Cereal
Canadian expat in Laos
Forum posts
30
Contacts
3
About me
Canadian
Speaks English, French, beginner Laos
Registration: 18 May 2017
Newbie In Laos looking for advice to settle in Salavan. by Malcolm1804
Hi to one and all. My name is Malcolm, I'm from Halifax West Yorkshire in the UK. My former trade was Joiner/Kitchen fitter and I still do a bit when I am able. I am hoping to move and settle In Salavan with my long term girlfriend, a native of ...
40+ years ago? Were there any falangs here then that weren't connected to an NGO or an embassy? My friend has lived here as a private businessman since 1985 and I've never met anyone who has lived here longer than that. Read More
Newbie In Laos looking for advice to settle in Salavan. by Malcolm1804
Hi to one and all. My name is Malcolm, I'm from Halifax West Yorkshire in the UK. My former trade was Joiner/Kitchen fitter and I still do a bit when I am able. I am hoping to move and settle In Salavan with my long term girlfriend, a native of ...
I've been here 15 years and married 13. If I had to do it over again, I would not settle in Laos. Vietnam is a better country if you like SE Asia. It sounds harsh but this is my opinion. A bit of background: I've lived in 5 countries on 3 ... Read More
Newbie In Laos looking for advice to settle in Salavan. by Malcolm1804
Hi to one and all. My name is Malcolm, I'm from Halifax West Yorkshire in the UK. My former trade was Joiner/Kitchen fitter and I still do a bit when I am able. I am hoping to move and settle In Salavan with my long term girlfriend, a native of ...
What citizenship does your girlfriend have? If she is Lao note that (a) Laos does not recognize duel citizenship and (b) you must have a legally recognized marriage certificate to live together. The marriage certificate can be certified by Lao ... Read More
Getting married in Laos by Armand
Hi all, We invite all the ones who got married in Laos or who are about to get married in Laos to participate in this thread :) What are the formalities to get married in Laos? Is it the same for a couple of foreigners of for a mixed couple ...
Getting married in Laos is a long and kind of complicated affair. It takes about a year with a ton of red tape to go through. It will save you a load of headaches and frustration if you hire a lawyer or firm to do the running around for you. My ... Read More
Online visa by stumpy
The Lao govt have recently introduced an online evisa. It is easy to use and takes 3 days to have it emailed to you. There is a dedicated evisa line at immigration to which you present your passport and approval letter. This service is only ...
Thanks for the information. As an aside, "obviates", awesome word! Read More
Marriage with Lao Citizen by camiltuason
Hi guys! I'm seeking help regarding marriage with a Lao citizen? Me and my boyfriend would like to get married in Laos and in my country but we don't know what are the requirements we need to obtain. I checked Philippine embassy webpage but ...
If your boyfriend is Lao tell him to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and they will tell him what you need to do. Read More
Spouse Visa by stumpy
It seems that the Lao Govt have at last agreed to a new spouse visa. The previous spouse visa was for expats coming to Laos to stay with family in Laos. No work allowed. The new visa allows work. The new visa is done in 3 parts. [b]Spouse ...
Hi Stumpy, I will be able to pick up my SP B3 spouse visa tomorrow. Step 3 has been completed and the monies have all been paid. Step 1 = $30 Steps 2 & 3 = 1,320,000 x 2 = 2,640,000 kip Read More
Spouse Visa by stumpy
It seems that the Lao Govt have at last agreed to a new spouse visa. The previous spouse visa was for expats coming to Laos to stay with family in Laos. No work allowed. The new visa allows work. The new visa is done in 3 parts. [b]Spouse ...
However, the total price for doing all the work yourself is close to $400. If one can afford the extra $100 I would recommend hiring that agency. Like most dealings with bureaucracy here in Laos, it's time consuming and frustrating. Read More
Spouse Visa by stumpy
It seems that the Lao Govt have at last agreed to a new spouse visa. The previous spouse visa was for expats coming to Laos to stay with family in Laos. No work allowed. The new visa allows work. The new visa is done in 3 parts. [b]Spouse ...
