The Lao People's Public Security Force, under the Ministry of Public Security, handles ordinary police matters. Tourist Police operate as a specialist contact, including in Vientiane. Formal services exist, but access varies by province, institution, language capacity, opening hours and transport. Police emergency number 1191 and the nearest police station are the main reporting options. Tourist Police in Vientiane can be reached at 021-251-128. English-language assistance may be limited, and formal supervisory authorization is often required before action proceeds. Night responses may fail because a station or telephone is closed or transport is unavailable. Accommodation assistance can sometimes be arranged, but a person may still face fuel or telephone costs; no uniform public police fee was identified. Common offences include pickpocketing, motorcycle bag-snatching, theft near tourist hubs and ATMs, and residential break-ins. Violent crime is reported, although the reviewed research describes it as rare. Risk can rise during major Lao holidays. Financial and romance scams, fake job or work-permit offers, dating-app robbery or assault, drink or food spiking, motorcycle-rental theft and extortion require particular caution. A passport should not be handed over as collateral. Use well-used, well-lit streets at night, conceal valuables, separate cash and cards, keep a passport copy, verify a taxi or app driver's identity and plate, share the journey with a trusted contact, and meet unfamiliar people in public places. Do not accept unattended food or drinks, unexplained free offers, unknown packages, unexpected money or unverified job offers. Bokeo and the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, often shortened to SEZ, have been associated with scam centres, transnational criminal organisations, kidnapping and trafficking. Boten SEZ carries similar concerns. Remote areas near the Lao-Myanmar border require caution because of banditry and drug trafficking. Additional caution may be needed on National Roads 7, 9 and 20 and in provinces identified in local advisories. Laos is a source, transit and destination context for human trafficking, forced labour and sex trafficking. Recruitment can occur through social media and fake jobs, affecting rural youth, Lao and foreign workers, women and girls, migrants, and people working in SEZs, casinos, plantations or construction. The Golden Triangle also places Laos on a major methamphetamine transit path toward Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam; detailed criminal-law penalties belong to the separate criminal-law subject. A trafficking report may be oral or written. The victim, a family member, relative, neighbour or organisation may report, and the police should receive and record the case. Record dates, places, witnesses, messages, photographs, payment details and other evidence, and keep copies where possible. Under the Anti-Trafficking Law, trafficking victims generally have rights to report, complain, give evidence, seek compensation, request protection and confidentiality, and obtain an interpreter, lawyer or guardian. They may also receive rescue, referral to temporary safe shelter, legal aid, medical care, education or vocational training, economic support and reintegration assistance. Practical access is uneven, especially for male and LGBTQI+ victims and for cases connected with special economic zones. No general national victim-compensation scheme was evidenced in the reviewed sources. The Lao Women's Union, or LWU, provides helpline 1362 and has Counselling and Protection Centers in Vientiane Capital and Luang Namtha. These services can provide legal aid, counselling, referral and reintegration support. The Lao People's Revolutionary Youth Union, or LYU, operates toll-free 1554 for youth psychosocial support and referrals. The anti-trafficking hotline is 1300, with WhatsApp contact at +85620 2288 1300. Child-related online risks include grooming, cyberbullying, child sexual abuse material and other online exploitation. Lao child-safety planning for 2026–2030 involves relevant national authorities, the Ministry of Technology and Communications and UNICEF, but local capacity and access remain uneven. LaoCERT, the Lao Computer Emergency Response Team, accepts digital-incident reports through its incident form, email at [email protected] and phone at +856-30-5764222. The Cyber Crime Law allows notification by form, phone, fax or email. An official reply generally takes up to five working days, while urgent technical responses may begin immediately. Preserve messages, account details, URLs, transaction records and screenshots, secure affected accounts and avoid suspicious links. Common online schemes include fake Facebook warnings, fake account-verification requests, phishing and credential theft. Contacting police, a support organisation or LaoCERT addresses different needs, so a person may need more than one report.
Crime in Laos
Crime risks in Laos range from opportunistic theft, bag-snatching and residential break-ins to scams, trafficking and online exploitation. Risk is higher around tourist hubs, ATMs, nightlife, major Lao holidays, special economic zones and remote border areas. Public sources reviewed did not establish a current comparable national crime-prevalence series, so local conditions and practical risk patterns matter more than a national rate.
VivAVia can make mistakes. Check important information.