Visas, borders and practical travel in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos
Planning
Health, safety and scams travellers report
This page sticks to what official travel advice reports, country by country: the diseases to plan for, the medicine rules, the road risk that causes most serious harm, and the specific tricks that come up again and again.
Contents
Health risks to plan for
| Risk | Vietnam | Cambodia | Laos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dengue | Listed | Listed | Endemic; rises in the rainy season |
| Malaria | Listed | Listed | Endemic |
| Japanese encephalitis | Listed | Not listed in the cited advice | Not listed in the cited advice |
| Zika | Listed | Listed | Not listed in the cited advice |
| Other | Air quality | Schistosomiasis | Anthrax in cattle near Pakse, the Bolaven Plateau and the Four Thousand Islands; air pollution |
This table lists what the UK Foreign Office health pages name; it is not a vaccination schedule. Which vaccines and antimalarials you need depends on your route, the season and your own history. See a travel health clinic at least several weeks before departure and take the route with you.
Mosquito bites are the common thread. Dengue mosquitoes bite in daytime, in cities as well as the countryside, so repellent matters on a city day as much as in the jungle.
Sources: UK Foreign Office — Vietnam health; UK Foreign Office — Cambodia health; UK Foreign Office — Laos health · last checked .
Medicines and medical care
Vietnam has strict rules on controlled medicines. According to the UK Foreign Office, you can bring in no more than seven days' supply of medicines classed as addictive or psychotropic, which can include treatments for anxiety, depression, insomnia and addiction, with a doctor's letter giving your name, age, the medicine, the dose, and the doctor's signature and address. The same advice warns that some medicines are hard to find in Vietnam and that many are fake, so bring what you need.
In Laos, care outside the capital is basic, emergency facilities are unreliable, payment is often demanded in advance, and medical evacuation is difficult to organise and very expensive. Travel insurance that covers evacuation is the single most useful health purchase for a trip that includes rural Laos or Cambodia.
Emergency ambulance numbers given by the UK Foreign Office: 115 in Vietnam, 119 in Cambodia, and 1195 for the general emergency line in Laos.
Sources: UK Foreign Office — Vietnam health; UK Foreign Office — Cambodia health; UK Foreign Office — Laos health · last checked .
Roads: the largest risk
Road safety is among the main official warnings for all three countries. The UK Foreign Office calls motorbike travel in Vietnam much riskier than at home and notes that accidents are common. It describes Cambodia as having one of the highest rates of road traffic accidents in south-east Asia, and Lao roads as poorly maintained, with unlit vehicles and livestock, and much riskier after dark.
- To drive a car or ride a motorbike in Vietnam you need the 1968 version of the international driving permit as well as your national licence. Check what your travel insurance says about riding without them.
- In Cambodia, choose tuk-tuks with side grills, which also make bag snatching harder.
- In Laos, avoid road travel after dark where you have a choice.
Sources: UK Foreign Office — Vietnam safety and security; UK Foreign Office — Cambodia safety and security; UK Foreign Office — Laos safety and security · last checked .
Scams and tricks travellers report
| What happens | Where reported | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Bags snatched by thieves on motorbikes, from pedestrians and tuk-tuk passengers | All three countries | Carry bags on the side away from traffic; keep phones out of reach of the road |
| Drivers or callers claiming to work for a ride-hailing company | Vietnam | Order and pay inside the official app only |
| Snacks, drinks or gum from new acquaintances containing drugs | Vietnam | Decline food and drink from strangers |
| Motorbike hire with the passport as deposit, then a staged theft or damage claim | Laos | Do not leave your passport as a deposit; photograph the bike before you ride |
| Fake US dollar notes given as change | Cambodia | Check notes before you leave the counter |
| "Easy jobs with high pay" adverts that lead to scam compounds | Cambodia | Treat any job offer that involves travel to Cambodia with suspicion; do not hand over your passport |
| Small unofficial fees at land borders | Remote crossings in all three | Know the official fee; keep exact money ready |
Sources: UK Foreign Office — Vietnam safety and security; UK Foreign Office — Cambodia safety and security; UK Foreign Office — Laos safety and security; A Social Nomad — Vietnam to Cambodia overland (travel blog) · last checked .
Methanol, drugs and unexploded ordnance
Official advice for all three countries warns about methanol in alcoholic drinks. The UK Foreign Office notes that it cannot be detected by taste or smell and that even a small amount can kill. In Laos, cases came from drinks bought in licensed bars, shops and hotels in tourist areas, and two spirits, Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whisky, are prohibited. Drink from sealed bottles you have seen opened, and be wary of free shots and cheap cocktails.
Drug laws are severe. In Laos possession of even very small quantities can lead to arrest and long imprisonment, and trafficking can carry the death penalty.
Unexploded ordnance remains from past wars. The advice flags former battlefields in central Vietnam and along the Lao border, heavy contamination in Cambodia where mined areas are often unmarked, and a hazard throughout Laos that grows in the rainy season when landslides expose buried munitions. Stay on used paths in the countryside and around rural temple sites.
Sources: UK Foreign Office — Vietnam safety and security; UK Foreign Office — Cambodia safety and security; UK Foreign Office — Laos safety and security · last checked .
Common questions
Questions readers ask
Do I need malaria tablets?
Malaria is listed for all three countries, but the risk depends on the area and season. A travel health clinic can advise for your exact route.
Is it safe to rent a motorbike?
It is the riskiest thing most visitors do. In Vietnam you need the 1968 international driving permit and your licence, and in Laos you should not leave your passport as a deposit.
What is the emergency number in Vietnam?
115 for an ambulance, according to the UK Foreign Office.
Can I bring my prescription medicine into Vietnam?
Yes, but medicines classed as addictive or psychotropic are limited to seven days' supply, with a doctor's letter. Check the classification of your medicine before you travel.
Related
Read next
On the road
Money and SIM
Dong, riel, dollars and kip: cash, cards, QR payments and SIM registration in the three countries.
Planning
When to go
Month-by-month seasons for north, central and south Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, with the trade-offs.
Getting across
Getting between
Flights, buses and boats between the three countries, with journey times and the new Cambodian airports.
Getting across
Border crossings
Crossing-by-crossing tables for Vietnam–Cambodia, Vietnam–Laos and Cambodia–Laos, with sources and dates.
This guide
About
Editorial policy: what the guide covers, how sources are chosen, what the dates mean and how corrections work.
Independent travel handbook
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Start here: the guide to entry rules, border crossings, money and seasons across the three countries.
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