Well, that is a welcome bit of news, but it is logical. Now that Thailand seems to have lifted the absurd 2 trips per year via land crossing, things may get back to normal. Thank you Stumpy. Good news. Read More
Spouse Visa by stumpy
It seems that the Lao Govt have at last agreed to a new spouse visa. The previous spouse visa was for expats coming to Laos to stay with family in Laos. No work allowed. The new visa allows work. The new visa is done in 3 parts. [b]Spouse ...
I'm not sure what RDK is but my wife and I have just submitted the paperwork for Step 2. This should give me the Stay Permit then Step 3 changes the SP-B3 Single Entry visa to a 1 year visa which you say is definitely multi-entry. Is this ... Read More
Spouse Visa by stumpy
It seems that the Lao Govt have at last agreed to a new spouse visa. The previous spouse visa was for expats coming to Laos to stay with family in Laos. No work allowed. The new visa allows work. The new visa is done in 3 parts. [b]Spouse ...
Laos people can travel between Laos and Thailand without hassle. Read More
Spouse Visa by stumpy
It seems that the Lao Govt have at last agreed to a new spouse visa. The previous spouse visa was for expats coming to Laos to stay with family in Laos. No work allowed. The new visa allows work. The new visa is done in 3 parts. [b]Spouse ...
I don't think so. but I am not 100% sure. It would be very nice if it is. Read More
Spouse Visa by stumpy
It seems that the Lao Govt have at last agreed to a new spouse visa. The previous spouse visa was for expats coming to Laos to stay with family in Laos. No work allowed. The new visa allows work. The new visa is done in 3 parts. [b]Spouse ...
It's a 1 year visa that needs to be renewed every year. I am pretty certain that you do not have to go through the entire process again. It's like getting a new stamp in your Stay Permit thing I am sure. Read More
Spouse Visa by stumpy
It seems that the Lao Govt have at last agreed to a new spouse visa. The previous spouse visa was for expats coming to Laos to stay with family in Laos. No work allowed. The new visa allows work. The new visa is done in 3 parts. [b]Spouse ...
No, no problems at all. You need to pick up a document at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and get the documents together as in the information I posted before. Going across the bridge is normal. The immigration guy that I dealt with at the bridge ... Read More
Spouse Visa by stumpy
It seems that the Lao Govt have at last agreed to a new spouse visa. The previous spouse visa was for expats coming to Laos to stay with family in Laos. No work allowed. The new visa allows work. The new visa is done in 3 parts. [b]Spouse ...
My wife and I are on step 2. After step 1 when you have crossed the bridge and came back with your spouse visa paper you have to pay what is the normal fee for your country. It is best to pay in US$. They charge you more if you pay in baht or kip. ... Read More
How has your life changed in Laos by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Has your life changed since you moved to Laos? If so, in what way? Tell us more about all the changes in your life regarding your family, job, or friends. What about your frame of mind? How would you define your mood? ...
Hi Greg, Sorry for the late reply but I haven't checked this site for a long time. Yes, I think your idea is interesting. If you want to meet and have a coffee someday, let me know. You can find me on Facebook. Look for Phil ***. There are 2 ... Read More
Paying bills in Laos by Priscilla
Hello everyone, What bills do you pay? If you are renting, are bills included in the price of rent, and is this common practice in Laos? How can you pay your bills (e.g. online, at provider's store, at the post office)? Which is the most ...
I deal with BCEL bank. They have an extremely user friendly app for smartphones to pay every bill, transfer funds, check account balances, taxes etc. They'll have an icon soon to pay the new road tax bill the end of this month as well. The ... Read More
Your opinion/inputs for some of these thoughts before I move to Laos
That's a good company to work for. They've been here a long time. That's a good salary too. You should be able to live very comfortably on that especially considering you're daily living expenses will be very low. Read More
Retiring in Laos by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Why did you choose to retire in Laos? What are the advantages compared with your home country? What were your main considerations when deciding to move? For example, taxes, ease of transferring your pension, etc.. Are there ...
