The Final Word on Sex with Foreigners

• Yes, it’s illegal for Lao nationals to stay overnight with foreigners of the opposite sex. It doesn’t matter if she’s a hooker, your fiancé, or a misunderstanding—if you’re not married, it’s technically illegal.
• Foreigners sleeping with foreigners and Lao-on-Lao sex is ok.
• I’ve spoken about this with several other foreigners who have been here longer than I have. The only confirmed cases we’ve heard of in Vientiane were foreigners living with their Lao girlfriends. None of us had heard of a single verified case of anyone getting fined for a one-night fling or relationship where the Lao girl did not live with the guy in Vientiane.
• This has happened in Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, which are much smaller than Vientiane.
• I’ve known two foreign women who have openly lived with their Lao boyfriends without incident.
• If you bring a girl back to your hotel/guesthouse, there is almost no chance of getting in trouble for it, but it is possible. If you can’t afford the $500 (or possibly more) fine, keep it in your pants.
• How do people deal with this? Some people only date other westerners, some live with their girlfriends from surrounding countries, and some live with their Lao girlfriends in other countries (usually Thailand). I even heard about a guy who officially employed his girlfriend as a live-in maid. If you have a Lao girlfriend, you will probably be fine as long as she doesn’t move in with you or make a habit of staying over.