Absolutely Free Business Ideas

I think all of these would make money, but I have no desire to pursue any of them. If you have any interest, go for it.

Joe's Economy Hostel
Even though you can have a private room for a week for the price of one night in a European hostel, some travelers will go with the cheapest option no matter what. Have a restaurant serving Lao food at Lao prices and make sure to display the prices prominantly. When they walk around town they'll be tempted to eat somewhere else but will keep saying "our hostel is cheaper than this." Also have a bar on premises serving beer, bottles of cheap whiskey with mixers, and buckets. Backpackers love buckets and I haven't seen them anywhere.

A burger place open late
It's impossible to get a good burger in this town. I'm not thinking of a McDonalds clone but something a little nicer like a west-coast burger chain. It would be popular in the daytime and hugely popular at night, especially if open late. Make sure to include veggie burgers. Bonus if you also sell non-disgusting hotdogs.

An Irish Pub *
What kind of capital city doesn't have an Irish pub? Two fundamental facts make this a good business:
1. Irish pubs are always crowded
2. Irish pubs are always overpriced

A prime location is crucial. So many people stay in Vientiane for 2-3 nights and don't know where to go. Many of them would run to Paddy O'Murphy's (or whatever) instead of some place with a strange name. Get a white guy with a guitar to come in 3 nights a week and you'll have to turn the punters away.

*there is now an Irish pub in Vientiane, but there wasn't when I wrote this a few months ago