To the best of my knowledge you cannot have money transferred into Laos without using an intermediary bank. This is Wells Fargo in NYC for the BCEL bank. However, there are ATM's everywhere where you can use a card to withdraw money. The amount ... Read More
How has your life changed in Laos by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Has your life changed since you moved to Laos? If so, in what way? Tell us more about all the changes in your life regarding your family, job, or friends. What about your frame of mind? How would you define your mood? ...
Very nice, keep in touch. Read More
Recognition of foreign qualifications in Laos by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Were your professional qualifications recognised in Laos? What country did you complete your qualifications in? What profession are you in? Did you have to go through any formalities to get your qualifications recognised, such ...
I have a degree in communications which was swayed towards global and intercultural communications. Integral to the degree was writing and research. I've been teaching at an international school and have done a lot of writing for the Laos ... Read More
Coming to get married in Vientiane next year. How to get job? by marius brisson
My name is Marius, I am from Romania but now living on Belgium.I want to come next year in Vientiane and submit the documents for marriage with my girlfriend.I tried to find a job, but it is difficult. ...
Wow, many hundreds of views and not a single reply. What is your education background? Special skills? It's easy for native speakers (or very close to native) to get teaching jobs. These can be a stepping stone if you wish. They certainly help ... Read More
How has your life changed in Laos by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Has your life changed since you moved to Laos? If so, in what way? Tell us more about all the changes in your life regarding your family, job, or friends. What about your frame of mind? How would you define your mood? ...
I'm a nomad and have been all my life. It started growing up as an Air Force brat. Then working at jobs which required travel: yacht delivery skipper, flight attendant I left Canada in 2005 and moved to Korea. While there I visited Laos and ... Read More
Looking for a 125-250 cc bike in Luang prabang by Baccur
Me and My girlfriend is looking to buy a bigger bike most prefered a 250cc but a detech 125 cc for the right price would work aswell as long as the bike has the blue plates and manual transmission. We are going to stay here in Luang prabang untill ...
I placed an ad about my Honda XL250 Degree for sale. It's a trail bike and is perfect for the roads here. I am asking $3100. It runs perfectly and is in awesome shape. Message me if you're interested. I would drive it to Vang Vieng to meet ... Read More
Naturalisation and citizenship in Laos by Bhavna
Hello everyone, What are the requirements for acquiring citizenship in Laos? For example, length of residence, language requirements, employment etc.. What formalities are involved in the process? What is the policy on dual-citizenship in ...
BY NATURALIZATION: Laotian citizenship may be acquired upon fulfillment of the following conditions: Person must be 18 years or older, be able to speak, read, and write Lao, have established permanent residency, understand the customs of the ... Read More
Salary ideas
My advice is to get your degree finished asap. You didn't say if you were still in school or not. As for salary expectations, I would not set the bar very high and jobs in that field will be very difficult to come by. A good idea would be to ... Read More
Accommodation in Vientiane? by Travellr
Hello, I am an online teacher looking to spend a few months in Laos. I would like a single room, with fast internet. A condo would be fine. Any suggestions appreciated.
This is good advice and the best way to go. You'll also be right downtown with all the food and fun within a short walk. There are plenty of nice guest houses. You could even try to negotiate a price with some of the hotels. Many charge $20-25 a ... Read More
Look for motorcycle big bike
It's possible to have bigger bikes here but you're going to have to jump through a few hoops and red tape. 250cc is generally the biggest bike you see around and that used to be the max engine size allowed by law. I think this law has been ... Read More
New members of the Laos forum, introduce yourself here by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Laos forum? Don聮t know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on your ...
Hi all, my name is Phillip. I'm a Canadian expat and have called Laos home since 2006. It's been a wonderful few years and I am never going back to Canada. Laos is home. The best place I've ever been. I wonder if anyone out there is ... Read More