. I am not trying to be negative and I'm happy that there are people who want to help laos and its society but littering is the least of the problems. If you are rich and selfish (which I see most of the time) then you would care about the petty things such as how nice things should look and cleanliness. In Laos, kids don't even have shoes to wear to school, let alone a chair to sit on nor food to eat sometimes. Laos is still a 3rd world country, I don't care who tells you otherwise, no one in Laos will admit to that nor would they understand what the rest of the world means by it. Just because you have Don Chan Palace hotel and red lights that no one obeys in Laos, doesn't mean that the country is developed. There is no real infrastructure in place like recycling, sewer system, water purification/treatment, etc.. All I see is an electrical dam being built out of greed which endangers wildlife like those dolphins, and a railway system so thai people can come to laos to spend their higher currency in Laos. Money and greed rule all in laos where you can buy grades in school, bribe the police or anyone for that matter. If you want to educate the youth on littering, I suggest you first build a school, one that actually has walls and a roof cause I've seen most that don't. It's sad but the rich do not help the poor in laos, it's every person for themselves and that's the attitude that needs to change if Laos was to become socially developed.
When you see a $100k mercedes drive by on a road filled with pot holes and dirt and on the same road an old lady wearing flip flops pulling a wooden cart with rotten vegetables to sell, what thoughts go through your mind?
If you were born and raised in Laos, you would think that's normal.
If you were raised outside of Laos, you would feel otherwise.

One thing I don't like is the lack of lights in Vientiane at night. We sell most of our electricity to Thailand so that explains it.

Profit is more important than the residents of Laos.

I noticed that too when I was there, that it was very dark at night compared to what I'm used to, even in the city such as vientiane. It might not be a bad thing for the environment or the vampires but a little inconvenient for us who enjoy the night life and stumbling home drunk.

It's dangerous on the roads because it's dark.

Most schools don't have walls and a roof? Now that's over exaggerating.

Great to hear you are looking forward to the move! I'm from the US also, and will be in Vientiane as soon I get some biz matters wrapped up here.

I think it's great that you want to try and improve things while you are there. Just keep in mind that change occurs slowly. Just do what you can, and try to be helpful not pushy. We Americans tend to be very aggressive in pushing our thoughts and values on other people and cultures. This can be very offensive in many places as I'm sure you know. I learned quickly to lay low, and make friends to discuss ideas.

As always (and in any country) I'm always willing to buy dinner for the chance to speak some English. I wish you two the best of luck, and maybe we can all get together soon for some good food.