Lao People's Democratic Republic
Local Services in Lao People's Democratic Republic
The different kinds of public buses are Tuk-Tuk (“for hire” minibuses) and Jumbo (lead to numerous routes around the city). Taxicabs are also available in Vientiane. The drivers are generally friendly and it is very safe if you’re riding a taxi. Presently, there are no major railways in the country. Although, one time a portage railway subsisted on the Mekong River. There’s no link between Laos and other nearest countries by rail, though a connection to Vietnam's Ha Tinh Province has been planned.
The national airline of the country is Lao Airlines, which is based in Vientiane. The said airlines offer domestic and also international services like Vietnam, Thailand, China and Cambodia. Its major base is the Wattay International Airport which is located in Vientiane.
One of the most important ways of communication in the country is the telephone. There are about 61,900 telephone main lines working in 2002. There are more then 55,200 cellular phone users. Internet cafes are accessible in the towns, cities and hotels. The prices are usually as low as US$1 per hour. There are around 15,000 internet users as of 2002. There are more than 730,000 people using radios in the country. Radio broadcast stations are AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 and 4 television broadcast station.
Postal service in Laos is quite reasonably priced and reliable. The main post offices are usually open from Monday to Friday (8 am to 5 pm), Saturday (8 am to 4 pm), and Sunday (8am to noon).
