Hundreds of Foreigners Remain Stranded in Laos

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Hundreds of foreigners stranded in Laos

Hundreds of foreign workers and tourists remain stranded in Laos, unable to return to their home countries.

While the number of foreigners remaining in Laos who wish to return to their home countries is unknown, over 250 foreign nationals have formed a Facebook group to share information and assistance following the Lao government’s decision to suspend charter flights.

According to one man who spoke with the Laotian Times, embassies have worked tirelessly to find solutions and assist their stranded citizens, however, Covid-19 prevention measures have temporarily paused charter flights.

“People are trying to survive on what little money they have left in their savings,” said the man, who wished to remain anonymous.

“Some of them do not have enough to pay the high cost of charter flights and have no means of leaving.”

A Croatian national who spoke with the Laotian Times said that after resigning from her job teaching English in northern Laos, her flight out was canceled. She is now unemployed and subsists on a small amount of savings.

“I had no means of income at all during lockdown. I have spent ten months here, five months of that with no income,” she said.

“My country has no embassy in Laos and falls under the responsibility of our embassy in China. I am really hoping to go home soon, but without knowing when the border will reopen it is really hard,” she added.

Since early this year, the government of Laos has instituted Covid-19 prevention measures in phases. International borders remain open for Lao citizens and foreigners with proper authorization to enter or exit the country, while tourists and those without authorization may not enter.

The government has granted visa amnesty, continually renewing tourist visas on a monthly basis for those who overstay, however, long-term visas and work visas are not being issued.

Charter flights have been suspended since July, following the country’s first imported case of Covid-19 in over a hundred days.

11 COMMENTS

  1. Had you printed the name of the Facebook group there would be foreigners here, such as I, who would reach out to these people in an effort to help in any way we could.

    This was an important piece of information that was integral to the story.

  2. Amnesty means that stranded guests would not need to renew or extend visas. Besides i know that on the aforementioned Facebook group several foreigners havementioned that they have had to pay both overstay fines and visa extension fees at higher than normal rates. They have not been granted stay on amnesty.

  3. “Hundreds of Foreigners Remain Stranded in Laos”

    get it right, kidnapped and extorted by Laos immigration.
    there just isnt any valid reason why foreigners are being stopped from crossing the land border to Cambodia from where there are any flight out of that country

  4. I i’m stranded here also what website or Facebook group is it I would like to know because I want to go home we all just come together as one maybe they will change the flights and rearrange it for us to leave here Laos please give me the Facebook group name . Thank you if anyone reads this or can we just get in contact with each other more minds Thinking is better than just one.