ba dac wrote on 20^th Dec, 2013 at 11:19am:

The food is decent but doesn't really compare to what you can find in the Kingdom of Cambodia or in Vietnam. The women are hot but I've already had my share of Asian sluts during my glory days a year ago so I mostly feel bored in the presence of beautiful lao girls. Problem is I haven't met a single Lao person who takes an interest in anything intellectual. Which is fine as it isn't in their culture. But I will come out and say I have far more respect for the ethnic minorities and the Vietnamese because they work hard, value education, and take a real interest in historical and cultural topics. This is based on my limited experiences in Laos. Still my favorite country in Asia.

Sad but true.Its like that over here too.But alot of the Vietnamese are professional like Dr, and stuff. Here a good
example .Where i work we have like 2 Laos including myself
as a communication specialist .But there like over 10 Viets.
Heck majority of the shop and small business is own by Viets.

I hope my Laos bro don't beat me up on this.Its true that
we as LAO people love to party and drink.There's a time and place for that.Heck look at the Japanese ,they love to drink.
Their boss take em out drinking during the work week.But
when its time to work .Those peoples know how to work .
How come our people can't do that ?

Relatives overseas will send money back very often?

My company pays every two weeks salary to Laotian employees as required to meet local socialization. It has been so for 6 years.

But, I love Beerlao. ha ha ha! Again, but, I only drink one tin each time if I have chance.

The reason why the Vietnamese are willing to do anything is because they actually earn more in Laos than they would in Vietnam. Even though Laos is a poor country, the pay is better.

I guess it doesn't matter what country they live, the Vietnamese tend to work very hard wherever they are. I believe the Mexicans in general are always on their feet too.

We not only contact relatives for money but girls also contact their overseas boyfriends, those who are not yet their relative, for money. We are a country full of beggars and it doesn't just stop with Lao citizens. The government is also requesting financial assistance left, right and centre to get things done.

No it's not harsh, it's reality. We will take anything we can get.

There's never shortage of countries that are willing to give loans to Laos. Even if one source says no, there are other sources that have agreed to provide the Lao government with loans.

If you always have your hand out, you'll always consume and never produce. Just look at Cambodia, the Kingdom of NGOs, where millions if not billions are poured into the country every year and all of the money goes towards paying for the luxury cars, big houses, and private tuition of the upper management. Cambodia is truly a beggar nation and the people and their government always find a way to crappity smack up whatever is going good for them. It's like shooting yourself in the foot to buy your mistress expensive perfume. Except in Cambodia, it is happening on a national scale.

Lao people are thankfully not nearly as entitled as their cousins down south. Laziness is part of the culture to some extent and the blaring sun and consequent heat will always remain an obstacle to productivity. Nonetheless, the government should do everything in its power to encourage education. Unless there is a major change in the culture towards emphasizing education, the country will forever remain impoverished.

I've spent over a year in Asia and carefully study these issues. I generally travel to a location and spend a few weeks to really get a sense of local life. Cambodians are aggressive people and their culture explains the mass killings that took place under the Khmer Rouge. The main tourist attractions in Phnom Penh are the Tuol Sleng museum and the killing fields on the outskirts of the city. The presentation puts the blame solely on Pol Pot and the upper echelons of his regime. In fact, most of the killings were carried out by ordinary peasants working with the Khmer Rouge. Most tourists are ignorant of Asian history and culture so they accept what they are told at face value.

In contemporary times, you see an idiot politician like Sam Rainsy traveling around the country promising unrealistic wages and blaming the Vietnamse for the problems in Cambodia. After the typhoon hit central Vietnam, the country temporarily suspended agricultural exports to Cambodia because the food had to be allocated to refugees. What was the Cambodian response? I heard it myself. They accused the VN of being evil and causing food prices in Cambodia to go up. Why can't they honestly and objectively look at the state of their country and blame themselves for being so vulnerable and reliant upon other countries? Another example of their culture. In Vietnam, the disabled, the elderly, and children from poor families make a living by selling lottery tickets and other small, cheap items. In Cambodia, these groups walk around with their hands open, doing nothing but asking for everything. If you ignore them, they follow you. If you give them money, they ask for more. There is no sense of appreciation among Cambodians. Only entitlement.

The VN in Cambodia are mostly poor fishermen who work harder than their Khmer cousins. The VN are also more likely to save their meagre earnings and start a business from their savings instead of wasting their money on partying and women. How do the Cambodians react to their success? With anger and hatred. At least in Laos, everyone seems to acknowledge and understand that the Vietnamese are wealthier because they work harder and live more responsibly.

Lao people seem to mostly understand the teachings of their religion. Cambodians seem to mostly follow Buddhism out of fear. They think paying a conman in a robe will absolve them of any wrongdoing.